As House of the Dragon gets ready for its next big time skip, fans now have a proper idea of what the revamped cast looks like, but the latest teaser provides some insight into how much things have changed in King's Landing.
While House of the Dragon's episode six trailer consisted of a wide range of shots that introduced the likes of a grown Prince Aegon Targaryen, the new footage shared by HBO focuses solely on one scene, namely that of Rhaenyra's firstborn son, Jacaerys Velaryon coming into this world. The teaser, just over a minute long, goes even further to showcase the shifting power dynamics as Queen Alicent's influence becomes greater, as Emma D'Arcy's Rhaenyra is summoned by her right after giving birth.
The scene is a rather adequate way to connect this week’s new episode, given that House of the Dragon just left viewers with images of Rhaenyra and Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan) tying the nod in typical tragic circumstances, something that Game of Thrones fans are surely accustomed to. Most crucially, there doesn’t appear to be much time for celebration, as Rhaenyra puts on her best act to look strong before the queen now that the couple has welcomed their boy who will stand third in line for the throne. Of course, as the concept of the series indicates, the succession will not be smooth at all.
Judging from this, at least Rhaenyra and Laenor do seem to have more chemistry than many of other the arranged marriages in Westeros, as their bloody union surely has brought them closer. In any case, there’s a lot of anticipation over how the series will play out King Viserys' final days. This is especially true now that it’s been confirmed Paddy Considine will stay on for at least one more entry.
Both Milly Alcock and Emily Carey delivered strong performances before departing House of the Dragon, although there’s still a chance fans might get to see them once more in flashback form in House of the Dragon season 2. Overall, the HBO series has been received with open arms by Game of Thrones fans despite House of the Dragon's time jumps, with this most recent one moving forward a full 10 years.
While still vastly different, House of the Dragon is currently faring better with fans and critics than Amazon Prime's Rings of Power, though it remains to be seen if the Game of Thrones prequel can keep its momentum in the second part of the season.
House of the Dragon airs on Sunday at 9 PM EST on HBO and HBO Max.
Source: HBO | Twitter