HBO has released another teaser trailer for the second season of its popular Game of Thrones series, which is based on the bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire books by George R.R. Martin.
The teaser features the voice of Stephen Dillane – who plays Stanis Baratheon in the series, though he has not yet been seen in the show – making the declaration for the Iron throne, based on the revelation that his late brother’s heirs are all bastards.
Of course, he’s just one potential claimant to the throne, one of half a dozen or more who all think that they should be the one to sit upon the hard – and sharp – seat of Westeros.
(Be warned: some spoilers follow the video below)
Stanis is one of the more interesting characters in the series. Unlike other claimants to the throne, he’s not introduced until book 2 of the series, and though he has the most legitimate claim, being the older of the late Robert’s brothers. Of course that’s only if you consider Robert’s rise to the throne legitimate, but at the same time, he might be the least desirable king, having few traits of a good leader of men. He’s cold and hard in demeanor, and is easily manipulated by advisors with ulterior motives.
Book 2, and thus the second season of the show, is probably the most active of the series in terms of shifting alliances and proposed legitimacies. Fans who were surprised by the shake-ups in the first season – American television doesn’t kill protagonists very often, for example – have only scratched the surface of this tale.
The second season of Game of Thrones begins on HBO in April 2012. If you missed the first season, and you have an HBO subscription already, you can catch up on HBO GO.
