‘House of the Dragon’ Weeks Ahead Preview Teases Harrenhal, New Characters, and Dragons Galore

The House of the Dragon Season 2 premiere, “A Son for a Son” threw us right back into the macabre world of Westeros. The HBO show wasted no time giving us bickering silver-haired Targaryens, surprising sexual relationships, and the horrific death of an innocent, namely the young prince Jaehaerys. However, if you stayed through the end of the credits, you’ll have seen a haunting two-minute-long preview for the weeks ahead that promises that House of the Dragon is just getting started. The House of the Dragon Season 2 Weeks Ahead preview teased major battles (with dragons!), a whole lot more bloodshed, and even more illicit hookups between Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). All in all, the House of the Dragon Season 2 teaser gives us a heck of a lot to dissect and speculation over…

The House of the Dragon Season 2 Weeks Ahead preview shows us the immediate fallout of Daemon Targaryen’s (Matt Smith) brutal plan to infiltrate the Red Keep. Not only do we see Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) erupt in rage, literally screaming, “I declare war!”, but Heleana (Phia Saban) is spotted in mourning. Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) meanwhile seems none too pleased on Dragonstone with her husband/uncle’s actions.

Between the ever-growing rift between Daemon and Rhaenyra, the promise of dragons battling it out, and our first peeks of new characters like Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), Ser Simon Strong (Sir Simon Russell Beale), and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), the House of the Dragon Season 2 Weeks Ahead trailer has a lot to parse. Let’s break down the preview for HBO’s House of the Dragon Season 2, focused on the “Weeks Ahead”…

What’s In The House of the Dragon Season 2 Weeks Ahead Preview?

The House of the Dragon Season 2 Weeks Ahead preview opens with an ominous chord and a soaring dragon. We hear children’s laughter and see Rhaenyra playing with her younger children. (Those silver-haired kiddos are her sons with Daemon, Princes Aegon and Viserys.) An enraged Aegon’s voice pierces the scene, screaming, “I’LL KILL THEM!” as we get a close up of a pensive Rhaenyra. There’s mayhem in the Red Keep and a shot of Aegon yelling, “I DECLARE WAR!” A door is shut and a title card reads, “This Season on House of the Dragon.”

We watch both the Black Council on Dragonstone and the Green Council in Kings Landing prepare themselves. Rhaenyra says, “You have wounded me, weakened my claim to the throne,” to Daemon. There’s a moody quick cut of Daemon seemingly walking towards the Iron Throne, a flash of Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), and Daemon skulking around a rain-soaked castle. “I cannot trust you Daemon,” Rhaenyra says.

Alicent says, “Rhaenyra’s supporters will believe as they wish…and so will Aegon’s,” as we see a snippet of a showdown between Brackens and Blackwoods — two families we saw already embroiled in a bitter feud in Season 1 — and the aftermath of a bloody battle, with dead bodies in the mud. Back in King’s Landing, Alicent tells someone, “The significance of Viserys’ intentions died with him.”

On Driftmark, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) says, “There is a war brewing,” as he hugs his brother Addam on the docks. A small, striped dragon soars over a forest. The Blacks huddle around the table in Dragonstone while Aemond says, “This war will not be won with dragons alone, but with dragons flying behind armies of men.” We see such an army marching out. Vhagar soars overhead.

We see the Frey’s iconic stronghold of the Twins as Ser Criston Cole says, “The Riverlands are the key to the war. Harrenhal is the key to the Riverlands.” Then we see Daemon’s dragon Caraxes flying in the night, landing atop a structure, and roaring. Daemon tells a table of men, including Sir Simon Russell Beale’s Ser Simon Strong, the castellan of Harrenhal, “Perhaps the presence of a dragon will sharpen minds round these parts.”

Aegon stabs his small council table with the catspaw dagger as his advisors look on in horror. Tom Bennett’s Ulf gazes on in horror at men being hung from the castle walls. There also appears to be an angry mob in King’s Landing. Rhaenyra says, “The path I walk has never been trod.” Mysaria answers, “There is more than one way to fight a war.” Then there are glimpses of some sort of subterfuge afoot in Kings Landing with secret messages and a hooded woman hurrying.

Aegon says, “I will not be seen as weak,” and Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) counters, “You’re already seen as weak, Aegon,” while a dragon flies above Kings Landing. Ser Criston Cole defends his ruler, telling Otto, “Beware how you speak to your king.” Otto hangs his head in dismay. There’s shots of a dragon flying above trees, a prayer circle in a sept, and then dragon eggs in some sort of container for transport.

Lord Broome says, “We must seize the hour and act before our enemy does,” while Rhaenyra mulls something over. Daemon sits in contemplation before grabbing his helmet. Alicent and Helaena run through the streets of the capital in a panic. Ser Criston Cole struts through a hall. Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussiant) asks, “Is there naught to be done but to claw for power?” There’s a super cut of him looking at his own throne and action around the Small Council table.

Then we get a sneak peek at another Alicent/Cole sex scene that starts with them shoving each other around. Ser Criston Cole says, “What we must do is terrible. Will you preside over it?” He has a new look, as it were, with shorter hair and more impressive armor. One dragon chases after men on horseback while another soars over Addam’s head. Rhaenyra says, “We must break the will of our enemy,” while Aegon lashes out.

There’s a super cut of ladies dancing behind fans, dragon fire lighting up a battlefield, horses, armies, Heleana clutching a green cloth, Aegon swinging a club, and a mob in the streets. Daemon yells, “There will be no mercy!” A punch is thrown, a man falls into mud, someone sneaks a dagger from their sleeve, Aemond has his eyepatch on, Daemon approaches Rhaenyra and grabs her, a scroll is unrolled, a kid in green weaves through soldiers, and someone hands someone else a handkerchief.

Jaecerys (Harry Collett) and Rhaenyra look on at something in horror, Jace then watches Baela (Bethany Antonia) fire a crossbow, and Rhaena looks down. Daemon struggles to open a door, a Kingsguard has his sword out, Rhaenyra blinks, and Vhagar breathes fire. Ser Criston Cole tells Alicent, “We have given the war to the dragons.” And that’s it.

What is the House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 Release Date?

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, June 23 at 9 PM ET.