i’m highly optimistic about
HBO’s new hit show,?Westworld
?
(if you’ve not seen it,
imagine a
sort-of sci-fi,
cyberpunk Western,
sort-of sci-fi,
cyberpunk Western,
steeped in
J.J. Abrams style
cerebralism and cliffhangery;
cerebralism and cliffhangery;
a deliberately paced show
full of sweeping
panoramic shots,
shootouts, sex, robots
(rinse, recombine, repeat),
acting clinics put on
by a superb cast
full of sweeping
panoramic shots,
shootouts, sex, robots
(rinse, recombine, repeat),
acting clinics put on
by a superb cast
(Anthony Hopkins
can do no wrong),
and enough intrigue to
[insert your own
cowboy-themed
capper here]
can do no wrong),
and enough intrigue to
[insert your own
cowboy-themed
capper here]
?
of course,
i’ve obviously seen?the show,
so it’s not its
continued quality or excellence
continued quality or excellence
i’m expressing optimism about, no
?
i’m optimistic that –
though at present
the plot has the
titular theme park
twisted into a knot
so dense and
so tending towards a
negative, gloomy,
“dark” view of things
(the future,
human nature,
etc.) –
it will
(eventually, ultimately)
take a turn towards a
positive, upbeat,
“bright” view of things,
or at least
use this view
to sweetly temper itself
and give us that
at-least bearable last look
?
i have this
optimistic opinion
for multiple reasons, chiefly:
i’m familiar with people
and with stories
and with stories
?
i know the
showrunners,
the creators,
the people behind
Westworld
will want that
at-least bearable last look,
because that’s what people want;
so too this is what
watchers of Westworld will want;
watchers of Westworld will want;
so too this is
what stories uniformly give us
(why this is so
is a great question, though
attempting an answer
(why this is so
is a great question, though
attempting an answer
belongs elsewhere)
?
i have this
optimistic opinion,
in other words,
based on evidence –
previous knowledge,
experience, etc. –
and it seems to me
and it seems to me
that it makes sense to be
optimistic in such cases
?
on the other (small, orange) hand,
i’m not highly optimistic about the
USA’s new hit show,
Donald Trump, Prez Elect
Donald Trump, Prez Elect
?
(if you’ve not seen it,
imagine a
post-truth “reality” TV show
post-truth “reality” TV show
so unimaginable,
you’d never be able to
imagine it happening
in actual reality,
and then
imagine it happening
in actual reality)
in actual reality,
and then
imagine it happening
in actual reality)
?
if it makes sense to have an
optimistic opinion
optimistic opinion
based on evidence –
previous knowledge,
experience, etc. –
then it seems to me
that it doesn’t make sense to be
optimistic in this case
?
quite the opposite, in fact,
unfortunately
?
however
?
though there may not be
reason to be
optimistic about
the prospect of a
President Trump,
reason to be
optimistic about
the prospect of a
President Trump,
there is always
reason to be
hopeful
reason to be
hopeful
?
hopeful in that old
Bibley, Christiany, Jesusy
way, where –
way, where –
despite current
circumstantial evidence,
circumstantial evidence,
despite lack of evidence
that might lead to an
optimistic opinion –
you still know that
*it’s going to be okay*
because how things go down
in this world (and beyond)
isn’t ultimately up to us humans
?
hopeful in that old
it’s-Friday-now-but-Sunday’s-coming
kind of way,
that old
“in this world you’ll have trouble,
but i’ve overcome the world”
kind of way,
that old
“God will wipe away every tear”
kind of way
?
hopeful, in other words,
in that old kind of way that
optimism,
for all its
sometimes sensible charms,
can only aspire to
optimism,
for all its
sometimes sensible charms,
can only aspire to
?
are you hopeful like this?
not optimistic, but hopeful?
if not, you can be;
would you like to be?
?
would you like to have
an option beyond
understandable pessimism?
an option beyond
understandable pessimism?
justified fear?
anger?
an option beyond
bemoaning on?social media,
an option beyond
bemoaning on?social media,
assuaging pains with
Obama Biden memes?
Obama Biden memes?
?
an option beyond
the current
the current
irrationality of optimism?
an option beyond
just another shot in
just another four?years?
an option beyond
just another shot in
just another four?years?
?
you can;
would you like to?
?
all it takes,
humbly, hopefully, friend,
humbly, hopefully, friend,
is a ride west of
present perspective,
present perspective,
on a horse of a different color,
made just for you,
made just for you,
just for all of us
?
a horse with a new name
for a new world
?
a horse that you don’t have to drive
alone
?
a horse that alone can take
us to a place
where actual action can happen
?
from here
right now
