Well, our terrible year-long wait for season four of
Game of Thrones is almost over: The season has a premiere date of Sunday, April 6, and we just got a full-length trailer.
If you haven't seen it yet, check out our initial post here. And you better watch it, because we're about to go into DEEP ANALYSIS of it.
Spoilers ahead, obviously, but not too blatant; I'm just going to run down a list of things I thought were fairly notable, and provide you some book background. LET'S GET STARTED.
1. Uh, in that first shot, is that a dragon flying OVER King's Landing? Because that doesn't happen in the books, and I'm very confused/concerned about what it means. Perhaps a flashback, or a vision for Dany? Unsure, and don't want to think about it too much because I'll get angry if I really think this - so different from what happens in the books!! - could occur. So let's move on.
2. SO MUCH JAIME IN THIS TRAILER. I'm starting off with Jaime because Nikolaj Coster-Waldau looks super hot with his shorter hair, and because he gives Joffrey excellent side-eye when his secret son dares to whine, "They know I saved the city, they know I won the war." When Jaime cocks his head to the side and replies, "The war's not won," that's basically season four in a nutshell. This story isn't over; some of the Starks may be dead, but the Seven Kingdoms keeps on turning. And shit is just getting started.
Also of note re: Jaime, yes, that's him getting a golden hand strapped onto his stump ...
and yes, that's also him swooping Cersei into an angry embrace ...
and yes, that's him with a fancy new sword from daddy Tywin, who melted down Ned Stark's Valyrian steel longsword Ice and had it reforged into two swords, one which he will give Joffrey this upcoming season and the other which he will give Jaime. The sword is important, especially in the context of Jaime's relationship with Brienne. Surprising that she's not in this trailer, but her and Jaime remain an important pairing, so she will certainly be around.
2. In related news, Cersei is still an uppity bitch. Expect that to continue throughout this entire season.
3. Speaking of other uppity bitches, yes, that's Joffrey and Margaery finally getting married.
But all is not well with how the other Lannisters are treating Joffrey, at least not in Cersei's eyes. Everyone is supposedly tearing her baby boy apart, and she yells at Tywin, "I will burn our house to the ground before I let that happen." So yes, she continues to be the worst, whereas Tywin's reaction to this is basically just a "Bitch, please" eyeroll.
4. In other Lannister news, Tyrion is, in fact, in chains! We've all seen Tyrion save King's Landing in season two and then get zero thanks for it in season three, and yes, that nastiness toward our favorite Imp will continue. "I don't think I'm talking my way out of this one," he says, and sadly, it's true.
5. Well, but he does have a possibility of an ally: New character Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper. We've heard mentions of Dorne before - it's where Myrcella got sent in season two, by Tyrion - and it's the Arab- and Mediterranean-inspired part of the Seven Kingdoms. Prince Oberyn, brother to leader Doran, is basically the fucking shit. He has beef against the Lannisters for killing his sister Elia and her children when King Robert revolted against the Targaryens, and he's not letting it go anytime soon. Oh, and he's nicknamed the Red Viper because he's a deadly warrior, as you can see by him holding his hand over an open flame and not giving a shit (Peter O'Toole in
Lawrence of Arabia-style). "Tell your father I'm here," he smugly says to Tyrion. "Tell him the Lannisters aren't the only ones who pay their debts." So threatening; so good.
6. On the other side of things, let's check out the Starks, whose remaining members (R.I.P., Ned, Robb, and Catelyn) do make some appearances in this trailer. Yes, that's Jon Snow at the Wall, warning the other members of the Night's Watch that if they don't stop the wildlings soon, "they'll roll over everything and every one."
Oh, and still among those wildlings is the very lovely Ygritte; you know that romance will continue to hurt each of them.
Also seen briefly: Arya, still being a badass and practicing her "dancing" skills ...
... and Sansa, in a hooded cloak, in a snowy place, as well as Bran and Hodor kneeling before a tree. No, it's not Winterfell, but all the Stark kids' storylines get complicated in very good ways. (Except for Rickon, who remains MIA in the books and who parted ways with Bran at the end of last season.) Oh, and of course Littlefinger is somewhat involved. Why else would he be in this trailer, threatening people to find out "which side you're on"?
7. Very contrasting words come out of Jorah Mormont's mouth as he gives advice to Dany: "It's tempting to see your enemies as evil, but there's good and evil on both sides of every war ever fought." And yes, Dany's storyline will get more and more violent as this series continues, if they follow George R.R. Martin's original books (again, I'm concerned about that dragon flying over King's Landing, but let's move on). So we see a lot of different Dany-related things here, and to refresh your memory, season three ended with Dany setting the slaves of Yunkai free and being called their "mother." (Yes, much was grumbled on the Internet about pure white Dany setting lots of minority slaves free, but that's problematic in GRRM's books, too, since Dany's savior syndrome is what's continuously complicating her narrative. Anyway.)
In this trailer, she's still in the slaving islands, and we see her Unsullied hunting down a man (looks like that graffiti on the wall says "Kill the Masters," in line with Dany's pro-free-slave agenda) who could be one of the books' Sons of the Harpy, who are men who oppose Dany's rule. Not sure if they'll keep that name in the show, but the Sons of the Harpy are serious, terrorist-like threats to Dany's power.
We also see one of the slaving masters' champions fight one of Dany's men (in the books, Dany's man is a former fighting slave named Strong Belwas) ...
... and we see Dany's council of advisors, including Jorah Mormont, Ser Barristan Selmy, and translator Missandei, meeting with a man. Who that man is, and why he's come to see Dany, will be extremely important as her story arc with her dragons continues. Get ready to realize what Dany's only children can really do - and why Dany would say something as venomous as, "They can live in my new world or they can die in their old one," when describing her enemies.
9. And finally, let's wrap up some odds and ends:
Babies are still getting sacrificed outside the Wall, so yes, the Others are still around, still threatening to bring the winter that never ends ...
... Melisandre is still burning stuff (ahem, eventually people) in her worship to Lord of Light R'hllor, along with Stannis and Davis, who we see briefly ...
... and Bolton bastard Ramsay Snow is apparently into really rough sex, and still has Theon captive, who we also see briefly; also glimpsed is his sister Yara, leading some Ironborn men to come save her baby brother.
So that's it, guys. My only gripe: NO SCENES WITH THE HOT PERFECTION THAT IS GENDRY? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?
But seriously: Thoughts? Reactions? Questions? Comments? Sound off below! And prepare yourself for April 6, when we start doing season four recaps.
