Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratexts

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Cabral Martins, Ana
Data de Publicação: 2019
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.14591/aniki.v6n1.460
Resumo: This essay presents an examination of the HBO television series Westworld and of the complexity of its narrative structure. The series is part of a trend Jason Mittell identified as “complex TV” as it exhibits many characteristics that pertain to that category. At the same time, the complexity of Westworld is displayed through a puzzle structure, which fosters a dependency of its viewers on “orienting paratexts” that help when it comes to analyzing and recapitulating the television show, parsing out the clues and offering an overarching solution. Alongside the many paratexts surrounding and dedicated to exploring Westworld, television criticism takes on a more urgent role for this show’s devoted and “forensic” audience. While Westworld is a relevant text to examine when it comes to analyzing complexity in contemporary television, it is especially exemplary as a text that necessitates its paratexts in order to provide the full experience.
id RCAP_43a47a029dc8df5a40333a15c1a9b3bb
oai_identifier_str oai:aim.org.pt/ojs/:article/460
network_acronym_str RCAP
network_name_str Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
repository_id_str 7160
spelling Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratextsWestworld: televisão complexa, narrativas puzzle e paratextosNarrative complexityparatextspuzzle narrativesWestworldHBOtimelinestelevisionComplexidade narrativaparatextosnarrativas puzzleWestworldHBOlinhas temporaistelevisãoThis essay presents an examination of the HBO television series Westworld and of the complexity of its narrative structure. The series is part of a trend Jason Mittell identified as “complex TV” as it exhibits many characteristics that pertain to that category. At the same time, the complexity of Westworld is displayed through a puzzle structure, which fosters a dependency of its viewers on “orienting paratexts” that help when it comes to analyzing and recapitulating the television show, parsing out the clues and offering an overarching solution. Alongside the many paratexts surrounding and dedicated to exploring Westworld, television criticism takes on a more urgent role for this show’s devoted and “forensic” audience. While Westworld is a relevant text to examine when it comes to analyzing complexity in contemporary television, it is especially exemplary as a text that necessitates its paratexts in order to provide the full experience.Este ensaio apresenta uma análise da série de televisão Westworld, do canal de cabo americano da HBO, especialmente no que toca à sua estrutura narrativa. A série é parte de uma categoria que Jason Mittell identificou como “complex TV”, uma vez que exibe muitas características que pertencem à mesma. Ao mesmo tempo, a complexidade do Westworld é notória dada a sua estrutura de puzzle, que estimula a dependência dos espectadores relativamente a paratextos cujo objectivo é providenciarem orientação, ou seja, que ajudam a analisar e recapitular a série, analisando pistas e oferecendo hipóteses de soluções. Juntando-se aos muitos paratextos em torno de e dedicados a explorar o Westworld, a crítica de televisão assume um papel indispensável para a dedicada audiência do programa. Assim, Westworld é um objecto relevante no que toca à sua análise enquanto exemplo de complexidade na televisão contemporânea e é especialmente exemplar enquanto texto que necessita de paratextos para facultar uma experiência completa.AIM - Associação de Investigadores da Imagem em Movimento2019-02-04info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttps://doi.org/10.14591/aniki.v6n1.460https://doi.org/10.14591/aniki.v6n1.460Aniki: Portuguese Journal of the Moving Image; Vol 6 No 1 (2019): The viewing and criticism of television series; 132-148Aniki: Revista Portuguesa da Imagem em Movimento; v. 6 n. 1 (2019): O visionamento e a crítica de séries de televisão; 132-1482183-1750reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAPenghttp://aim.org.pt/ojs/index.php/revista/article/view/460http://aim.org.pt/ojs/index.php/revista/article/view/460/pdfCabral Martins, Anainfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess2024-01-26T02:03:10Zoai:aim.org.pt/ojs/:article/460Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-20T01:57:17.318688Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratexts
Westworld: televisão complexa, narrativas puzzle e paratextos
title Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratexts
spellingShingle Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratexts
Cabral Martins, Ana
Narrative complexity
paratexts
puzzle narratives
Westworld
HBO
timelines
television
Complexidade narrativa
paratextos
narrativas puzzle
Westworld
HBO
linhas temporais
televisão
title_short Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratexts
title_full Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratexts
title_fullStr Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratexts
title_full_unstemmed Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratexts
title_sort Westworld: complex TV, puzzle narratives and paratexts
author Cabral Martins, Ana
author_facet Cabral Martins, Ana
author_role author
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Cabral Martins, Ana
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Narrative complexity
paratexts
puzzle narratives
Westworld
HBO
timelines
television
Complexidade narrativa
paratextos
narrativas puzzle
Westworld
HBO
linhas temporais
televisão
topic Narrative complexity
paratexts
puzzle narratives
Westworld
HBO
timelines
television
Complexidade narrativa
paratextos
narrativas puzzle
Westworld
HBO
linhas temporais
televisão
description This essay presents an examination of the HBO television series Westworld and of the complexity of its narrative structure. The series is part of a trend Jason Mittell identified as “complex TV” as it exhibits many characteristics that pertain to that category. At the same time, the complexity of Westworld is displayed through a puzzle structure, which fosters a dependency of its viewers on “orienting paratexts” that help when it comes to analyzing and recapitulating the television show, parsing out the clues and offering an overarching solution. Alongside the many paratexts surrounding and dedicated to exploring Westworld, television criticism takes on a more urgent role for this show’s devoted and “forensic” audience. While Westworld is a relevant text to examine when it comes to analyzing complexity in contemporary television, it is especially exemplary as a text that necessitates its paratexts in order to provide the full experience.
publishDate 2019
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019-02-04
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv https://doi.org/10.14591/aniki.v6n1.460
https://doi.org/10.14591/aniki.v6n1.460
url https://doi.org/10.14591/aniki.v6n1.460
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv http://aim.org.pt/ojs/index.php/revista/article/view/460
http://aim.org.pt/ojs/index.php/revista/article/view/460/pdf
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv AIM - Associação de Investigadores da Imagem em Movimento
publisher.none.fl_str_mv AIM - Associação de Investigadores da Imagem em Movimento
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Aniki: Portuguese Journal of the Moving Image; Vol 6 No 1 (2019): The viewing and criticism of television series; 132-148
Aniki: Revista Portuguesa da Imagem em Movimento; v. 6 n. 1 (2019): O visionamento e a crítica de séries de televisão; 132-148
2183-1750
reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
instacron:RCAAP
instname_str Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
instacron_str RCAAP
institution RCAAP
reponame_str Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
collection Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1799137059742416896

Registros relacionados