4 parallels between Westworld and Legion

HBO’s Westworld and FX’s Legion are arguably two of the best shows currently airing right now. They are also two of the most confusing.

While HBO’s Westworld and FX’s Legion may be similarly confusing, that’s not all these two shows have in common. Both explore humanity, reality, and the human mind. Here are 4 parallels between Westworld and Legion.

(Spoilers for both shows ahead!)

Last week’s Westworld had a surprising revelation: Maeve has “powers” of some sort. We saw her control other hosts by using just her mind.

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Instantly my nerdy mind was reminded of David Haller’s powers in Legion.  David is a powerful mutant with telepathic powers. He can also get into people’s heads.

Then I realized there are other things the two shows have in common. Many of their core themes are similar. Both deal with reality and the inner workings of the mind.

Here are 4 parallels between Westworld and Legion:

1. Consciousness/the mind as a maze

In the first season of Westworld, The Man in Black was determined to find the middle of the maze — a part of the park not well known to visitors. We learn that each host has a drawing of the maze inside their scalps. Eventually, we find out the maze is actually for the hosts and not so much the guests. The “maze” is the way hosts gain true consciousness. In a way, it “unlocks” their mind.

This season of Legion contained an episode fully dedicated to this idea of the mind as a maze. In “Chapter 11“, several main characters are inflicted with a sort of mental virus that causes them to be trapped in their own minds. David must entire his friends’ minds and go through their minds’ mazes to unlock their consciousness.

This exploration of human consciousness/the human mind is an interesting one. Our minds are complex. We often get lost in our own thoughts, expectations, and concerns and create our own “mazes” in our minds. Sometimes we have to go through our own mazes of thought to find who we truly are.

2. The nature of reality

“Have you ever questioned the nature of your own reality?” Bernard asks Dolores in the first episode of Westworld. The workers that run Westworld must ask the robot hosts this question in order to make sure they are not gaining awareness of what they truly are-robots in a game.

As Dolores and fellow host Maeve begin to gain more and more consciousness, they question the reality that surrounds them. Is their more to their world, their lives, than they perceive? Are their emotions and memories real?

In Legion, David is constantly questioning his own reality. He does not know if the visions and thoughts he sees and hears are his own, his powers, or something implanted by the Shadow King.

This theme of what is real and what isn’t is surprisingly very relevant in today’s era of fake news.

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3. Loss of control

In Westworld, at the beginning of season one, the hosts have no real control over their actions. They improvise a little, but mostly every part of their personality and dialogues are meticulously pre-programmed. This is turned on its head in season two as the hosts gain consciousness and the humans lose control of their own creations.

Throughout Legion, David is constantly fighting for control of his mind. In season one, it was the Shadow King who took more and more of David’s mind. This season he is seemingly back in control, but it is definitely possible the Shadow King may still exert some influence over him.

4. Humans vs. “others”

In this current season of Westworld, a war has begun between the robot hosts and the humans that used to control them. Westworld poses the question what makes a person human. Do these hosts that have been created by humans to serve a purpose have the right to fight back? Are they truly “real” even if they have “awakened”?

In season one of Legion, the mutants of Summerland are in a war with Division Three, a government-run group who see mutants more as a threat rather than something to nurture. Are these mutants less human, just because of their inhuman powers?

Through using sci-fi concepts, both Legion and Westworld portray the struggle of the “other” and how society sees them. Again, something that really resonates today.

Next: Legion season 2, episode 8 recap: The path forward

Westworld and Legion are both fascinating shows that really delve in on what it means to be human. If these concepts interest you, and you don’t mind being confused at times, I highly recommend both shows. Both shows explore these themes in entertaining and creative ways.

Westworld airs Sunday nights on HBO. Legion airs Tuesday nights on FX.