Billy Oduory breaks down the trailers for House of the Dragon season 2 with reference to the books…
“When the desire to kill and burn takes hold and reason is forgotten, we will not even remember what began the war in the first place” Rhaenys prophesies the coming doom in the Black half of the recently released double-trailer of House of the Dragon titled All Must Choose. Her warning resonates with her words in the first trailer released by HBO in which she warns Rhaenyra about the devastating effects of a war between dragons, cementing her place as the voice of reason between The Blacks and The Greens. However, her words fall on deaf ears as the war is inevitable, and as the trailer is titled, even Rhaenys must choose a side in the Dance of the Dragons.
HBO’s title for the trailer capitalizes on the ever-growing rivalry in the large House of the Dragon fan base which is now split into Team Black and Team Green just like the Targaryens in the show. The trailer also confirms June 16 2024 as the premiere date for the second season of House of the Dragon season 2 on Max. However, for fans who would rather know what is actually happening in the scenes seen in the trailer before the show is released, here is a look at what book events are revealed in the trailers, including all the hidden details about HOTD season 2 that some could have missed. Potential spoilers follow…
The Black Trailer
Lucerys gets a deserved Targeryan sendoff
The Black Trailer starts with Rhaenyra and her family, accompanied by the Velaryons, at Lucerys Velaryon’s funeral, conducted in the Targaryen tradition of a pyre lit by Dragonfire. Unsurprisingly, Daemon Targaryen is not in attendance, because, as expected, he would rather seek vengeance than sit around and mourn, but his two daughters Baela and Rhaena are standing next to Rhaenyra and her two surviving sons.
At the funeral ceremony, Jace is seen carrying what looks like Luke’s clothes, suggesting that his body is found in the show, unlike the books where there are conflicting accounts of what happened to him after the encounter with Vhagar. The trailer also features images of Syrax next to what appears to be fishing boats at Shipwreaker Bay near Stormsend where Lucerys died. Rhaenyra is then seen kneeling over something, which is likely her son’s retrieved body.
The somber mood of these early scenes establishes the deep grief and desire for vengeance that will drive the actions of Team Black for the rest of the show. Everyone is sad in the scene, including Syrax who lets out a screeching roar, fully expressing Rhaenyra’s feelings after being robbed of her throne and suffering the loss of two children in quick succession. However, she doesn’t lose her queenly demeanor throughout the trying moments displayed in the trailer, which is proof of her resilience.
Dragonseeds introduced
The trailer then switches focus to The Blacks’ plan for vengeance with Rhaenyra, seated at a dinner table with her family and some new characters, openly declaring war against the Greens. Rhaenyra has clearly abandoned her reserved personality and is willing to throw everything at the Hightowers to retake the throne from Aegon II. The clip even shows a quick shot of Aegon flamboyantly sitting on the Iron Throne in what feels like a second version of Joffrey Baratheon.
Rhaenyra is finally ready to explore a scorched earth policy and her plan clearly involves the two new characters at the table. Her new allies whom we believe to be the dragonseeds are a person with dreadlocks dressed in all black, fitting the description of Addam of Hull (A Velaryon bastard), and a silver-haired man with a beard that isn’t Daemon Targaryen, fitting the description of Hugh Hummer (a blacksmith’s bastard). In the books, Addam of Hull claims Laenor Velaryon’s dragon Seasmoke while Hugg Hummer claims Jacaerys I Targaryen’s dragon Vermithor. The Dragonseeds will be vital for Team Black in the upcoming Battle of the Gullet which is also hinted at in the trailer.
Jacaerys Velaryon visits The Wall
The trailer then shifts to Jacaerys Velaryon’s Expeditions in the North accompanied by Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) and a column of marchers dressed in black like men of the Night’s Watch. Jacaerys seems to be touring The Wall, suggesting that House of the Dragon Season 2 will finally show the Night’s Watch, and probably give some clues about the Night King and the White Walkers. “The realm will soon tear itself apart if men do not remember the oaths made to King Viserys, and his rightful heir,” Jace says in what sounds like a casual conversation with Cregan Stark.
Jace and Cregan’s friendship will form the basis of the union of Ice and Fire that will tilt the scales in favor of Team Black towards the end of the Dance of the Dragons as stated in Fire & Blood. According to Mushroom, Jace found love with Cregan’s half-sister Sara Snow, and probably even wed her in the Godswood in the North, which would put his betrothal to Baela Targaryen in jeopardy, but it remains to be seen how the show handles these rumors in House of the Dragon season 2. Jace’s expeditions North will still have far-reaching consequences that Game of Thrones fans will closely relate to.
