Small Council: Reactions to the second trailer for Game of Thrones Season 6

The second trailer for Game of Thrones Season 6 dropped this week. What did we think? Are we excited? Nervous? Other? Read our takes and tell us yours!

KATIE: I’m bringing back the bullet points for this trailer breakdown.

• In case anyone missed it, Jon is dead. Dead dead dead-y dead dead. We get it, HBO; we don’t believe you, but we get it.
• “You would spill blood in this holy place?” Well, I sure hope he does. I am LOVING that Jaime is facing the Faith Militant head-on, and with any luck he’ll weed them out the way they deserve. I know they’ve only been around for one season, but I think that’s quite enough.
• Arya really needs to hightail it outta Braavos. It would be so cool if she ended up among the ranks of the Faceless Men, but doing so doesn’t fulfill her quest for vengeance, nor do I think Jaqen has any intention of her getting that far. (Her fight scene looks so rad, though, and I am so here for that.)
• Speaking of vengeance, here comes Sansa, ready to serve it up on a silver platter. I’ve always been of the opinion that Sansa has been a player in this game from the start—she’s been active in her own survival, and if she hadn’t always known she was a piece on the board, then she wouldn’t have lived this long. Now, though, she’s playing with her freedom, and a free Sansa with a thirst for revenge is the most dangerously fabulous thing this show could have given me. Slay, my queen, slay.
• Who is Littlefinger meeting and did he even know he was meeting someone at all? Why is Littlefinger still here? Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Aidan Gillen, but what more damage can the man possibly do? I’m interested to see where his story goes from here.
• I don’t know if Cersei is encouraging Jaime, Tommen, or perhaps the reanimated Mountain to “stand at the head of our army where you belong.” I doubt that she would be willing to put Tommen in that position, especially after Myrcella’s just died, and Cersei has always been unwilling to shove her children forward into danger. More likely she wants Jaime or Maester Frankenstein’s monster to take the reins here. Whatever she’s doing, I’m happy to see that Cersei’s got her mojo back.
• “The real war is between the living and the dead.” Thank you, Davos, for talking sense.
• I was so worried about Pod for like five seconds before I came to my senses, realized he’s in a Lannister camp, and that’s probably Bronn messing with him as well as playing games with my heart by doing so.
• I hope Tyrion isn’t burned to a crisp because he’s disturbed the dragons’ slumber. If Tyrion does die, I can’t imagine it would be in such an undignified fashion, and besides, he’s got too much going on to bite it just yet. What he plans to do with the dragons, I don’t know, but I’m excited to find out.

All in all, this trailer’s got me even more restless for my calendar to confirm that April 24th has finally arrived. Everything is coming to a head and loyalties will be tested more than ever, and if you ask me, it seems that the time for double-crossing has passed, and this season will be less about playing games and more about running headlong into battle with sigils raised high and proud. If the trailers hold true, I think we’re in for a spectacular year.

ANI: Bullet points’r’us!

• I know they like to go all “see how hip we are with out indie artist covers” but for my money, this drum-heavy type music is far more appropriate. The driving beat and the “Ho Huh!s” was part of why this trailer felt so thrilling.
• Also wow, just the sheer amount of new footage in this trailer. I rounded up every last spoiler from the previous teasers, and yet nearly everything in this trailer was new to me. I loved it.
• By sending Jaime to Dorne last season, we were deprived of a sane Lannister fighting the High Sparrow. This Ends Now. Between that and all the horse riding, Tywin would be proud.
• Anyone who thinks Arya’s road to baddassery is going to be easy is wrong.
• Loras is still alive…but for how long?
• Seeing that Tyrion is about to experience all his King’s Landing problems over again in Meereen, but now without the benefit of the Lannister name to protect him, worries me, but not as much as seeing that dragon spit fire at him. Drinking and knowing things does not make one immortal.
• SANSA. WILL. HAVE. HER. REVENGE.
• I can’t wait to see the Tower of Joy.
• But even more, I can’t wait for Episode 9.

This picture is a spoiler

RICHARD: I loved this second trailer. I thought it really plugged into the main circuit cable of what we’re all expecting from Season 6, and threw off a few spectacular sparks. I think Jon Snow is going to return in one form or another but I can’t blame HBO for milking his dead body for all its worth. I mean, it’s great drama, isn’t it?

