Yahoo News 7 things we learned from fiery Game of Thrones trailer
We won't bother banging on about Winter finally coming in the latest trailer for Game of Thrones season seven. You've heard that a million times already over the last seven years!
Instead, we'll take a look at some of the key moments from the promo, including the Lannisters at war, Beric Dondarrion bringing the fi-yah, and Jon Snow seeming ripe for yet another death. Join us below as we break down seven key moments from Wednesday's trailer:
1. Littlefinger is up to something
We all knew that the Littlefinger-Sansa Stark-Jon Snow alliance couldn't last for long, since Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) is always angling to grab power for himself. Over shots of a conflicted Sansa in today's trailer, we hear what appears to be Littlefinger advising her on her next big move.
"Don't fight in the North. Or the South. Fight every battle. Everywhere. Always. In your mind," Littlefinger seethes. Cryptic as he is, Littlefinger is planting a seed that just defending the North isn't enough for Sansa. To fulfil her destiny, the oldest Stark daughter must defeat her enemies not just at Winterfell but all throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
This appears to confirm what actress Sophie Turner was hinting at earlier this year when she warned of a growing divide between Sansa and Jon over how best to rule their ancestral homeland. We've already seen shots of Jon Snow throttling Littlefinger in previous trailers as well. Clearly trouble is brewing behind the gates of Winterfell.
2. The dragons are properly massive now
When Game of Thrones director Matt Shakman described Daenerys's dragons as being "the size of 747s" this season, we suspected that was a bit of hyperbole. But no, those once-cute little fire-breathers have transformed into hulking beasts capable of burning entire civilisations into ash. They're so big, in fact, that the latest trailer appears to depict Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) in complete awe as one passes overhead.
Considering that Yara is one of Daenerys's new allies, we can only imagine how Dany's enemies will feel when they see dragons hurtling towards them. Unfortunately, it's not all good news on the dragon front. Some on-set leaks have tipped a potentially grim fate for at least one of the dragons, so there may be tragedy ahead for Daenerys as she unleashes her babies on the opposing armies. We can't handle another Grey Wind situation, guys.
Also briefly shown in the trailer is Jaime Lannister riding through a burnt battlefield. If one of the dragons is going out this season, they'll go out blowing stuff up.
3. Beric Dondarrion returns in a blaze of glory
Or perhaps 'with a blazing blade of glory' is more appropriate. A tease for the return of the essentially unkillable Beric Dondarrion first aired last season when he recruited The Hound into the Brotherhood without Banners, but it looks like we'll see him actually throw down in season seven.
The mystical leader of the Brotherhood will be leading his forces, including The Hound, into a bitter clash with an enemy we don't actually meet in the trailer. One possibility may be the White Walkers, since Beric is shown wielding an actual flaming sword in the direction of some poor soul. Slicing into a cold, undead thing with a fiery dagger would seem like a sound strategy, but - as we've learned - Valyrian steel is the only surefire way to kill a White Walker. Beric had best keep his red priest handy in case he needs a quick resurrection on the battlefield.
The Hound himself, Rory McCann, recently hinted that the Brotherhood will face brutality this season, yet he also encouragingly added: "I think my body can only take one more season – I'm sore." Since we know Game of Thrones will bow out with season eight next year, our confidence in at least some Brotherhood members surviving their upcoming skirmish is boosted just a bit.
4. A new alliance for Cersei?
Queen Cersei has alienated the Tyrells, the Sand Snakes, the Starks, Daenerys and most of the other major houses in the North. But maybe there's still an alliance left to make? In a previous trailer, we saw Cersei promising Jaime that House Lannister would overcome all of their enemies to the East, West, South and North. Despite her confidence, the fact is that the King's Guard simply don't have enough troops to fend off attacks from all sides. Previous speculation has hinged on Cersei trying to form an unholy alliance with the Night King, although another option may be less volatile. But not by much.
A fleet of Greyjoy ships can be seen heading towards King's Landing in the latest trailer, potentially pointing up an alliance between Cersei and Euron Greyjoy. Euron's niece Yara and nephew Theon have already delivered a breakaway Greyjoy faction to Daenerys, and we know he's not going to let them get away with such a betrayal.
Actor Pilou Asbæk has teased that dearly departed baddie Ramsay Bolton looks "like a little kid" compared to Euron this season, so it's safe to assume that he'll make some serious strategic moves in the episodes ahead.
5. Speaking of alliances…
While Cersei might be embarking on an arrangement with the untrustworthy Euron, Jon Snow seems more concerned about uniting all of the houses of Westeros against a shared threat. The Night King and his White Walkers are marching towards the land of the living, and they care nothing about a silly game of thrones. Jon Snow's advisor Ser Davos Seaworth has been banging on about the threat of the White Walkers for years now, and now the King in the North seems to finally be taking him seriously.
Jon is briefly seen travelling both in the North's traditionally-wintry climate as well as on a Southern beach with Ser Davos. The trailer also closes with a cryptic warning from Jon, delivered to a potential ally: "For centuries our families fought together against their common enemy. Despite their differences. We need to do the same if we're going to survive because the enemy is real."
His reference to the former alliances within the kingdom may tip that Jon is speaking to Daenerys, or at least one of her representatives. Given what we know about Jon's parentage, any such alliance between Jon Snow and Daenerys could foreshadow the creative team's endgame.
6. Who's hanging out with Bran?
One of the more intriguing shots from the trailer has a balding older man watching Bran as he braves the brutal winter. There's no clear shot of this figure's face, but Bran has been known to travel in the company of the elder known as the Three-Eyed Raven in previous seasons. What's confusing is that the Three-Eyed Raven was killed by the White Walkers back in season six, although that doesn't necessarily rule out a comeback.
Bran's mind works in mysterious ways, allowing him to travel to earlier points in his own timeline and even warg himself into events years before he was born. Perhaps he's travelling back to seek counsel with an alive Three-Eyed Raven? Or maybe this is a completely new character, which would make his stalking Bran much more disturbing.
7. R.I.P. Jon Snow. Again?
Closing the trailer is an ominous proverb from Sansa Stark heard over a shot of Jon Snow fighting an army completely on his own. "When the snows fall, and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies. But the pack survives." Couple that with an early shot of a White Walker seemingly fighting with Jon, and suddenly we're very worried about the fate of the King of the North.
That Kit Harington shares our fear is even more unsettling. "I felt safe in season six because I thought it would be bad storytelling to kill me in the [same] season I'd been resurrected," Kit recently told SFX magazine. "But as for seasons beyond six, it's back to business. He's in mortal danger like anyone else." Having sent Melisandre away at the end of last season, Jon would almost definitely be a goner if he fell to the sword once again. Gulp…
Game of Thrones returns to HBO on Sunday, July 16 and Monday, July 17 on Sky Atlantic in the UK.
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