Game of Thrones’ episode 4 trailer prepares us for ‘the last war’

Turn back now if you haven’t watched Game of Thrones season 8, episode 3 yet — the above video is what happens after Jon, Dany, and especially Arya triumph over the Night King and prepare to march towards King’s Landing.

“The Long Night” saw a victory for the troops of the North, but as creator David Benioff put it in the post-episode commentary, it wasn’t without “great cost.” The White Walkers sliced down Jon and Dany’s troops, and the survivors are aching. This is no time to engage in another seismic battle for the future of Westeros, and yet, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

The trailer for Game of Thrones season 8, episode 4 teases a recalibration for the North, and a brace for impact by Cersei and Euron, who are both holed up in King’s Landing. I don’t know if this is the face of someone who doesn’t know what’s about to hit her or someone so maniacally evil that they can look this smug before slaughtering thousands, but my word, does Cersei look sharp as hell in that velvet coat. Euron hovering by her side makes me think we’ll get some definitive answers on the status of the queen’s debated pregnancy.

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Next we see the Northern troops filing out the door and townsfolk rebuilding what was lost. The wood looks especially heavy in the aftermath of the Long Night.

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Next we see the scars of battle — which aren’t too bad, all things considered. Seeing as Arya might just be the physical manifestation of death, a Stranger who walks amongst the living, she’s only looking a little rough.

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Smile, Jon. You survived an encounter with an undead dragon and came home with the kind of boo-boo you get from falling off the monkey bars.

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Things are going well for Dany, who is ready to soldier on with her campaign for the throne. Later in the trailer we see her kicking back drinks with the men of Winterfell. Everyone loves her now! Now that Lyanna Mormont is dead and not reminding them that she may be as tyrannical as the queen holding court in King’s Landing. Only time will tell if Dany can be a leader of the people. In episode 4, she’s looking mighty regal.

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Reminder: Dany has two dragons left. We see them a few times in the tease.

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Two. One, two. Two dragons.

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This is a happy dragon!

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Many thought Arya’s sex scene from episode 2 spelled disaster in the Battle of Winterfell for lover Gendry. The trailer for episode 4 finds her back in the throes of emerging sexuality, just as she’s coming off the most lethal, consequential kill of her career. How that translates to her relationship with Gendry is one of the more fascinating questions Game of Thrones has left to answer.

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The weight on Dany’s shoulders as she tries to convince a foreign nation to go to battle in her name comes in the form of decimation. Death is all around Winterfell. Here we see the ritualistic burning of bodies. Let’s hope this is what the Lord of Light wants. (Also, please note: GHOST IS ALIVE.)

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At least part of the “last war” will be fought by sea. This is where Euron excels — but is he any match for the ice and fire combo of Jon and Dany? Let’s not forget Bronn has Qyburn’s anti-dragon ballista ...

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Game of Thrones season 8, episode 4 premieres on Sunday, May 5.