After Bernard and Dolores’ opening conversation, a cut to the coast shows a fleet of bodies floating in the water. The aftermath of the uprising at the end of Season 1?
Clearly, the Control Room isn’t the only place with a map of the entire terrain. This mobile unit seems to have a pretty good idea where things are, and that includes Bernard taking a stroll through the background.
Yes, this is Dolores perusing the contents of a “Beauty and the Beast”-style library (that might as well be a diorama). But look right next to the decanters on that wet bar: What’s that in the reflection of the glass?
The retaliation is on its way. The uprising that put a damper on Robert Ford’s launch party claimed its share of partygoers. One of the most striking images in the new footage, as the tactical team approaches.
Even though the fireworks at the party in the final episode of Season 1 might be the lasting image of Dolores’ uprising, this is a reminder that the body count reached the Control Room as well. Looks like Maeve and Lee are teaming up to sift through the aftermath.
The tactical group that made its way through the cemetery isn’t going in by itself. Whether or not Bernard is authorizing this show of force, it sure seems like he realizes that this is only the beginning of the battle between humans and their creations (of which he happens to be one).
Dolores is leading her own calvary, taking a walk down main street riding a literal dark horse. This looks more like her covering her tracks than planning more, but this might be a signal of bloodier shootouts to come.
As all the robots within the Westworld expanded universe look for justice, Maeve is getting extra motivation from new glimpses of a life with her daughter. The memories that began to push through her consciousness at the end of Season 1 are making some fresh breakthroughs.
“Westworld” isn’t known to shy away from brutality. Those murders from Season 1 aren’t just shown in floating bodies and high-angle crane shots. This season seems like it’s trying to really make the consequences of this feel real.
Bernard isn’t the only person asking Dolores for “Analysis.” As a possible bridge between the two timelines that are still going through Season 2, William is taking his turn in the back offices, finding some answers of his own.
The forces moving in on the robot resistance aren’t just traveling by foot. This is a suppress-at-all-costs operation. Meanwhile…
…the group that they’re firing on is only armed with rifles and bayonets. Any advantage that first surprise attack had is now decimated by a lot of outmatched technology. Also, seeing a group of people trapped as a shooter with an automatic weapon approaches is deeply unsettling.
After delegating orders to game designers for much of Season 1, Charlotte is taking a more proactive approach to figuring out exactly what is going on. Her group seems to be taking the water route to outflank the retreating rebellion forces.
Whether the Ghost Nation is protecting their own interests or someone elses, they still have a big part to play in how the Westworld employees deal with renegade Hosts.
We can already tell that a big part of “Westworld” Season 2 is going to be tracking a shaky set of alliances. Characters we’ve seen before separately are set to join forces in an entirely new way. Enter this quick shot of Dolores, Maeve, and Teddy, all plotting something (or warning each other against plotting something) in the shadow of some fiery wreckage.
The opening credits sequence has always shown the mechanics for building the milky-white host skeletons. Watching the other stuff in “Westworld” get 4-D printed will always be unnerving in its own way. The big question here is who’s leading this new creation in the first place: Is it a tool for enforcement or a means for fighting back, made from the inside?
Speaking of the stars from the show’s credits sequence, the fully-formed Hosts aren’t the only things fighting against their creators. These pre-skinned skeletons are literally pushing back against the lab coat brigade.
After Shogun World’s been teased since the end of last season, there was an idea that the other new playground would bleed over into what we’ve already seen. Looks like Maeve took some initiative to get there herself before the rest of the brigade showed up.
“Westworld” is understandably being coy with doling out full glimpses of Shogun World, but this is a pretty evocative tease. A moonlit peek at some figure ready for battle hints that the Hosts of the Shogun World might get brought in on a resistance all their own.
In some reverse-shot trickery, the image immediately following this features Teddy wearing the same outfit. But this sure looks like the Man in Black to us. Whether as a ploy to manipulate someone else or a sign that his time in Westworld is over, the show’s bleakest character isn’t in line for happiness any time soon.
Bernard wasn’t always going to keep his secret for long. Guess Charlotte found Ford’s collection of prototypes and rejects. Given that these are all in bags, it’ll be Charlotte on the run to warn the rest of the Westworld paramilitary that good ol’ Bernie is not who he seems. (Unless that’s him on the left side of the frame. Then it’s the exact opposite.)
Dolores has swapped out her homestead garb for a cocktail dress! We guess that there’s a Season 2 subplot where she pulls an Ava and slips unnoticed right into polite society (with Teddy right there on her arm).
The last image that the trailer gives us? Dolores smiling. All signs point to the emotion sliders being overridden and this Host getting psyched for the brave new world she’s building.
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