'Westworld' Closes Out Strong 4th Season, But Can The Show Ever Fully Recover?

"Westworld" season four is in the books, and there's no question the series is back on the right track.

Following an unbelievably disappointing third season, HBO hit the reset button going into season four and tried to get the sci-fi series back to a place fans can enjoy.

"Westworld" closes out a strong fourth season. (Credit: HBO)

After all, season one of "Westworld" is arguably the greatest single season of TV ever made. It's right up there with "True Detective" season one.

Will "Westworld" ever bounce back? (Credit: HBO)

Season two was also very strong, but everything went off the rails in season three. To call it disappointing out would be an incredible understatement.

Don't just take my word for it. Viewership was down as much as 85% from season one.

"Westworld" ends season four with a strong finale. (Credit: HBO)

Well, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy finally got "Westworld" rolling again with season four. It was electric, fun, fascinating, intriguing, suspenseful and it finally felt like we were back to the roots that made the first couple seasons so awesome.

Plus, Ed Harris was finally all in as the Man in Black (host version), and that's the kind of carnage and chaos fans crave. What the writers did with Ed Harris in season three was nothing short of criminal.

Ed Harris is back in prime form in "Westworld." (Credit: HBO)

Well, he's back to being a savage in season four, and it was impossible to look away from the screen whenever the MiB was putting in work.

Also, "It was already a game. I just turned it to expert level. Survival of the fittest" was maybe the line of the finale.

Will "Westworld" ever regain its old viewership? (Credit: HBO)

The biggest question now is whether or not "Westworld" can bounce back. It's clear there's another season coming. The closing moments of season four make that much obvious. We're going for one more loop around the track, but can the show be saved?

Can it, once again, return to being the show fans came to love and be obsessed with back in 2016?

Can a show that's ratings have cratered permanently turn around the ship?

What went wrong with "Westworld"? (Credit: HBO)

Unfortunately, I think the answer to that is no. There's probably one more season left, and at this point, only the most diehard fans like myself will watch.

Will "Westworld" return for a fifth season? (Credit: HBO)

There's simply no overcoming the disaster that was season three. Even the success of the latest season won't be enough.

It's honestly a shame because "Westworld" had so much potential after the first season. Now, it feels more like a cautionary tale than anything else, despite 75% of the seasons being really good.

Am I right? Am I wrong? Let me know in the comments below.