WestWorld, Season 3, Episode 1

WestWorld
Season 3, Episode 1
Rating: 2.5 **1/2

Westworld, my current favorite sci-fi show on HBO started its new season last night with a confusing, lukewarm bang. Who would have thought in Season 1 one of the few remaining original cast members would be Delores. It seems the art and sophistication of having the Anthony Hopkins character load the show with intelligence and intrigue has flipped over to a comic book-stylized future world where our sweet strawberry blonde has turned into an assassin with kick-ass marshal arts skills.

Delores has gotten into some kind of love affair with the heir to a technology empire of some sort where the big brain data "center" has her attention. Judging by the little balls of artificial intelligence used to preserve the personalities of other robots from the previous season, my guess the giant ball houses the personalities (of most of it not all the "guests" and robots). I might be wrong. Remember, I'm watching it unfold with everyone else.

Then we're introduced to a former marine who appears to have some sort of post-traumatic stress. The question is pretty obvious whether he's human or robot. The closing scene is of him holding a collapsed Delores who has been shot during one of her first kick-ass scenes where she fights and shoots her way through the battle for whatever she's seeking now. And for the life of me what Bernard is up to, don't ask me. The little button-pushing personality shift was wildly nonsensical. It gives multiple personalities a whole new twist.

Two-and-a-half stars goes to the absolute confusion of the story and the loss of the mystery and intrigue created in the previous seasons. It's not Westworld anymore; it's Future World. I say let's get back to the fun and games of the park ... or maybe ... THIS is a storyline from the park?!