Lucia Macari

First glance at HBO’s “House of the Dragon” features Emma Darcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen.

From “Games of Thrones”, HBO’s most streamed show, came the prequel “House of the Dragon”. Airing Aug. 21, 2022, the prequel reintroduced fans of GOT to the fantasy world of “Ice and Fire”, nearly 200 years before Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. Following the lives and politics of the House of the Dragon during the height of its reign, fans explore George R.R. Martin’s fictional world through the eyes of the Targaryens.

Season one of “House of the Dragon” sets the scene for the division of House Targaryen. A battle of social and gender politics, a sickly king and discontent between the two factions – Blacks and Greens –  of the Targaryen family make for an entertaining plot. 

Largely following the animosity between Emma Darcy’s Rhaenyra Targaryen and Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower, the tensions seen between the two women stem from gender politics and a struggle for power within the great House.

Leaving fans on edge following the death of a king, consequently a prince and the usurping of the Iron Throne by Aegon Targaryen II, played by Tom Glenn-Carney, and the Hightowers, there are high expectations for the series’ second season. The first look at the second season was released via the official Instagram accounts of “House of the Dragon” and “Game of Thrones” posted on Dec. 1.

The posts officially announce the summer 2024 release of a second season. On Dec. 1, posters of dowager queen Alicent Hightower and rightful Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen were captioned “Blood for Blood” and “Fire to Fire”, respectively. The women torn by civil war appear to be distraught, Alicent appearing more fearful than strong and Rhaenyra painted in opposition. 

The Instagram posts were later followed by a post on Threads made by the official “Game of Thrones” account captioned, “75 seconds are coming.”

On Dec. 2, at the CCXP fan convention in Brazil, where “House of the Dragon” actors Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen) and Steve Toussaint (Corlys Velaryon) were in attendance, a 75 second teaser trailer was aired.

The teaser features clips of both the Blacks, those sworn to Rhaenyra, and the Greens, those sworn to Aegon. Scenes of battle by sword and dragon are previewed as tensions continue to rise across the realm. 

Fans can expect an intense season ahead as their favorite characters return to the screen. Conflicting ideals, morally gray choices and strategic planning will make for a dramatic and heart-wrenching season. In the “Dance of Dragons”, no one is entirely innocent and it will be interesting to see how each character goes about the inevitable war.

Leaving viewers with just a few quotes and stills from the upcoming season, a powerful impact is made none-the-less. 

“There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin, and no war so bloody as a war between dragons,” as stated in the trailer by Rhaenys Targaryen, portrayed by Eve Best.

Perfectly encapsulating what is to come without giving too much away, the teaser trailer will continue to be scrutinized until HBO releases a solid release date or other information regarding the upcoming release.