HBO's new show 'Westworld' subtly pokes fun at James Marsden never getting the girl in any movie
Warning: There are spoilers ahead for "Westworld" if you haven't tuned in to the premiere.
HBO's newest show, "Westworld," about a theme park overrun by realistic robots, premiered Sunday night. The show stars Evan Rachel Wood and James Marsden as two of the park's bots.
If you're a big fan of Marsden, you know that the 43-year-old actor often plays the good guy who never gets the girl in most films.
He let Patrick Dempsey steal away Amy Adams in "Enchanted," lost Jean Grey to Wolverine in the "X-Men" series, and was even the runner-up to Ryan Gosling in "The Notebook."
It's become something of a meme over the years with plenty of articles written on the topic, with headlines like: "Those times James Marsden was 'The Nice Guy' and it never paid off," "Will James Marsden finally get the girl in a Nicholas Sparks movie?," and "5 reasons why James Marsden never gets the girl."
So it was refreshing during the "Westworld" premiere when it appeared as if Marsden finally found his lady love (even if it was in a robotic fantasy world).
But as the premiere episode unfolded, things weren't looking so great for Marsden's character yet again. It appears as though "Westworld" included a few nods to the actor's past on-screen history, which eagle-eyed viewers may spot in two scenes from the premier.
The first moment occurs when Ed Harris' mysterious character (known only as The Man in Black) confronts Teddy and Dolores. He's taking Dolores away, presumably to sexually assault her. Marsden's character can't do anything to stop him since robots aren't able to harm guests - in theory anyway.
As he drags Dolores away, the Man in Black says: "I never understood why they paired some of you off. It seems cruel. And then I realized, winning doesn't mean anything, unless someone else loses, which means, you're here to be the loser." He then shoots and "kills" Teddy the robot.
Marsden is once again the loser. Quite literally.
The second jab comes soon afterward. After a quick reset, Teddy is seen riding into town on a train the following day. Two female visitors are excitedly chatting and gossiping about their upcoming Westworld adventure, and take notice of the dreamy Marsden sitting nearby.
Here's their exchange:
Passenger 1: "Oh my God. They're so lifelike … like that one. He's perfect."
Passenger 2: "Perfect is boring. I'm more interested in the bad guys."
That usually ends up being the case with Marsden's characters in movies as well - the seemingly perfect good guy always finishes last.
Whether or not the lines were intentional clever jokes is unclear, but it's a subtle plot point that Marsden's fans won't miss.
"Westworld" airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. on HBO.