Corlys Velaryon urges Rhaenyra to “crash the beast”
The Black Trailer then shifts to a shot of Corlys Velaryon, still using a cane after his injuries in the Stepstones, warning Rhaenyra (probably in the company of others) about the Hightowers marching, saying she should “crash the beast on its head.” While it is unclear whom he means by the “head of the beast, we believe it has something to do Otto Hightower. Corlys, being the Seasnake, likely has intelligence about Otto Hightower’s schemes with the Triachy in a bid to end the Velaryon blockade of Blackwater Bay. Alternatively, Corlys could also be warning Rhaenyra about the Hightower army marching from The Reach before the Battle of Honeywine, which is followed by the sacking of Tumbleton in Fire and Blood.
Either way, Corly having to remind Rhaenyra about the Hightowers marching to war only means that she is not acting as quickly as she should as the leader of Team Black. Corlys talking to Rhaenyra about Otto’s plans is likely part of the storyline to expose Rhaenyra’s indecision during key moments in the Dance of the Dragons seen multiple times in the books which leads to most of the losses suffered by the Blacks in the show, including the deaths of Jace and Rhaenys.
Daemon wins the first victory for the Blacks
“Our terms are very simple, renounce the false king and bend the knee to the queen, or your house burns,” Daemon Targaryen warns an invisible, but clearly subdued Green ally while sitting on his dragon Caraxes. We believe the subject of Daemon’s defeat to be Larys Strong’s uncle Paxter Strong, the Castellan of Harrenhal after the death of Lyonel Strong. The shot comes after a short clip of Daemon and his dragon approaching Harrenhal on a dark stormy night, after which Daemon, still drenched from the storm, sneaks into a castle with ruined walls which appears to be Harrenhal.
The trailer agrees with the book series of events in which Daemon takes over Harrenhal, turning it into the center of operations for the Blacks in the Riverlands. Daemon’s decisive defeat of the Strongs to take over Harrenhall is a welcome relief for Black supporters as he seems to be doing something, unlike Rhaenyra who spends most of her time grieving and just talking without really taking charge. The trailer also reveals Daemon’s new shiny black armor which agrees better with the theme of Team Black and makes Daemon look a lot more intimidating.
Baela Targaryen and her dragon Moondancer go to battle
After the death of Lucerys at the hands of Vhagar, many fans hoped the Blacks would keep the children away from the battlefields, but that doesn’t seem to apply to Baela Targaryen. Both the Black and Green trailers have shots of Baela riding her dragon, Moondancer, in a battle over a Green-allied cavalry in a wooded area which we believe to either be in the crownlands or the Riverlands in the set up to the Battle at Rook’s Rest.
Baela Targaryen’s role in the battles is not covered extensively in the books, which gives the show more room to utilize her character in different roles. Baela and Moondancer are seen in both the Black and Green Trailer, which suggests that she has a big role to play in the second season of House of the Dragon, especially in the battles fought in the Riverlands. Baela Targaryen and her dragon don’t play a role in the Battle at Rook’s Rest in George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, but that could change in the show as Baela appears to be involved in the battles.
Gwayne Hightower leads the line for the Greens
The first season of House of the Dragon never put the full strength of House Hightower on display, but that is bound to change in the second season as more Hightowers get on board in the Dance of the Dragons. One of the main characters to expect is Alicent’s elder brother Gwayne Hightower who has been recast for the second season. Now played by Freddie Fox, Gwayne is seen swinging a sword in a close-quarters battle, visibly scared, which means he is not the bravest of generals in the battle.
The Green Trailer
Alicent suffering but unremorseful
Alicent is still as religious as ever at the beginning of the Green trailer as she is seen praying in the Sept. However, despite wearing a mourning veil, which means she has just lost a grandson as a result of the war she started, she doesn’t show any remorse. “Rhaeyra’s supporters will believe whatever they wish, but Viserys wanted Aegon to succeed him. He knew the realm would never accept a queen,” Alicent says defiantly as she still believes her misinterpretation of Viserys’ last words in the first season of House of the Dragon.
Alicent’s defiance, coupled with Otto Hightower’s lust for power is still the driving force behind the Greens. Alicent continues to participate in Small Council meetings and advises Aegon when he seems to bend to the weight of the crown, but her role seems much more diminished compared to the first season. The trailer also features Aegon’s new banners made of a golden dragon, obviously Sunfyre, in a green field, which means he fully embraces House Hightower’s war colors.
Criston Cole is irredeemable
“Hold your courage for the one true king Aegon,” Criston Cole shouts as he rides into an unspecified battle in the Green trailer. His words feel empty because nothing about Aegon’s leadership spells a true king. In the trailer, Cole fully embraces his new personality as a villain whose only mission is to keep Rhaenyra off the Iron Throne. He is riding into a battle in a forested area, and we believe this is the battle at Rook’s Rest which marks the climax of the second season.
