You’ve got to admire the timing. No sooner had Amazon unveiled its teaser trailer (and release date) for The Rings of Power season 2, HBO saw fit to drop an epic, final trailer for House of the Dragon season 2, aka its own bloody high fantasy series.
Less than two months after House of the Dragon season 2’s release date was confirmed alongside three fiery trailers, we’ve been treated to another teaser that looks like it’ll be as harrowing and brutal, if not more so, than the first season. Sure, the timing of this latest trailer drop won’t have made Prime Video‘s marketing department very happy, but Max viewers – and, in particular, Game of Thrones (GoT) fans – are likely to be delighted.
This trailer is different from its predecessors, which were more akin to teasers that set the scene for the Dance of the Dragons’ true beginning. Its two-and-a-half minute runtime is packed with action, devilish drama, and political and familial infighting that’ll make for riveting and jaw-dropping viewing when House of the Dragon‘s sophomore season arrives on June 16 on Max (NB: it’ll be available on Sky/Now TV in the UK, and Binge/Foxtel in Australia).
Indeed, the show’s latest footage is packed with character introductions and GoT references, ranging from three dragon eggs in a fire, the arrival of new fan-favorite dragon Sunfire, and Cregan Stark, Lord of Winterfell during the Westerosi era where House Targaryen sat on the Iron Throne.
There are also regiments of soldiers from multiple houses that confirm we’ll be seeing the Targaryens (Team Black) and Hightowers (Team Green) attempt to win each house’s loyalty for the bloody, arduous war to come. There’s a glimpse of some naval power, too, in the form of Velaryon ships. Oh, and we get a good look at one of the show’s most important new arrivals: Alyn of Hull, who’ll be played by Abubaker Salim and plays an integral role in the unfolding story.
That said, Alyn isn’t the only potentially big name who’s teased in House of the Dragon’s latest trailer. Spoilers ahoy, dear reader, so turn back now if you don’t want to know anything elee!
this is 100% alys rivers pic.twitter.com/mQt0eQWwwHMay 14, 2024
So, who’s the mysterious woman that we see twice (albeit briefly) in the trailers? Nobody has officially confirmed as much yet, but many fans are speculating that the individual in question is none other than Alys Rivers, who’ll reportedly be played by Gayle Rankin in season 2 (per Variety) on Max, aka one of the best streaming services.
We won’t dive too deep into spoiler territory – why ruin the surprise ahead of time? – but the enigmatic Alys is the subject of many tales in GoT. Some of those even suggest that she’s a witch; a rumor born out of the fact that she possesses prophetic powers along the lines of the red priests of R’hllor, of whom GoT‘s Melisandre is the most well-known. We’ll find out if the above individual is Rankin (and, indeed Alys) when one of the best Max shows roars back onto our screens very soon.
