Westworld was HBO’s highest-rated premiere since the good True Detective
Way back in January of 2014, HBO managed to tap into America’s fondness for misanthropic cops, frequent and unnecessary nudity, and weird murder mysteries with the first season of Nic Pizzolatto’s True Detective. The series starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as mismatched police partners named Rustin “Rust” Cohle and whatever Woody Harrelson’s character was named, and it quickly became a huge hit for the premium cable network. True Detective spawned a popular Twitter meme and a mostly forgettable second season, but the series’ great ratings will always be fondly remembered in the hearts of HBO executives.