Some seasons will connect to others, some won't. That variability is another reason we didn't want to use terms like chapter or act instead of seasons, given it implies they're all part of larger whole, rather than separate but often related experiences thematically.
In terms of storytelling, there'll be some linear story at times definitely. Linear storytelling isn't our only, or necessarily even primary goal though. We also want to do things like deepen connection to factions, to characters etc that won't always mean narrative. What a part of the world feels like etc