WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1 episode 4!The trailer for House of the Dragon's upcoming episode 5 previews another bloody Game of Thrones wedding. Based on parts of the book Fire & Blood from George R.R. Martin's wider A Song of Ice and Fire universe, House of the Dragon serves as a prequel to the hit HBO show Game of Thrones. The new series takes place approximately two centuries before the events of the original series, and it follows House Targaryen through the beginning of its fall, leading up to and covering the cataclysmic Targaryen civil war "Dance of the Dragons."
So far, House of the Dragon has managed to keep audiences hooked, with viewership for the series increasing consecutively through subsequent episodes after the premiere was watched by 10 million people, earning House of the Dragon a quick season 2 renewal. This week's episode, "King of the Narrow Sea," continued the intriguing narrative further. It introduced a new, surprising love triangle between Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), Daemon (Matt Smith) and Ser Criston (Fabien Frankel). When a furious Viserys gets word of Rhaenyra and Daemon's potential tryst, he orders her to marry Ser Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan), Lord Corlys' (Steve Toussaint) son, and they both reach a pact after Rhaenyra demands that Viserys take action against Otto (Rhys Ifans) for spying on her.
Now the Game of Thrones YouTube channel shares the trailer for House of the Dragon's season 1 episode 5, "We Light the Way." It teases a serious quarrel ahead of Rhaenyra and Laenor's nuptials. Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) also return to King's Landing after their fallout with Viserys over the marriage proposal, although clearly, they are more self-interested than ever. Take a look at the trailer for House of the Dragon episode 5 below:
As the new video shows, trouble and chaos are clearly on the horizon in House of the Dragon episode 5. Right now, it's hard to tell what would make the festivities turn sour, but the altercations would presumably erupt over the brewing discontent about Viserys choosing Rhaenyra as his successor. It's also possible that conflict during the wedding would arise from envy between the houses. The Lannisters were passed over by Viserys and Rhaenyra in favor of House Velaryon, and considering the former has been promised a more prominent role in the forthcoming episodes, it's quite likely the Lannisters would provoke the guests at Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding to prevent the matrimony from happening. Surely the upcoming ceremony will be plagued with violence, but those expecting a bloodbath on the scale of Game of Thrones' Red Wedding shouldn't get too excited - the fighting clearly seems far more impromptu, and it won't necessarily lead to a massacre.
That said, overall, it seems that the stakes in House of the Dragon episode 5 will be much higher than what was seen previously. The succession drama is aggravating without losing steam, and Otto's dismissal from the Small Council will seemingly catalyze the much-hyped rivalry between Rhaenyra and Alicent (Emily Carey). Elsewhere, Criston is obviously growing insecure about Rhaenyra being wed to another man; he is channeling his anger in brutal ways, but whether would he take a risky step to be with his lady love will only become clear in subsequent episodes. Finally, with the festivities of Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding being mired in dissension, there is no telling if the wedding will actually happen. In fact, by the looks of the trailer, it seems that House Velaryon is not so sure about the match, either, and even Laenor's life seems in danger. But to know exactly what transpires, audiences will need to hold tight until House of the Dragon returns for episode 5 on Sunday.
Source: Game of Thrones