I absolutely loved season one, but will be the first to admit that it was a little too calculated/sterile at times, and its lack of immediate, life-or-death stakes was a hurdle it definitely had to overcome (which it did in the end).
But man, season two is a whole other ballgame now that the stakes are "real" and we know that the hosts are, for all intents and purposes, "alive" (or some version of it). Just, wow. I truly found myself hanging on every moment and every line of tonight's premiere in ways I never have before.
Further, this episode solidified for me that even more than Game of Thrones, every major character feels like the lead when we're with them. Which is such an incredible feat. As the episode began with Barnard's point of view, I thought, "Of course. This is HIS story and it should be seen through his eyes. He's the key to all of this." Then we shifted to Delores and I immediately thought, "Wait, no, Westworld is obviously HER story. SHE'S the key to it all." Then we shifted to Maeve and I thought the exact same thing, and again with William after that. From a story-telling perspective, that's so cool and exciting. I was never not fully invested in whoever the show was focusing on, and I can't begin to emphasize how hard that is to pull off - something this show wasn't capable of even just a few short episodes ago.
Finally, I love that the goals/mysteries this go around are seemingly more tangible and immediate at the outset. With every storyline and major character, there are clear, opposing factions/needs, but with just enough mystery, and it's all set up so perfectly in the premiere.
Damn, it's great to finally have this show back. It's been too many months since we've had a signature show to all rally around and obsess over, and the fact that it's better than ever makes it all the more sweet.
