Game of Thrones has been off the air for more than a year now, and fans haven't even had much footage or many official details to go on for speculation. This weekend was bound to be exciting for fans, as HBO promised an announcement of the premiere date for the eighth and final season. Thrones will be back on April 14. As it turns out, the premium cable network released more than just the premiere date. An epic teaser featuring the crypts of Winterfell debuted. Check it out!
Something tells me that the chills running down the spines of Game of Thrones fans might not have anything to do with all the snow in this teaser! The new HBO footage from what promises to be a cinematic season shows Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, and Arya Stark down in the crypts of Winterfell, and it seems that the past is speaking to them. It reveals a strong connection between Jon and Ned, Sansa and Catelyn, and Arya and the late lamented Lyanna.
Interestingly, this Winterfell teaser doesn't go in a Targaryen direction to hype Jon Snow's story in Season 8. As much as the theories about Jon's fate moving forward have largely been connected to his status as the legitimate heir to the Targaryen dynasty due to Rhaegar's annulment of his first marriage and official marriage to Lyanna, this new footage indicates that Jon's status as a member of the Stark family still largely defines him, which makes sense.
Having the "blood of the dragon" doesn't take away from the fact that he was raised believing himself Ned's son and a man of the North. That's not to say the teaser doesn't hint at his importance in the grand scheme of things, as we hear Lyanna's voice when she asked Ned to protect her infant, named Aegon. In the video, however, Lyanna is connected more to Arya than Jon.
Book readers know that George R.R. Martin drew a number of parallels between Arya and her aunt Lyanna, and the show has established that Lyanna tended to rebel against what was expected of her. That certainly sounds familiar! (Maybe we'll get more of it if George R.R. Martin ever finishes Winds of Winter.) Arya has Needle with her, and Jon has his sword, and both step forward to defend the unarmed Sansa.
Speaking of Sansa, she is connected in the teaser to Catelyn, who married into the Stark family and was not born a woman of the North. Sansa always did connect more to the way of life led by her mother prior to Catelyn's marriage to Ned; is this a sign that Sansa's style of ruling Winterfell in Season 8 (assuming Dany still allows her in that position) will differ from those of other Northerners? Only time will tell. At least we finally know how much more time well'll be waiting! April 14 can't come soon enough.
HBO pulled out all the stops to create this teaser. It was directed by David Nutter, who won an Emmy back in 2015 for the Season 5 finale of Game of Thrones, called "Mother's Mercy." The footage even features an original score by Ramin Djawadi, who also won an Emmy for his work on Thrones, although his was for the Season 7 finale, called "The Dragon and the Wolf."
Throw in Kit Harington (who recently explained how tiring filming was for Season 8), Sophie Turner, and Maisie Williams, and this quick clip should help fans make it until the day HBO finally releases a full trailer. This new footage is apparently not actually part of any of the episodes, but it's still a good fix!
Game of Thrones debuts its eighth and final season on Sunday, April 14 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. For some viewing options to pass the time for the next few months, take a look at our midseason TV premiere schedule.
