Brace yourself for the HBO-iest night yet

On Sunday, HBO will unveil what just may be its HBO-iest lineup yet.

There’s the expensive, nudity-riddled big swing — a la “Game of Thrones,” “Deadwood” and “Rome” — in the form of “Westworld” (9 p.m.)

There’s the return of an acclaimed alumnus — much like writers David Milch (“Deadwood,” “Luck”) and David Simon (“The Wire,” “Treme”) and actor Michael Kenneth Williams, who’s turned up in pivotal roles on “The Wire,” “Boardwalk Empire” and this summer’s “The Night Of,” which originally was set to star the late James Gandolfini — with “Sex and the City’s” Sarah Jessica Parker in “Divorce” (10 p.m.).

And there’s what I’ve come to call the HBO Endowment for the Arts series. That’s the category of programming — “How to Make It in America,” “Getting On,” “Togetherness,” etc. — that’s interesting and offbeat and has virtually no chance of recouping its investment. This Sunday, that slot goes to “Insecure” (10:30 p.m.), a look at life for African-American women in Inglewood, California, starring and co-created by Issa Rae of the web series “Awkward Black Girl.”

The sci-fi Western “Westworld” got off to a rip-roaring start last week. But Sunday’s second episode explains a lot more about the theme park where wealthy guests travel to an Old West environment populated by synthetic humans known as hosts, who can be treated — or, more likely, mistreated — in any way those guests see fit.

“So how does this work?” newcomer William (Jimmi Simpson) asks upon his arrival at Westworld headquarters. “Is there orientation?”

“No orientation, no guidebook,” he’s told. “Figuring out how it works is half the fun.”

The same can be said of the drama, starring acting heavyweights Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris, which continues to astound.

As if to fend off early reports of its abundance of sex and violence, William’s friend Logan (Ben Barnes), a Westworld regular, sets him straight right away. “I know that you think you have a handle on what this is going to be,” Logan says. “Guns and tits and all that.” Westworld, it turns out, is literally anything its guests want it to be.

The hosts — including rancher’s daughter Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), gunslinger Teddy (James Marsden) and brothel madam Maeve (Thandie Newton) — all have been programmed with backstories that they believe to be their lives. But they’ve been wiped clean so many times, they’re starting to discover inconsistencies and remember the horrible things that have happened to them in Westworld.

HBO has a lot riding on “Westworld,” as it desperately needs a buzzworthy series now that “Game of Thrones” is winding down. The Western’s first season cost an estimated $100 million. That may sound like a lot, but it’s roughly the price tag of the disappointing “Vinyl,” and at least with “Westworld,” that money shows up all over the screen.

“Divorce,” meanwhile, follows Frances (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Robert (Thomas Haden Church), who, after more than a decade and two children together, decide enough is enough.

Much like her last stint on HBO, Parker is still talking about sex in graphic terms with her best friends, this time portrayed by Molly Shannon and Talia Balsam (“Mad Men”).

And she’s hurling very detailed insults at Robert. “When you threw my laptop out the window, I specifically remember thinking that I wanted to hit you in the face with the ceramic, you know, the Chinese ceramic cat thing with the little wavy arm? I wanted to smash the cat and scalp you with one of the shards.”

Thankfully, Robert is up to the task of handling her outbursts, because a vengeful, petty Thomas Haden Church is the best of all the Thomas Haden Churches.

“Divorce” feels like it could be something special down the line, but I’ve seen the first three episodes, and it’s still a work in progress.

Then there’s “Insecure,” which feels a bit like a female, West Coast counterpart to FX’s excellent “Atlanta.” Co-created by star Issa Rae along with Larry Wilmore, it focuses on 29-year-old Issa, who’s the only employee of the nonprofit We Got Y’all. It’s designed to help kids from the ’hood, but she’s the only one there who’s actually from the ’hood. And the only African-American.

“Insecure” is raw and real, and it recognizes a fresh, underrepresented voice.

HBO has a habit of tapping emerging talent and giving them the freedom to learn on the job. Think Sacha Baron Cohen with “Da Ali G Show,” David Cross and “Better Call Saul’s” Bob Odenkirk in “Mr. Show with Bob and David” and especially “Lucky Louie,” the disastrous sitcom written by and starring Louis C.K. that eventually led to FX’s “Louie” — and, by extension, FX’s new “Better Things,” starring Pamela Adlon, who co-starred as C.K.’s wife.

There’s no telling whether Issa Rae has that kind of future. But at least she’s in good company.

Both historically and in her surroundings on the HBO-iest night yet.

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com. On Twitter: @life_onthecouch.