Yep, with Joffrey dead and Myrcella dead and humiliated by her walk of shame, Cersei has loosed her dogs of war on the Faith Militant and probably anybody else who happens to stumble in her way. It won’t all go according to plan, of course, but FrankenMountain and the enraged Jaime are gonna wreak havoc. Like Katie, I’d so love to see Jaime draw his sword and send the High Sparrow’s head bouncing across the Great Sept of Baelor. I also think that Cersei is encouraging Jaime to lead the Lannister army even though the trailer makes it look like she is speaking with Tommen.

I was also thrilled to see Sansa looking whole and collected and wearing her Stark direwolf sigil after her awful experiences with the Boltons. Wouldn’t it be great if she is part of the force that retakes Winterfell? Sansa has been hardened by pain and fire, and maybe she is finally going to get the opportunity to show the iron that flows through her Stark blood. This young woman is going to be a force to be reckoned with. At least I hope so. Die, Ramsay Bolton, die. Die, Walder Frey, die.

Ser Davos, ah Ser Davos. He really looks like he’s in the thick of things in Season 6, and warning people about the White Walkers is always a good move. The onion knight is a great character, and maybe he’ll get paired up with Sansa (see David Harris’ latest theorycrafting article), which would make for an awesome team. I have a bad feeling that he is going to get chopped this season, though.

Poor Jorah.

We get a glimpse of Yara Greyjoy here. I really like her character. I hope things go well for her.

Daenerys looks beat up and Drogon looks great in the sky, but I feel like her story isn’t popping for me in the trailer, though I’m assuming she is going to win over the Dothraki again. Arya’s situation looks like it has improved a bit, and her ninja-fighting is cool, but again I don’t get much electricity from it. I’m really jazzed about Bran’s storyline for Season 6, but this trailer doesn’t give us much in that department, although what looks like a glimpse of the battle at the Tower of Joy is most certainly a part of his and the Three-eyed raven’s scenario.

The huge battle sequences teases are superb, and the music is excellent, and overall I thought it was a well-done trailer. All of the wildfire jars rolled into position in Season 5 are ready to go off. I’m ready. 10 days. Just 10 days.

And there no way in heck is Tyrion going to get turned into small, wine-marinated shish kabobs by that dragon. No way. C’mon.

RAZOR: The first trailer was the one we needed to satiate our appetites, and this was the trailer we deserved. You want bullet points? You get bullet points:

• First off, if you haven’t changed one of, or all of, your social media bios to “I drink and I know things,” then you are doing it wrong.
• Next, Jaime Lannister is finally back to being the badass we all know him to be. I mean, come on, you guys: he threatened the High Sparrow in the Great Sept of Baelor…the cajones on that guy.
• Davos and Sansa are totes working together, and they will get Tormund and his wildlings on their side as well, and there is no trying to deny it.
• Tower of Joy, Tower of joy, praise be to the Seven, we finally get the Tower of Joy! And boy does it look badass!
• The Night’s King has a flare for the dramatic, what with the whole four-horsemen-of-the-apocalypse vibe he’s got going on for a second season in a row.
• I am convinced that the look on Littlefinger’s face is the look of man who’s seen a ghost…or a zombie. Until the show is over, I will forever champion the cause of Lady Stoneheart, and this scene could be the perfect opportunity to introduce a certain vengeful mother with a heart of stone into the show.

DAN: I think everyone here has pretty much broken down everything than can be broken down about the trailer, so for my bullet point-riddled Small Council entry, I’ll comment on a bullet point from each of your contributions.

• Katie: If I had to pick one from the trailer that really stood out, Sansa giving the camera a death glare may be it. There’s just so much history behind it. But honestly, turning her into a complete badass may be a bit too predictable for this show. I doubt the producers will drag her through the muck again, but I don’t want to see her run roughshod over her enemies with no resistance, either.
• Ani: The drum-heavy track was so refreshing. I was never a fan of the indie songs the producers favored for their trailers, and this fits the show better so much better.
• Richard: Hey, where are your bullet points? Anyway, I disagree with you about Daenerys’ story not popping in the trailer. I think those shots of Drogon’s shadow are among the most electrifying in the lineup. What an ominous, terrifying way for the producers to signal that something spectacular is about to go down.
• David: I’m looking forward to the Tower of Joy fight as much as anyone, but I have a nitpick that’s been bugging me for a while. I don’t recall if Ned says differently in A Game of Thrones, but if the fight involves members of Aerys Targaryen’s kingsguard, shouldn’t they be wearing white cloaks? The Targaryen armor we see in the trailer is neat and all, but it’s not accurate. FAN RAGE.

Other than that, the trailer looks terrific. Let’s start the season already.