One of the most talked about things about the Westworld season two premiere is, surprisingly enough, the new opening credits. Indeed, a series famous for leaving clues, mazes, and clues within mazes, any mild shift in the season two intro already has fans scratching their chins.
In that vein, we have examined the new title holders, which you can view below. If you want to take a look for yourself, here they are one more time…
The new Westworld season two opening credits sequence features fewer clues than subtle alterations that indicate a symbolic and significant change of focus. For instance, both the season one and season two promo begin with the tracking of musculature on a synthetic beast kept in Ford’s park. However, in the first season it is the subservient and domesticated horse whereas in season two it is a bison/buffalo, a creature that roamed free until it was hunted to extinction. Now in a strained metaphor, the buffalo could either be important because it represents the untamed hosts led by Dolores’ bloody revolution, or they can signify the humans who are about to go the way of the buffalo when faced with a superior hunting force from Ford’s robotic progeny.
I lean toward the latter, given near the end of the promo, we also see a bison tumbling to the earth, falling like his species in the wake of a cultural upheaval.
Other changes include the more straightforward removal of a man and woman, one human and one an unwitting sex slave android, to something more hopeful. Rather than emphasising the titillation and exploitative aspects of the Westworld park (or television series), it signifies a hope for the future from a new species as a robotic woman holds what appears to be a newborn babe close. This is likely in reference to Thandie Newton’s Maeve, who despite knowing that her love for a daughter at least began as an artificial “narrative” placed in her programming, that affection and concern for the smaller robot is real. So much so that she’ll risk her life and freedom to find her. This might prove more powerful than Dolores’ fire and fury, as it hints of a tomorrow and future where robots live for more than revenge against their vain overlords.
Lastly, the main robot being constructed throughout the promo appears, in my mind, to be Dolores. She has flowing blonde hair that is combed as it is inserted on her head, and at the end of the promo, the still-in-construction host striking a Leonardo da Vinci Vitruvian Man pose has a light flaring behind her head, creating yet another allusion to Dolores’ flowing gold locks. It is intriguing, as it is again modelled on da Vinci’s attempt to achieve the ‘ideal’ human physiology via the mathematic principles of ancient Roman architect Vitruvius. In essence, Ford and Arnold were completing that by using actual maths and science. Yet the ideal man is not a woman at all; it is a host named Dolores who will be the ruin of us all.
Also in the final contrast with the season one intro, whereas the robot being built is dunked into the milky white substance that helps graft on the texture which will help replicate human skin, in the season two intro, the Dolores-esque model is rising above the backlight into the air. It is no longer meant to be a product soaking in our desires; it is rising above us. To replace us.
At least that’s our takeaway from the new intro. What’s yours?