Wight this way, ladies and gents. Come one, come all, to the battle of Winterfell in season eight, episode three of Game of Thrones.
HBO just released a trailer for the next installment (which marks the halfway point of the season…excuse us while we go bawl our eyes out) and we get a glimpse of the massive and highly anticipated battle sequence…as well as a major spoiler for what goes down.
The trailer opens as the armies at Winterfell march forth to face the Night King and the Army of the Dead. We get a glimpse of our favorite characters on the ramparts, on the battlefield and in the crypts below Winterfell. Arya is seen running through the crypts (a scene from the season eight full-length trailer that we saw a few months back), but new footage reveals Theon lighting a flaming arrow (to protect Bran from the Night King?) and Jon Snow wielding his sword Longclaw underneath some trees (most likely the Weirwood tree where the Night King has sought out the bait of Bran/the Three-Eyed Raven?).
The biggest reveal of the trailer, however, comes at minute-mark 0:23. “The dead are already here,” Daenerys tells Jon, and while it seems sorta repetitive now, it may have deeper meaning. Of course the dead are already there! The characters have talked about it for two episodes now. So why does Dany look so concerned, like this is an entirely new revelation? The answer may be because she’s referencing the crypts.
Harken back to last night, and the crypts beneath Winterfell were mentioned in episode two no less than 77 times. The women and children are going to the be in the crypts hiding out from the white walkers…except, you know who else is in the crypts? The actual dead. As in, the dead Stark kings, queens, lords and ladies of history. Ned Stark, Lyanna Stark and all the ancestors of the great House of Winterfell are there. Does Dany mean that the Night King has raised up the dead from their crypts? If so, all the unarmed women and children (and Tyrion) down there are in serious trouble. But don't say we didn't warn you...
The third episode will last about one hour and 22 minutes (ready the snacks!) and will be the longest episode of the final season—both literally and figuratively because of these intense battle scenes. The last three episodes will be about one hour and 20 minutes each.
Tune in Sunday, April 28, at 9 p.m. on HBO. (And practice some much needed meditation before then. You’re going to need it.)
