Comment on HBO Chief Talks "Westworld" Rape Criticisms

HBO is in big need of a major critical and commercial drama series hit and the upcoming "Westworld" series is shaping up to be that potential next big breakthrough. Don't expect the series to pull any punches though. The ambitious drama is set in an ultra-realistic amusement park where visitors come to live out their most outrageous and darkest desires, it has also been the subject of swirling rumors about a troubled production. The first two episodes of the series were screened on the weekend as part of the Television Critics Association's summer press tour, and just to show how dark the series is - the opening scene of the premiere reportedly features a lifelike female android (played by Evan Rachel Wood) being dragged by her hair to be raped offscreen by the villain played by Ed Harris. THR indicates that while speaking about the series afterwards, HBO programming chief Casey Bloys was reportedly rattled by the line of questioning about the show's violence against women and portrayal of rape.