Comment on HBO's WestWorld

I've been watching the new HBO series WestWorld and have found its storytelling methods rather intriguing. What makes this series very unique is the dual worlds in which the stories are unfolding. You have the "Park" world that is a throwback to old westerns and gun slinging and then you have the science fiction of the engineers behind the Park.

The questions posed in the science fiction story line come out in the "hosts" who exist in the Park. The primary theme has to do with questions related to consciousness. While the hosts are grappling with their memories returning (and these memories have to do with the brutality and abuse the robots suffer at the hands of the guests), the guests are dealing with questions about identity and self. The intellectual capital in this series is truly fascinating. Are you a hero or a villain? Do the hosts want revenge and to decide upon their own story lines. Beneath all of this subterfuge is the corporate agenda for the park.

Each layer and question posed is woven exquisitely together. The different worlds' plots and story lines fused together into a wonderful mental challenge for the audience. Can a human fall in love with a robot? Can a robot develop consciousness? Is it really acceptable to brutalize robots because we think of them as objects without humanity? Is it okay to do something just because you can? In WestWorld standards of justice and decency are reduced down to sport and vacation fun. Yet a deeper meaning exists beneath all of these fun and games.

I can't wait to find out what Arnold's grand maze is really about. The mental jousting between Anthony Hopkins' Dr. Robert Ford and Bernard is worth the watch alone. I enjoy a show that makes you think -- and WestWorld definitely makes you think.