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鈥淲estworld,鈥� which is now several episodes into its first season, looks to be a critical and ratings success for network HBO. But can it attain the same status as its fellow genre show, and HBO鈥檚 biggest hit of all time, 鈥淕ame of Thrones鈥�?听

鈥淲estworld,鈥� which debuted on Oct. 2, takes place in what seems like an Old West world. In reality, the place is an amusement park where visitors can do whatever they want. The show stars Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, Thandie Newton, and James Marsden and is based on a 1973 science fiction film of the same name.听

The HBO program aired its sixth episode on Nov. 6. The ratings were impressive for the show鈥檚 premiere, but the program airs on Sunday nights, the same evening as AMC鈥檚 massive hit 鈥淭he Walking Dead,鈥� and the show鈥檚 ratings declined when 鈥淲alking鈥� recently returned. Despite the decline, viewership was still considered strong.听

Meanwhile, upon its premiere, 鈥淲estworld鈥� received mostly positive reviews from critics.听

HBO鈥檚 biggest hit of all time, 鈥淭hrones,鈥� seems likely to end within its next couple seasons 颅鈥� HBO programming president Casey Bloys that the idea was to end with season eight of the show (season seven will air next), though , 鈥淐asey did confirm season 8, but didn鈥檛 really say for sure that鈥檚 the end.鈥� (Earlier this year, during an interview about the season 6 finale,听听said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 two more seasons we鈥檙e talking about.鈥�)听

So it seems safe to say HBO may be seeking its next hit. Can 鈥淲estworld鈥� fill the void when 鈥淭hrones鈥� does leave the network?

wrote around the time of the show's premiere that 鈥渉aving seen a handful of early episodes, I鈥檓 already obsessed.鈥�

But 鈥渨ill it achieve the same kind of iconic status as 鈥楪ame of Thrones鈥�?鈥� Ms. Anders asked.听鈥淲here the fantasy saga鈥檚 debut managed to feel like a sharp political drama that just happened to have dragons, 鈥榃estworld鈥� just feels like 鈥� good science fiction 鈥� albeit science fiction that goes deeper, and further, than most. It鈥檚 asking timely questions about our relationship with technology and how we treat the powerless.鈥澨�

Meanwhile, 听felt at the time of the premiere, also having seen several episodes, that 鈥溾�榃estworld鈥� is not the next 鈥楪ame of Thrones,鈥� but it is worth watching.鈥� The show is 鈥減retty, often provocative, but sometimes so confusing that, unlike its notoriously complicated dragon-laden counterpart, it can even be boring,鈥� Mr. Fallon wrote. Yet 鈥渆ven if occasionally baffling and a little disjointed, the very idea of the show and the production value is worthy of investment, even if there鈥檚 a lack of feeling to provoke intense passion for it,鈥� he concluded.