I very much enjoyed the season premiere.
The episode opened with Arnold talking to Dolores, but then it cuts to Bernard on the beach 2 weeks after the events of Season 1. Bernard seems to be semi self aware yet it's kept intentionally vague as we go on the journey with him. Are the others (the "rescue" team) going to figure it out? Are they going to assassinate him like the others? Eventually we visit the aftermath of the new narrative and we see Ford's body being eaten by maggots. Do maggots eat host bodies because I don't believe for a second that Ford is really dead. I believe he used the same catalyst that was used before the park first opened to kick-start the hosts to become "self aware". Are they really self aware, or did Ford program them to kill his partner Arnold? Are they just following another program? Anyway, Bernard says, concerning the hosts, at the end of the episode that he "killed them all". Seed #1
Meanwhile, we get some flashbacks concerning Bernard 2 weeks prior where Season 1 left off. He and a few guests survive the shoot out, later survive a trap, and make it to some hidden area that he didn't know about but Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) knew about. There's a pretty important scene that is pushed aside that this hidden area is taking GUEST memories and DNA. Seed #2
The writers also make it a point in this episode to show us multiple times that there is a white fist size object in each host's brain that holds their memories. I don't recall seeing that in Season 1, so I think it's new. We do know that Charlotte put all the data from the park into Peter Abernathy's brain, who was supposed to be delivered off park, aka the package, but it was not received. Seed #3
Elsewhere, we find out that Dolores appears to be fully self aware and has one part to play - herself. She leaves some guests to die, but is seen killing a bunch on horseback like a badass. She has some things to show to Teddy to reveal the truth. Angela, another original host, the one that gave the young William (future Man in Black) his hat choice, appears to be on the level with Dolores as well. It appears that Dolores's end goal is not to find a nice place to live quietly, but prevent those that would enslave her mind to ever do so again. Seed #4
Speaking of William, the Man in Black is alive (of course) and after surviving a mini shoot out, tends to his wounds, and proceeds on a new adventure. He runs into the young Ford robot whose voice is a combination of a young boy, old Ford, and techno babble almost like it's malfunctioning. He says he has a game for him to find a door. William is finally where he wants to be because the threat of death is actually real this time so we get to follow his journey as well. Seed #5
Last, and certainty not least, Maeve is on a mission. She wants to find her daughter. She gets partnered with the guy everyone loves to hate, Lee Sizemore, who almost gets her killed, but she keeps him alive because he knows the park and she needs his help. They run into Hector Escaton who also joins them on their journey. She doesn't use any special commands, but appears to be able to command the hosts. I hope they explain that. Seed #6
Well if my brain hasn't forgotten anything, I count six seeds planted and ready to grow into what will be a hell of a ride concerning Season 2. Based on the weeks ahead preview, not only will is flash between present and two weeks prior, but it appears to flash back to the beginning of the park where we'll see young William again, and just a guess but we might get flash forward in the future as well, where Dolores appears to be in a city. This could be the outside world or maybe there is a park based on a city. I'm looking forward to the journey into night.