Cole is also seen wiping blood from his sword in another shot, consistent with the shot of him beheading a man in the first trailer released in January by HBO which we believe to be the Sacking of Duskendale when Cole executes Black-allied lords in the Crownlands according to the books. In all his shots, Criston Cole is wearing the Hand of the King bracelet on his armor, suggesting that Aegon II replaces Otto Hightower with Cristone Cole as Hand of the King early into the second season of House of the Dragon. As far as Black-allied fans are concerned, Criston Cole is now the real villain in the second season of House of the Dragon as he executes all of Aegon’s twisted wishes.
The Greens use Blood and Cheese in their favor
While Rhaenyra and The Blacks mourn the death of Lucerys Velaryon, The Greens are not spared the grief because Daemon sets the revenge plans in motion. The Green Trailer features a picture of two men walking through the tunnels below the Red Keep in King’s Landing. They are the assassins, Blood and Cheese, who infiltrate Alicent’s chambers to kill one of Aegon’s sons. The assassination will likely be the most gruesome scene in the second season of House of the Dragon and it will clearly shake the capital as its impact is seen on Aegon, Helaena, and Alicent as well as the common folk including servants.
Both trailers also feature a funeral procession through the streets of King’s Landing, showing the Greens politicizing the assassination and using it to buy sympathy from the common folk as they paint Team Blacks as anarchists and baby killers. In the procession, the people are seen throwing flowers and mourning in unison with Alicent and her family, seemingly angered by the “cold-blooded” murder of the innocent child.
In response to the death of his son, Aegon promises to pay back anyone who plots against him a hundred times over while swinging a bloodied stuff, seemingly bludgeoning someone. We believe his victim to be one of the assassins (most likely Blood), caught with the help of Larys Strong, now Aegon II’s Master of Whisperers, who is also standing next to the king in the trailer.
King’s Landing is protected using “Qyburn’s Scorpions”
One of the Cargyll twins, (most likely Arryk) is seen manning the ramparts over Kingslanding shadowed by a giant Qyburn’s Scorpion, similar to what we saw in Game of Thrones. The weapon proved effective against Daenerys’ dragon, and might still have a big role to play in House of the Dragon which has more dragons and dragon riders. The Greens using the Scorpion to man the capital also suggests that the capital lives in fear of an attack by dragons, which is an issue of major concern, especially for Team Green because, in the books, fear of a dragon attack leads to unrest that culminates in the Storming of Daragonpit.
Aegon is a tyrant with a magnificent dragon
Aegon II Targaryen was never fit to rule and has no kingly qualities throughout the trailer, but that doesn’t mean he is any less dangerous. In the wake of Blood and Cheese, Aegon becomes a monster that seems to scare even Otto Hightower himself. Aegon declares that he is just as “fearsome as any of them,” meaning Aegon and Rhaenyra as a shot of a full-grown Sunfyre is seen in the throne room. Sunfyre is truly a spectacle to behold and is probably the only kingly thing that Aegon has (apart from the conqueror’s crown, of course).
However, despite his majestic display in the throne room, Aegon still doubts himself as he is seen hanging his head at some point, possibly distraught after the assassination of his son, and having to be encouraged by his mother. At the end of the trailer, Aegon sarcastically declares war after seemingly listening to Otto’s advice. Aegon II gives Joffrey Baratheon vibes throughout the trailer, but he is portrayed as an even more dangerous clown on the throne because he has a dragon.
The Aemond-One-Eye vs. Daemon confrontation is inevitable
While the Black trailer shows Daemon taking over Harrenhal, the Green Trailer doesn’t reveal what Aemond is up to, but there are various shots of Vhagar in battle, meaning fans could see Vhagar chomping another dragon and its rider in the second season. “My uncle is a challenge I welcome if he dares face me,” Aemond tells Criston Cole in the trailer. The shot is followed by a clip of Daemond in a nightgown tiptoeing through a hall, but it is not clear whether Aemond is in the same location.
The trailer also has shots of Vhagar in battle, seemingly above the same conspicuous forested battlefield seen in the Black trailer, meaning the Battle at Rook’s Rest will be Aemond’s most significant undertaking in the second season. There are no clear shots of a confrontation between Aemond and his uncle in the trailer though, so the Vhagar vs Caraxes battle is unlikely to happen in the second season of House of the Dragon.
SEE ALSO: All Game of Thrones Spinoffs Beyond House of the Dragon Explained
House of the Dragon features a cast that includes the returning Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Rhys Ifans, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall and Matthew Needham, along with new additions Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew as Hugh, Tom Bennett as Ulf, Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark, Vincent Regan as Ser Rickard Thorne, Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower and Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong.
