House of the Dragon promised all-out war between the two Targaryen factions, and so far the promo for season 2 is – literally – delivering trailers for the dueling branches of the family going head-to-head.
Both begin with a rallying cry for their one true ruler and their steadfast belief in their legitimate claim to the throne: Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) on the Black side and Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the Green side. But the stories disappear from there.
Although both trailers show the house opposite, HBO was smart to vary the glimpses of the Targaryens going about their business. It may all be the typical quick cuts and raised eyebrows of any traditional teaser, but we’re technically getting more insight into where these unfortunate people are (even if it’s hard to tell which notable book events will get the spotlight; we still don’t even know Certainly for whom Daemon sang at the end of season 1).
But here’s what we know: Rhaenyra and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) still feel personally wounded by the other. Corlys (Steve Toussaint) warns that the Hightowers are marching, while Otto (Rhys Ifans) maintains his grandson’s right to be king. Daemon (Matt Smith) threatens to burn down a house for not bending the knee to Rhaenyra, while Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) looks forward to fighting his uncle because he’s a little freak who lives for the drama. One thing becomes clear when you watch these trailers: Gone are the time jumps of Season 1. We’ll feel the pain of this Dance of Dragons in real time (or close to it; it’s still TV).
As of this writing, Team Black is in the lead in this Targaryen civil war, with over 100,000 more views on YouTube. That does not mean: A tons to a Westerosian highborn, but it means that in June there may be more people supporting Rhaenyra and her dragon than Aegon and his.
House of the Dragon season 2 premieres June 16 on HBO (and Max).