Game of Thrones has embraced the Superbowl spirit with a Twitter campaign that lets you support your favorite house. Tweeting #HouseLannister, #HouseStark, or #HouseTargaryen to @GameOfThrones will net you a 25 second Battle Banner promo which teases the conflict for your favorite house next season. And according to the cryptic voice-overs and battle-scarred banners, every major house is going to take a major beating.
GoT is treading unknown ground this season, having reached the end of the book series’ content last year, so every clue the show releases is being pored over for clues. You won’t find many here aside from the theme that this season will be more war, less talk.
The saddest promo perhaps is the one for House Stark, in which winter has arrived at Winterfell, and Ramsey Bolton’s voice scratches against the flapping of the Stark banner. “Winterfell is mine,” he says. “Come and see.” (Here’s hoping the producers rout that Bastard out and send him back where he belongs. #TeamStark)
The long descent of House Lannister is profiled in their promo, as Septa Unella’s “Shame, shame,” underscores a prompting from the High Sparrow. “Every one of us poor and powerless. And yet together we can overthrow an empire.” Who he thinks he’s going to spur on to unity is a mystery since the Lannister’s are anything but loyal.
House Targaryen is taunted in subtitled Dothraki, with an unidentified voice channeling every middle-school bully. “You are nothing. The millionth of your name. Queen of nothing.” Actually, Khaleesi has done pretty well for herself so far, having survived sticks and stones like war and fire, so I’m pretty sure words aren’t going to hurt her.
With the return of Jon Snow (the walker? The warg? The faker?), Bran, and all this house drama this new season just becomes more and more promising. Maybe G.R.R. Martin will finally get some ideas for what to do with book 6.
I’m pulling for a Stark/ Targaryen alliance that will send the Lannisters off to Dorne, maybe not this season but eventually. How about you?
Season 6 will begin April 24 on HBO.