HBO has released another trailer for the upcoming second season of its hit show Game of Thrones. This one gives us a pretty moody and dark look at the relationships and trends of the season, along with some new footage.
For example, there’s a good look at Jamie in Robb Stark’s cage, beaten and dehydrated.
There is also a shot of Daenerys with her confidence shaken, a rare moment indeed, but one which takes place after the events of the mid-season last year.
The scene between Cersei and Tyrion is a gem, though. She discloses her feelings to her emotionally estranged brother, and he, upset at having been ostracized from his siblings for so long, and resentful that she only comes to him after Jamie is captured by the Starks, gives her a promise of comeupance, which she proceeds to laugh off. It delivers some small chills, especially to those who know the series well.
The second series covers mostly the events of the second book of Song of Ice and Fire, a still-unfinished fantasy series by George R. R. Martin. The plan is for each season to cover one of the novels, but I have a feeling they’ll break it up a bit differently for the two most recent books, as they are not told chronologically. Meaning, the two books are concurrent, but from different points of view – and that’s obviously a dramatic television no-no.
The second season sees the dispersal of the Starks around the seven kingdoms, and the machinations of all the hopefuls for the throne getting more complicated. The Dragons are growing larger, and we’ll start to see our first signs of the magic that this world holds – if it sticks to the book, we’ll get our first taste in the very first scene.
It’s great to keep getting these cinematic style trailers. It’s like they’re prepping us for a major blockbuster film release, rather than a televised drama. It makes sense, however, when you consider who they have to market to: HBO doesn’t use advertisers to create their profits, they only make money through subscriptions.
Think about it: Anyone who is already a subscribe can watch or not, and it won’t affect the show’s take, so these trailers have to convince people that it’s worth subscribing to HBO just to watch Game of Thrones, which, even if you already have cable, means the show will run you about $40 to watch. That’s about as much as buying the home video versions will eventually be. Of course, you get access to the rest of HBO as well, but there isn’t much else there for genre fans.
Game of Thrones season 2 kicks off on April 1, 2012, and will air each Sunday for ten episodes. The first season is currently being replayed on Sunday evenings. HBO subscribers can also catch up on the HBO Go website.
