When it comes to television, it’s not uncommon for a show’s first season to be its best. This is especially true for sci-fi series, where the first season introduces characters and settings while establishing mechanisms and plot points. This was particularly evident in <em>Westworld</em>, an HBO series that premiered in 2016 and captivated viewers with its initial installment.

However, the subsequent three seasons of the show famously lost sight of what made Season 1 so compelling. With increasingly complex plot mechanics and an ever-expanding world, Westworld deprioritized the emotional depth and character development that distinguished Season 1. The show was ultimately canceled after Season 4. As fans mourn the ending and reflect on how the storyline evolved over the seasons, one Netflix series could serve as the perfect replacement. Pantheon, which premiered on September 1, 2022, is a must-watch for Westworld enthusiasts.

What Is ‘Pantheon’ About?

Pantheon follows a lonely, heavily bullied teenager named Maddie Kim (Katie Chang) as she navigates her grief after losing her father, David (Daniel Dae Kim), two years earlier. The series begins when Maddie receives mysterious online messages and fears she has been hacked; she soon realizes that the person trying to contact her is her deceased father—sort of. David, once a brilliant software engineer, had his mind uploaded to a computer before his death and lives on through technology.

By doing this, David became a UI, or uploaded intelligence: an AI variant representing digitized human consciousness. In Pantheon, a person’s mind can be scanned and uploaded onto a computer network, allowing it to exist digitally—interacting with other UIs or even influencing the physical world through technology. When Maddie and David reunite, he learns that his reality has drastically changed. He has missed two years of his daughter’s life; she has grown and evolved without him. Additionally, his daughter and wife have had time to grieve him and must now readjust their lives to accommodate his return.

Alongside Maddie and her family’s storyline, the series also follows Caspian (Paul Dano), who appears to be a typical teenager obsessed with his computer while dealing with a difficult home life involving his mother and an abusive father. However, things are not as they seem; this small family may be closely linked to large tech companies and the technology they utilize. Eventually, Maddie and Caspian’s paths intersect, leading us to explore questions about humanity, the ethics of uploaded brains, and whether an uploaded person is human or merely code, along with other inquiries that arise from such technological advancements. The cast also features Rosemarie DeWitt, William Hurt in one of his final performances, Taylor Schilling, Aaron Eckhart, Raza Jaffrey, Scoot McNairy, Ron Livingston, Maude Apatow, and Anika Noni Rose.

‘Pantheon’ Is a Satisfying and Emotionally Grounded ‘Westworld’ Replacement

The synopsis of Pantheon indicates that both this animated series and Westworld contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding AI, technological advancements, and existential questions about what it means to be human. While Delos in Westworld focuses on manufacturing physical robotic bodies that gradually gain consciousness, Logorhythms in Pantheon takes the opposite approach by using Uploaded Intelligence to infuse human thought and emotion into computers as part of human evolution.

The most crucial aspect is that Pantheon fulfills its premise without faltering or disappointing viewers as Westworld ultimately did. Throughout its two seasons, the series expands on its themes while exploring Logorhythms’ mission to dominate the world—all while maintaining an unexpectedly intimate emotional narrative. Although Westworld boasted a larger budget and flashy robotic bodies, Netflix’s animated series tackles similar (if not identical) questions but presents them in a more personal and emotionally grounded manner. The primary error of Westworld was becoming overly focused on its puzzles rather than its characters. In contrast, Pantheon ensures that such mistakes do not recur by keeping people and their relationships at the forefront at all times.

Ultimately, while both series interrogate the concept of robots attaining consciousness and its implications for society’s future, they approach their narratives differently. While Westworld‘s expansion sought “gotcha” moments and twists, Pantheon‘s narrative delivers a concise emotional story that remains consistent and entertaining throughout.