‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8, Episode 5 Teaser Breakdown: Is This The Final Battle?

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 won’t be out for another week. Luckily, we have a 30 second preview to breakdown.

What Is It?

The Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 preview. Penultimate episode, bay-bay!

What Are We Basically Seeing?

This latest teaser opens — with ominous music, we might add — on Dragonstone. Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) is trepidatiously walking into the Map Room, his gaze fixed on Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).

Then we go back to King’s Landing. Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) is surveying the metropolis from the Red Keep, when the camera shifts angles, we can see the Mountain standing behind her like a shadow. We then go outside the city walls. Jon Snow (Kit Harington), Ser Davos (Liam Cunningham), and Tyrion are standing with the bulk of their forces. Jon looks…well, he looks nervous.

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A percussive ticking clock noise has been filtered into the sound mix, ratcheting up the tension, as we see a fast montage of bell towers overlooking fleets, Euron Greyjoy (Pilou Asbaek) stalking the top deck of one of his ships, the Dragonstone throne (and Tyrion looking at it rather worriedly), the Golden Company marching through the streets of King’s Landing, Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) preparing to fight, Cersei, and then one of her Scorpions being loaded.

The final shot is of the clouds. We hear Drogon, and then see Euron looking up in worry.

Where Should I Pause It?

This is a fairly straightforward trailer that just shows the characters prepping for a final cataclysmic conflict — you know, straightforward stuff — but there were a few things that intrigued us.

• At around 0:16, the focus is obviously on Jon Snow, who looks VERY WEIRD in the South, but behind him you can make out Northerners and even one Dothraki. The Dothraki live, guys! (But we knew that from last week.)
• In 0:21 – 0:22 we toggle back to Dragonstone. Tyrion looks extremely concerned. This not only seems to confirm that Daenerys retreats after her failed parlay with Cersei to regroup but that Tyrion might be starting to share Varys’s concerns about their queen’s mental fitness.
• Then immediately after that at 0:22 we get our first real look at the Golden Company. Spoiler: They all wear gold, but their uniforms are all different suggesting a measure of individuality amongst their ranks. They all also look like Andals, confirming the lore that they are descendants of displaced Westerosi.

What Do You Think is Going to Happen Next Week?

Even though last night’s episode, “The Last of the Starks,” seemed to end on a cliffhanger, I don’t think Daenerys is going to try to immediately burn King’s Landing to the ground. She was only there with a small amount of Unsullied and Jon Snow is en route with reinforcements.

Instead, I think that she will retreat to Dragonstone where she will show more signs of rage and grief. Tyrion will begin to worry Varys was right about her mental state, which will only make her more upset at losing more support.

Once Jon Snow arrives south, Daenerys will indeed move to fight Cersei at King’s Landing. I think the fight will go rather poorly for the Stark/Targaryen forces until Daenerys decides to rain fire on the capitol, killing innocents, but winning the war. Naturally, that will make her look bad.

I don’t know, these are just guesses. It’s also worth noting that next week’s episode is directed by Game of Thrones battle whiz Miguel Sapochnik, who directed “The Long Night,” “Hardhome,” and “The Battle of the Bastards.”

How Long Do I Need To Wait For This All-New Episode?

Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 will be available to stream Sunday, May 12 at 9 PM.

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