"What are the prospects? Blood and fire!" "And dragons!"
On the next Game of Thrones (GoT) prequel, House of the Dragon, which swoops onto HBO on August 21, that's showrunner Ryan Condal and author George RR Martin.
It will have many similarities with the original Game of Thrones, the perennially feud-filled fantasy epic that rose to become one of the most popular television shows in history.
But those who are still incensed at the contentious season eight conclusion will want to know: Is it worthwhile dedicating their time and emotions to yet another group of cunning contenders for the Iron Throne?
In order for you to form your own opinions, here is everything we discovered about the series on Saturday when the actors and creators at Comic-Con San Diego unveiled an expanded teaser.
It's a family affair, much like Cersei and Jaime's.
An aristocratic family with the ability to tame dragons, the Targaryens are the focus of House Of The Dragon, which is set 200 years before Game Of Thrones.
It is based on George R. R. Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood, in which the Targaryens start the most horrific civil war one could imagine.
As Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, King Viserys (Paddy Considine) occupies the Iron Throne, the most perilous seat in all of Westeros. And it appears that the succession is competitive.
He screams in the series' longer trailer, "I won't have to pick between my brother and my daughter!" The harsh forces of Westeros will probably find a way to crush that objective much like Gregor Clegane crushes skulls, despite the fact that Viserys is characterized as a nice man and a good king who believes in duty. (No reveals...)
The Stark and Lannister families, which predominated Game of Thrones, will primarily be minor characters.
The Targaryen family is at the height of their success when we first encounter them. Oh, and they ride the 17 dragons they have.
Dragons are approaching.
Fans of Game of Thrones will remember what Daenerys Targaryen, an ancestor of these characters and portrayed by Emilia Clarke, accomplished with three dragons. Because of this, 17 presents a fascinating possibility and a potentially lethal weapon.
Condal told the crowd in Hall H, the most prominent location at Comic-Con, "It was crucial to differentiate the way they behaved and acted and associated with their riders."
The remainder was filled in when "George [RR Martin] defined their color, size, and age."
For instance, Caraxes, whose riders include Matt Smith's former Doctor Who co-star Prince Daemon Targaryen, is known as the Blood Wyrm because of his cantankerous attitude and general aggressiveness.
Condal asserts, "We've developed dragons that you won't even see in Season One."
Milly Alcock, who portrays little Rhaenyra Targaryen, reflected on what it was like to shoot the dragon riding. "You're propped up on what looks like a mechanical bull that you could ride in a bar or pub, and it raises up six feet in the air, and there are four people with leaf blowers," she said. It seems odd.
Evil and good? Well, nobody is flawless.
Martin was questioned about what the perfect king of Westeros might look like by panel presenter and podcaster Jason Concepcion.
Someone who sees being king as a responsibility rather than as a right, he responded. And is concerned with Kings Landing's road construction and sanitation!
"At the end of his life, he wants a little fame," he adds of Ruler Viserys, "but he wants to be a good monarch, a wise king, and defend his people."
And who is his likely heirs—Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), his younger brother, and Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy), his firstborn child?
Martin says, "I prefer it when Fire & Blood fans disagree on who the hero and who the evil is. He expects the programs will have the same effect".
Highlights and High Valerian
The Targaryen family speaks High Valerian as their native dialect, as mythical linguists would likely recall.
The actors responded, "Milly [Alcock] is the finest!" when asked who had understood it.
Paddy Considine chuckled, "I had one line, I guess it's been cut!" before eerily repeating it.
What other components go towards making a Targaryen?
The wig is the key, explains Emma D'Arcy.
Can a woman rule?
One last nugget from the trailer: We'll meet Princess Rhaenyra as she struggles against the path she fears has been laid out for her as a mother and passive court ornament.
A woman would not inherit the Iron Throne because that is the way things work, warns Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best), who was passed up for the position of the queen in favor of her cousin Viserys.
The younger lady responds, "I will establish a new order when I am queen." (Will this prohibit the use of names for close relatives that are so perplexingly similar? We can hope...)
D'Arcy, who identifies as non-binary, based their portrayal of a woman who is tearing apart what it means to be a woman on their own experience.
Although some medieval experts have maintained the period was less misogynist than GoT portrays, George RR Martin maintains that his fantastical universe is no more sexist than the real events that impacted it.
A queen atop the Iron Throne may be acceptable to the Seven Kingdoms.
It could depend on if she brings her dragons.
On August 21, 2022, House of the Dragon premieres on HBO and HBO Max in the US. You can watch it online on NOW or on Sky Atlantic in the UK on August 22.
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