Westworld Season 2 is only a few weeks away and hot on the heels of a SXSW takeover, HBO has released some intriguing images from the drama's awaited return. The first season ended on an ominous note, which among other things, saw Evan Rachel Wood's Dolores become self-aware, as well as Thandie Newton's Maeve, who almost left Delos and Westworld behind, but later opted to stay after a violent takeover. This season of Westworld is gearing up to be even more tense than the first.

One of the new shots from Season 2 features Dolores and Teddy on horseback against an purple and orange skyline. The two are staring off into the distance, and one can't help but think Dolores might be telling Teddy about her new-found knowledge. It might take Teddy a little bit to fully understand what Dolores is talking about, which is assumed to be a part of the story arc for the season. Thandie Newton's Maeve is seen in another picture holding a weapon against a red backdrop, standing next to narrative "genius" Sizemore (Simon Quarterman).

Jeffrey Wright's Bernard is another character who became self-aware in Season 1 of Westworld. He is shown hanging out with Luke Hemsworth's Stubbs character, which leads one to believe that Bernard is continuing to pretend to be human. He's seen with two other security staff, including two new characters played by Betty Gabriel and Gustaf Skarsgard. Also shown in a new picture is actor Fares Fares who is playing an unknown character. However, Fares' character is human, according to official information.

Ed Harris' the Man in Black is also back in the new images from Westworld Season 2. He is looking a little bloodied and dirty, which isn't too different from Season 1. It's expected that Jimmi Simpson will be back to reprise his role as the young Man in Black, aka William in a flashback situation. Whatever the case may be, the Man in Black is surrounded by a heap of bodies, again, much like the first season. It appears that the Man in Black will very much be the same character this time around. Talulah Riley's Angela character is also shown along with Tessa Thompson's Charlotte Hale, the high-powered executive.

Rodrigo Santoro's Hector Escaton is back for Westworld Season 2 and is seen aiming his pistol. While there's a lot to take in with the new images, not shown is the long rumored "Shogun World," which is expected to play a large part in the second season. At SXSW in Austin, the Westworld pop-up town featured a Samurai warrior who walked around the park, giving off threatening glances at park visitors. This has been a longer wait than anticipated for Westworld Season 2, but we're only a few weeks away from the premiere on April 22nd. You can check out the new pictures from Westworld Season 2 below, from the Westworld Twitter account.