[unlurking]

Originally Posted by Anyong Bluth

2nd episode delivered for me. 1st episode was fine for getting oriented with the landscape, and not a criticism outside of it just didn't have that 1 scene that delivers the hook. To be fair, the story premise is already the hook.

Favorite theory so far:

Spoiler!

The man in black (Ed), is timid William, who we meet in episode 2.

There's subtle hints they're showing 2 timelines.

MiB mentions he's been coming for 30 years.

Slightly different and updated logos between scenes.

The intro into town shows an evolution of how they arrive even down to in one variation the sheriff is recruiting a posse to chase down an outlaw bandit.
Fast forward and now they've got an army man recruiting.

Billy quickly takes a liking to Dolores.

The MiB clearly has a history and issues with her in the past for some reason to stray from his agenda and attack her...
like falling for her the 1st time he saw her only to find she will never remember him from his previous visits since she has her memory wiped routinely...

Except that the hosts are starting to remember their previous histories...

The makeshift oil derrick / cross is a great teaser!

Spoiler!

Didn't Harris say he'd been going since he was a kid with his family, and that he was basically, "born there"? This is William's first time. Without his family, so I don't think it fits. Maybe I missed something in his monologue though. But I do like the idea of William getting hooked on someone/something that crushes his soul and turns him "evil".

I assume it will be something more along the lines of Harris actually being a failed Hopkins experiment at AI, and he knows that he's a robot. Not sure how much he knows though, or how much they know he knows. His quest is he is trying to meet his creator and get all his questions about life answered.