How has the Westworld intro changed between seasons 1 and 2? We break it down

Westworld season 2 premiered this past Sunday night, and it brought along an altered intro sequence. HBO has long used Game of Thrones’ changing intro sequence to alert viewers to what locations the characters would be visiting in any given episode. They’ve even changed how certain areas look — Winterfell in particular has gone through many changes:

Happily, Winterfell got back to normal in the credits for the last episode of season 6.

Unlike on Game of Thrones, the Westworld intro never changed from episode to episode in its first season, but the season 2 intro featured many differences. What were they, and do they mean anything?

Near the top of the intro, we see a robotic animal stretching its legs. For season 2, the horse from season 1 has been replaced with a buffalo:

The next image, of an eye, has also changed, going from a vibrant and healthy iris to a cracked and brittle thing:

In the season 1 intro, we see two hosts having sex, but in the season 2 intro, they have been replaced with a mother and child. Is this change symbolic of the next step in the circle of life, or is it intended to represent Maeve’s search for her lost daughter?

In season 1, the skeletal hands playing the piano are thinner, compared to the bulked up hands in season 2. Are these the hands of the drone hosts?

Next, we get an image of the Mesa HQ, the Delos control center, reflected in the eye from earlier. See above re: differing levels of ocular health.

Toward the end of the season 1 intro, a gun is assembled, but in the season 2 intro, we see a long curtain of blonde hair. Dolores’ (Evan Rachel Wood) hair?

We then get a quick succession of new shots, including the buffalo breaking through glass…

… the Man in Black’s (Ed Harris) hat…

…and a buffalo falling through space. It’s more sinister than the horse and rider from the season 1 intro, and that wasn’t 100% wholesome.

As the season 1 intro winds down, we see the player piano, compared to season 2’s mother and child hosts.

Finally, the season 1 intro ends with a male host sinking into a vat of white liquid, while the season 2 intro shows a female host in a shimmering sea of black.

Here the two intros are, side by side:

And here, just for fun, are the Westworld and Game of Thrones intro themes mashed together:

Did we miss any other differences? Let us know.

Next: Video: See how HBO brought the drone hosts on Westworld to life

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