The House of the Dragon’s official trailer was exactly the shot in the arm I needed to get through this week (and I don’t think I’m the only one who feels this way), so it is with great joy that I break this trailer down with you, shot for shot, to see what we can learn.
Here we go.
We open on a shot of Rhaenyra Targaryen staring out at the ocean while someone on V/O says, “What is this brief, mortal life if not the pursuit of legacy?” I can’t recognize the voice of the actor, but thematically it makes most sense to be King Viserys speaking.
We cut to this gorgeous shot of Dragonstone-
-where Daemon Targaryen, Mysaria and some gold cloaks confront Otto Hightower flanked by Kingsguard and … Maesters? I don’t see any chains around their necks but those robes definitely look like what Maesters wear, right?
Going by the dragon egg in Daemon’s hand, it’s pretty clear that season 1 will cover the bitter conflict that erupted between Daemon and Viserys over a dragon egg that Daemon wanted to gift Mysaria.
Ah, then we get the very shot I’ve been looking forward to since House of the Dragon was announced: a dragonrider flying over King’s Landing like it’s no big deal. No muss, no fuss. Just another day for the Blood of Valyria.
We then see a young Rhaenyra Targaryen kneeling before her father King Viserys. The lords of Westeros, Rickard Stark –
Corlys Velaryon –
and Boremund Baratheon –
– pledge loyalty to King Viserys (man, do I love this book accurate Iron Throne) –
– and to young Rhaenyra whom Viserys has named his heir. I can’t get over how much I love the embroidery on Rhaenyra’s dress.
Daemon Targaryen leads the gold cloaks in some nasty business-
– while Rhaenys tells young Rhaenyra “Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne.”
It’s an interesting editing choice, as it implies that Daemon opposes Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne, which uh … he doesn’t. Spoilers, I guess, but of all the terrible, awful things Daemon Targaryen does, sabotaging Rhaenrya’s bid for the crown is never one of them.
Anyway, from the look on young Rhaenyra’s face, she’s more than up for challenges that lie ahead.
Adult Rhaenyra stands before a map of Westeros designed to resemble cooling magma, as four people, one of whom looks like Rhaenys, walk away.
While I assumed the map was a House of the Dragon original, @Liesandarbor and our own @lukanieto pointed out that it’s the same map that Stannis and Melisandre, uh, conceived that Shadow Baby on, but with different paint.
It’s at this point in the trailer (:44 to be precise) that we get a magnificent rendition of Ramin Djawadi’s dragon theme sung by a choir. On my first viewing I literally got weak at the knees.
Next we get a shot of what is most likely the Great Council of Harrenhal, a meeting where a dispute of succession was resolved and legal precedents with plot relevant repercussions were established.
A heavy chest is brought forth and for some reason, I’m assuming it’s filled with dragon eggs. To the best of my knowledge there was no attempted hatching at the Great Council but dragon eggs was the conclusion my brain jumped to when I saw this shot. Maybe it’s because dragon eggs and Harrenhal have such a great history together.
Alicent Hightower struts down the throne room and pecks a worried King Viserys on the cheek.
Then we see the dragon egg that Daemon was carrying earlier getting broiled over a fire, similar to how Daenerys tried to hatch her eggs early in season 1. It makes me wonder if the aforementioned dispute between Daemon and Viserys over an egg won’t be expanded into a dragon hatching plot.
Otto Hightower tells Alicent, “We play an ugly game. You have the determination to win it.” Yes, but an ugly game of what, Otto? A game of what?
House Velaryon enters the throne room. It’s the same shot from the teaser but I’m glad it was included in the official too.
Daemon smiles at young Rhaenyra dancing with Laenor Velaryon. I wonder how they’ll handle the relationship between Daemon and Rhaenyra in the show, whether they’ll lean into Daemon’s creepiness or mitigate it to play up the romance. Judging from this shot, I suspect the former.
There’s an extremely brief shot of a dance in the Red Keep where Alicent and Otto Hightower, King Viserys and Corlys and Rhaenys Velaryon are sitting at the high table.
A Velaryon funeral is held and, unfortunately, I can’t speculate on which family member might be in that coffin without veering into legit spoiler territory.
Rhaenyra and Alicent, backed by Criston Cole, exchange glances.
Two white cloaks toss a disheveled Daemon to the ground, possibly before he’s sent into exile.
Criston Cole beats the hell out of someone while onlookers watch, horrified.
Blood oozes from between someone’s fingers. Um, ok. The embroidered fabric, coupled with the fact that the next shot is –
-of Rhaenyra and Daemon together makes me wonder if this might be the handfasting ceremony at their secret wedding. Still not sure how to explain the blood, though.
We then return to the earlier confrontation between Daemon and Otto, as the former draws his sword.
Keeping with the theme, Alicent comes at Rhaenyra with the catspaw, as we saw in the teaser trailer.
Lastly, Daemon carefully approaches a dragon while someone on V/O (presumably the same character from the start of the trailer) says, “History does not remember blood. It remembers names.”
My first guess was that the dragon we see here is Caraxes and that this is Daemon’s first attempt to bond with him, but perhaps Daemon is attempting to steal the egg that appears in the rest of the trailer instead.
Boom. The trailer ends on a fiery Targaryen sigil as a cello plays those five immediately recognizable notes from the Game of Thrones theme.
I couldn’t be happier with the trailer, but what did you think? What are your speculations? Tell us below.
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