Invasion
At the end of Season 1 when the battle lines were drawn, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) was crowned in King’s Landing, so he and his allies have control of the nominal capitol of Westeros. However, the presumed heir Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and her allies were settled on Dragonstone – a volcanic island just across Blackwater Bay, not far from King’s Landing at all. That’s the ancestral home of House Targaryen, and both positions have their advantages. The trailer shows us that the short distance between these two warring factions will give plenty of chances for battles, break-ins and espionage.
The trailer opens on a shot of Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) approaching the Iron Throne, though he Rhaenyra’s husband and was last seen on Dragonstone. There’s no hint of Daemon sneaking into the Red Keep in the books, so it’s possible this will be a revelation or a show-only detail. It’s also possible that it’s a dream sequence, though dialogue later in the trailer suggests otherwise. We see Daemon telling Rhaenys (Eve Best): “We’re going to King’s Landing.”
There’s also a shot of mysterious figures moving through the secret passages in the Red Keep by torchlight, making it clear that nothing is off the table here. Book readers have a pretty good idea of who’s sneaking around down there, but if you haven’t been spoiled on that yet, you should wait for the big reveal.
Armed Monarchs
It’s no surprise that both Aegon II and Rhaenyra will be fighting in this war personally, but it’s still exciting to get our first glimpse of it. We have an incredible shot of Aegon fully armored and flying over King’s Landing on the back of his dragon, Sunfyre. Meanwhile, we see Rhaenyra holding a sword, apparently testing its balance and practicing with it.
We saw Rhaenyra flying on the back of her dragon, Syrax in Season 1, so it’s not much of a spoiler to say that she’ll be flying into war with fire and blood. However, even Daenerys didn’t use a sword in Game of Thrones, so this will be an exciting change for the Targaryen queens and their die-hard fans.
Doubts
One of the biggest surprises in this trailer was the tense conversation between Rhaenyra and Daemon, where she seemed to be questioning his loyalty – or at least his obedience. She says: “Do you accept me as your queen and ruler?” Daemon looks away from her, not answering through an uncomfortable pause.
The book gives us no hint that Rhaenyra and Daemon are wary of each other at this point in the war – though it is written in a historical context with an unreliable narrator. This kind of uncertainty hitting Rhaenyra this early could re-contextualize much of the war for some fans.
Moral Juxtaposition
One of Game of Thrones‘ big claims to fame was always its nuanced characters, all with shades gray in their morality. House of the Dragon is no different, and the book made it easy to root for or against either side in this war. It’s clear that HBO wants to market the show that way too, encouraging fans to choose a side and even dividing the first trailer into a “green” and a “black” take. However, some fans complain that the show itself directs viewers to a more black and white conclusion, and this trailer fired up that debate with a vengeance.
In the opening of the trailer, Rhaenyra speaks in voice-over about the duty of a monarch. She says: “The Targaryen who sits the Iron Throne is not just a king or a queen. They are a protector of the realm.” This is a potent moment, as the audience knows Rhaenyra does not necessarily want the crown for its own sake – she is the keeper of a prophecy that she believes to be true, and which the audience knows is about the white walkers. At the end of the trailer, she adds: “War is coming, and neither of us may win,” indicating even more insight on her part.
By contrast, the first shot of Aegon in this trailer shows him gesturing at his small council with a dagger and making demands. When they advise caution, he responds: “F- dignity! I want revenge.” While this doesn’t necessarily sum up the moral scale of both sides in this war, it is an aspect of the trailer that has some commenters frustrated – especially those with a team green banner up.
North
At the end of Season 1, Rhaenyra’s eldest son Jacaerys “Jace” Targaryen (Harry Collett) flew north on his dragon Vermax to negotiate with this story’s Lord of Winterfell, Cregan Stark. This was our first glimpse of actor Tom Taylor in costume as Cregan, the 23-year-old Warden of the North, and fans can’t wait to get back to that familiar setting this season.
By the looks of it, the two of them will even visit The Wall, which is surprising since it is a long trek from Winterfell. This might be a hint that Jace will take his new friend for a ride on Vermax, which would be news to everyone. It’s also an encouraging sign that Jace’s time at Winterfell will be a bit more fleshed out, as it was left quite mysterious in the book.
Aemond Vulnerable
Aegon’s younger brother, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) was one of the most melodramatic, compelling characters in Season 1, and it looks like he’ll get to show off some range in Season 2. In this trailer we see him condemning his mother, saying that she is “a fool” because she “holds love for our enemy.” However, just a few frames later we get a glimpse of him lying in a woman’s arms, shirtless an without his eyepatch, apparently teary-eyed.
Commenters are assuming this is a glimpse of another new character they are eager to see introduced this season – Alys Rivers, who will be played by Gayle Rankin. More importantly, fans are excited to see Aemond’s mysterious story play out on the screen, with more detail than the narrator of Fire and Blood could give.
Alyn of Hull
#NewProfilePic 😂😂😂@HouseofDragon #HOTDS2
War is coming. pic.twitter.com/47ksNR1Fmx
— Abubakar Salim (@Abzybabzy) May 14, 2024
Finally, the last new character we get to see in this trailer is Alyn Velaryon, played by Abubakar Salim. Salim was as excited as anyone, sharing the trailer on social media and changing his profile picture to the shot of him staring intensely past the camera. Fans were eager to see him in action and congratulated him on finally getting to share a glimpse of his work.
House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres on Sunday, June 16 on HBO and Max. Season 1 is streaming now on Max, and Martin’s books are available in print, digital and audiobook format.