The release of the new trailer for the upcoming series House of the Dragon raises the stakes, demonstrating just how much HBO has invested in this potentially very profitable spinoff of the hugely successful series Game of Thrones. As is almost always the case with trailers of this sort, however, it leaves just as many questions as it answers, tantalizing viewers with just enough visual information to keep them coming back for more.
Thus, there are a number of very pressing questions that the trailer raises, all of which have viewers eagerly anticipating the release of the series next month.
How Many Dragons Will There Be?
There’s no question that the dragons were one of the best things about Game of Thrones, and Drogon was in some ways one of the best characters in the final season. Given that this new series will focus on the contest for the throne that involved the Targaryens and their dragons, the trailer begs the question: just how many of them will there be?
There will almost certainly be at least half a dozen which, considering how impressive they were in the original series, suggests this will be a true feast for the eyes.
Will The Wigs Be Too Distracting?
One of the most notable aspects of the Targaryens is their blonde hair. While they might be one of the most powerful houses in Westeros, it has to be admitted that this particular feature can at times be distracting, particularly given the quality of the wigs in question.
The trailer, like the ones that have preceded it, understandably makes viewers wonder just how out of place they will be. Hopefully the series will find a way of making them less obtrusive and less of a distraction from the powerful drama at the heart of the story.
How Will The Show Keep All Of The Characters Straight?
In addition to their hair, the Targaryens are noted for having names that sound very similar to one another. This is very hard to keep track of even in written form, and it stands to reason that it will also be hard for viewers to keep them all straight.
This problem will no doubt be compounded by the fact that, given the distinctive Targaryen physiognomy, most of the characters will at least look a little alike. The trailer begs the question: will they go the route of changing names? Will viewers need to have a diagram to keep track? Only time will tell.
Is There Division Between Otto And Alicent?
One of the most important relationships in the new series will be between Otto and Alicent Hightower, the Hand of the King and his daughter (who eventually marries the king). There is a key moment in the trailer where it seems as if the two of them are not nearly as united in their political purposes as one might expect (given that they both find themselves opposed to Rhaenyra and her claim to the throne).
The trailer raises all kinds of questions about the nature of their dynamic and how this might change throughout the series.
Is Rhaenys Playing Both Ends Against The Middle?
There are many great members of the Targaryen family, but there’s no doubt from the trailer that Rhaenys will be one of the most important. After all, she was also passed over for the throne, so it makes sense that she would have at least a little bit of bitterness in her heart.
In the trailer, it appears that, at first at least, she might be playing both ends against the middle, whispering in the ears of both Rhaenyra and Alicent. Just what will her role be in this first season of the show, and whose side will she really be on?
Will The Show Differentiate Between The Dragons?
If it can be at times difficult to keep the members of the Targaryen family straight, the difficulty is even more pronounced with the dragons. After all, many of the dragons look similar to others (unless they’re Drogon). It will be interesting to see how the series differentiates between them so that viewers can tell the difference between one dragon and another.
Perhaps they will go out of their way to make sure that there is a key identifying mark, or they sometimes sideline them so that they aren’t central to the story in quite the same way.
How Much Of Westeros Will Viewers See?
From what the trailer reveals, it appears that a great deal of action in the series will take place in the Red Keep or in King’s Landing, the base of the Targaryens’ power. Given that the Dance of the Dragons would soon extend to most of the Seven Kingdoms, it raises the question: just how much of the rest of the continent will viewers get to see?
There are, of course, many great locations from Game of Thrones that fans hope to see, but how will the series make use of them in its return to this world?
Why Does Viserys Regret The Dragons?
There are many compelling lines of dialogue in this trailer, but one of the most chilling, and enigmatic, is the one in which Viserys questions why it is that humans ever decided to harness the power of dragons. It’s a cryptic remark, to be sure, and it raises all sorts of fascinating questions.
Why is he so ambivalent about one of the key sources of his family’s royal power? What has happened to make him think this way? Clearly, things are even more unsettled in the Targaryen family than they might like others to believe.
Will The Time Jump Be Too Distracting?
It’s already been made clear that the first season of the series will feature a time jump, which necessitates the aging up of the actresses chosen to play Rhaenyra and Alicent.
While this is an understandable move given just how much ground the first season has to cover, it raises the question of how distracting this might prove to be for the series, especially since there were relatively few of these in Game of Thrones. Hopefully House of the Dragon will find some way to make this less jarring than similar time jumps have been in other shows.
How Will The Season End?
If the trailer is any indication, then it seems likely that House of the Dragon will take its place as one of the best series on HBO. However, the preview itself raises a number of questions about just what will happen during the course of the season.
How much ground can viewers expect it to cover, and how far will it go in depicting the Dance of the Dragons? As of now, the teaser doesn’t really give viewers much to go on, other than to show that it will, in fact, be a very action-packed season.
