HBO's "Westworld" may bring viewers into a fantasy world, but we're still living in reality -- one in which we have to wait until 2018 for Season 2.

As hard as that may be for fans to hear, show creators Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan have their reasons for torturing us with the long break. In a recent interview with Variety, they explained why our wait for the next season of the sci-fi drama series will be longer than for most shows. Ultimately, it comes down to a desire to do Season 2 right.

While TV series usually juggle writing, shooting, and cutting at the same time, Joy and Nolan decided to switch it up. They knew early on that they wanted to write first, then head into production, and then cut, even if it would slow down the process.

"We started that conversation with the network when were shooting Episode 2 and we realized the complexity of trying to write and produce the show at the same time," Nolan told Variety.

Luckily, the network was supportive. "HBO has encouraged us to take the time and resources that we need to work on each stage of that," he said.

Another factor is that the upcoming season will be "ambitious," according to both Nolan and Joy. That's not hard to believe. Season 1 captivated viewers with its focus on a high-tech, Western amusement park where android "hosts" are used to play out visitors' fantasies, and Nolan and Joy seem ready to top it with Season 2.

"We've started working on scripts and outlines," Joy said. "It's looking good."

She also promised more "surprises and bits of it that you won't see coming," so "Westworld" Season 2 should be worth the wait, painful as it may be.

[via: Variety]