The Young Pope

I don't know what to expect of The Young Pope, even after watching the first episode.

The show plays with surreal and oddly comic moments, images, and sound cues - an example of the latter is a moment when a low-pitched "boing" (maybe more of a "bong") serves effectively a drumroll to the shocking moment in Pope Pius XIII's first speech to his people (or what seems to be his first speech.)

The show could turn out to be one of a number of things. It could be a warts-and-all look behind the scenes of the Vatican, the seat of an organization that is supposed to be the epitome of respectability and decorum, not to mention a font of moral authority and benevolence, but is nevertheless a two-thousand-year-old bureaucracy that inevitably is going to be the domain of ambitious men who use all manner of subtle intrigue to attain power.

Or it could focus on its lead character, gradually unpacking his psychology and see what makes him tick and what informs his vision for the Church and his papacy.

Or it could be a surreal examination of the very idea of the supernatural - the inherent contradictions that faith instructs people to embrace, rather than reject.

I suspect it will be a mix of these themes, but that is a hell of a juggling act, and it remains to be seen how well the show pulls it off.

Pope Pius XIII, also known as Lenny, is a bit of a cipher. He was championed by Cardinal Voiello, who some of the other Cardinals jokingly nickname "The Holy Spirit" (based on the idea that the Holy Spirit is supposed to Illumine them during the conclave to ensure that they select the right pope)  while also describing him as the Devil Incarnate. Voiello is the puppet master of the Vatican, and it's clear when he meets with Pius XIII that Voiello intends to run the Church through him. To his surprise, however, Lenny ain't having any of that, and it becomes clear that the rivalry between these two men is going to be one of the key conflicts of the show.

Lenny has a tendency to remain mysterious - something he admits that he developed as a child, presumably as some kind of defense mechanism. In the dream he has addressing the people in St. Peter's Square, he gives a speech that is utterly shocking, but also embodies a kind of laundry list of things a more liberal or progressive Catholic would hope to hear from the pontiff. He describes this as something of a nightmare, but the really nightmarish aspect is at the end, when Voiello leans in to tell him that he's not pope, and that he's not even part of the church or connected to God. I know from watching previews that Pius XIII winds up being an extremely hardline conservative, but this raises the interesting question of whether this is actually something he believes is right or if it's some kind of ruse or strategy to get what he really wants accomplished.

Tellingly, at the end of the episode, he confesses to a priest - the man who hears confession from much of the top members of the church - that he does not believe in God. The priest is completely overwhelmed with shock at this notion until Lenny assures him that he was joking.

Was he though?

There's a whole lot more plot and character to unpack here - I haven't even touched on Diane Keaton and James Cromwell's characters (the latter has one rather shocking moment but not a lot in terms of real characterization in this first episode.)

Westworld - These Violent Delights Have Violent Ends

Westworld is one of those shows that feels like it was designed for me. It's full of mystery and philosophical questions about consciousness, allowing one to obsess a little over it and theorize about it.

I just finished the first season (which, when I'm writing this, is the only season yet, though I'm think it's confirmed that they're picked up for another.) I'm still very much in the digestion phase, but I figured I'd put down my thoughts:

Spoilers Ahead.

Being an American at a Time Like This

We don't know what the future holds. That's really what makes it the future. There's an oddity in quantum physics which suggests that, technically speaking, a hamburger could pop into existence in front of your face at any time. The reason you never see this is that the probability of that happening is utterly, absurdly low. But through a massive set of coincidences, it could, technically, happen.

I have a tendency to be quiet about politics online. I think there are a few reasons for this. Partially, I'm aware of the massive trolling that can happen when people who oppose your politics decide to harass you, and that there isn't really much that you can do to prevent it. If enough people focus their attention on you, the problem snowballs, drawing in other angry or bored people to see you as a target on which to vent whatever fury they feel they need to unload.

But I also worry when everything gets politicized. I want to be able to discuss art and philosophical principles without alienating those who don't agree with my politics. Surely there are some subjects where being on the political left or the political right does not determine your opinion. While I do think there are some underlying philosophical bases for a lot of seemingly-unconnected political stances held by each side of the spectrum, I don't think every subject falls neatly into this divide.

I was born in this country. One of my parents has ancestors dating back to the Mayflower, while the other immigrated here to escape communism as a small child. On one side, I feel deeply connected to the history of the country and take pride in the audacity of a nation that was founded on philosophical principles, that rejected the idea of kings and nobility, and which was created to be a place where rational thought and spirited debate would set the law of the land, not the whim of mystically-empowered rulers. And on the other side, I'm grateful that this country provided the opportunity for freedom, giving my grandparents a home where they could be themselves, speak their minds, and never have to worry about being sent to anything like the concentration camps again.

While I love traveling the world (something I haven't done in far too long) and learning from people of other cultures, I could never not be an American. It's a core part of my identity.

And so, looking ahead for the next four, or potentially eight, years, I'm going to have to grapple with the fact that America's chief representative is the embodiment of just about every negative aspect of my country's character, and he seems determined to undermine the institutions that made the country the envy of the world and the prime destination for those fleeing oppression.

What does one do? I'll give my suggestion, but I make no claims to authority.

I am going to try to hold on dearly to the version of America that I love. I'm going to remind myself that this country is a lot more than its government. I will cling to our people, our art, our culture, our thoughts. I will work to make my art as an American, to contribute what I can to our country's legacy.

I wish everyone good luck.