“Dracarys”: Official Game of Thrones Instagram returns to life

After Game of Thrones ended two years ago, the show’s official Instagram account pretty much went dead. It was nearly two since the series finale when HBO posted something new, this time to mark the series’ 10th anniversary.

Since then, they’ve been a bit more active, posting things to celebrate Mother’s Day, releasing new looks at the upcoming spinoff show House of the Dragon, and so on. And of late they’ve been putting up stuff just because, including a look at Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) behind the scenes of Game of Thrones season 3.

And now, they’re newest upload is an edited version of the scene from “Battle of the Bastards” where Daenerys Targaryen lights the Yunkish ships aflame:

Sidenote: I wasn’t particularly convinced that Daenerys would burn down King’s Landing in the final season, but I’ll admit that watching her light stuff on fire in these “triumphant” moments has more of a sinister edge now. I wonder if that’ll stand out more on rewatch.

Ahead of House of the Dragon, HBO ramps up Game of Thrones outreach

Now, I know that HBO posting a clip from Game of Thrones isn’t a big deal, but I think it’s interesting that the Instagram has again become a priority for the network. This tells me that they’re revving up the Game of Thrones hype machine again ahead of House of the Dragon (and possibly all the other prequel series they have in development). Who knows what else they could share between now and when the show lands in 2022, and beyond?

Like it or not, HBO was never going to let Game of Thrones lie still after it ended. We’re in the age of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and every studio wants its own mega-franchise to compete. It’s too early to tell if Game of Thrones can become something on the order of Marvel or Star Wars, but if that’s what HBO wants, it’ll need every promotional tool in its arsenal, including this Instagram.

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