In the aftermath of ‘The Long Night,’ Game of Thrones focuses its attention on Cersei and her army, promising a siege of King’s Landing in the trailer for episode 5. The follow up to the Battle of Winterfell didn’t take it easy on the survivors, moving them out of the destructive path of the sentient Zamboni formerly known as the Night King and tossing them back into the unforgiving machinery of the battle for the Iron Throne, something the show knows very well. And the new trailer for the penultimate episode of the series is just vague enough to be one of the most intriguing of the final season.
So far, Game of Thrones has positioned its swan song around a pair of devastating battles that will leave little of the core cast intact. The show made sure the losses suffered during the Long Night were acknowledged with a mass funeral pyre (you can never be too sure) just outside the walls of Winterfell that brought an end to one conflict and, for one drunken moment, delayed any thought about the conflict ahead. The result set up an episode that promises a clash between Dany’s army and Cersei’s, as well as some painful, if not outright treasonous, discussions about who the real Mad Queen is in this situation.
Game of Thrones has been known to play it close to the vest with regard to its trailers, preferring to keep things at a safe distance from spoilers, and that's saying nothing of context. Still, when it comes to setting a mood, this new trailer certainly delivers on the somber final moments of episode 4. Take a look at the trailer for Game of Thrones season 8, episode 5 below:
Along with not releasing the title of the episodes until after they air, this season has been almost overly cautious when it comes to leaking potential spoilers. That hasn’t stopped the internet from cooking up some strange theories based on what little information HBO is sharing before the episode premieres. While the supposed face in the shadows behind Sansa set a particularly high bar for fan theories, one can only wonder what viewers will see here, especially considering who (or what) doesn’t actually make an appearance.
Speculation aside, the trailer does a good job of establishing an overwhelming sense of tension as Jon and the rest of Dany’s army arrive outside of King’s Landing, while Tyrion apparently returns to Dragonstone. The most intriguing moment, however, is whatever it is preparing to come out of the sky and put a rare look of surprise on Euron Greyjoy’s face. After the unexpected losses suffered by Team Dany, perhaps she’ll put the hurt on Cersei’s forces, setting up an endgame that will settle who sits on the Iron Throne once and for all.
Game of Thrones continues next Sunday with episode 5 at 9pm EST on HBO.