Game of Thrones season 8 teaser trailer: Five quick takeaways, from reunions to revelations

Winter is Here. Almost. Thanks to the newly released _Game of Thrones_ Season 8 teaser , we know it’s just 90 days 18 hours and 57 minutes left until the premiere of the final season of the pop culture juggernaut. So, what to do until then? One could attempt to make awkward small talk with our friends, much like Tyrion Lannister did in Season 6. Or we could spend our time poring over every frame of the one minute 44 second teaser delivered by our HBO overlords. Valar Traileris! The first shot is a glimpse of everyone’s favourite brooder, the former King in the North and more importantly, former bastard of Winterfell, making his way through the Stark crypts. Jon Snow (spoiler alert: soon to be revealed as Aegon of house Targaryen),walks past the statue of his mother Lyanna Stark. The voice over is the last words Lyanna tells her brother Eddard (poor old dead Ned): “You have to protect him…” Meanwhile, the feather that the former king Robert of house Baratheon so lovingly placed in the hands of the said statue of Lyanna Stark in the very first episode of the series wafts to the floor. Jon briefly looks back, but continues to forge ahead. His actions are perhaps a nod to the plot that lies ahead: Jon will learn of the truth about his parentage, but he will have no choice (or time) to to deal with the fallout later. [caption id=“attachment_5892831” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Still from HBO’s Game of Thrones season 8 teaser trailer. YouTube screengrab[/caption] Enter Sansa Stark and Arya Stark. While Sansa, the Lady of Winterfell, walks past the statue of her mother Catelyn Stark, a familiar lamentation is remembered: “This horror that has come to my family is all because I could not love a motherless child.” Is the Stark family doomed to continue to suffer because of Catelyn Stark’s actions? It sure seems that way. Arya, meanwhile, is wearing that look; everyone would be best advised to get out of this little psyhcopath’s way and quickly. Back to Jon, who gives the statue of his uncle Eddard Stark a meaningful side eye as his words come floating over: “You may not have my name, but you have my blood”. Truer words than any of us knew (except the smug book readers). Then, the siblings are reunited — at last — but alas, there are more pressing concerns. Arya, Sansa and Jan walk over to a corner where they spot statues of themselves! Cue the ominous music. All three look sufficiently spooked. And with good reason: Statues are erected in honour of those that have passed on. And more importantly, at the age they died. Sansa and Arya’s statues look like their young selves, while Jon’s statue looks old and haggard. Or maybe that’s just the beard. And speaking of the dead… Jon’s flame goes out as Lyanna’s feather freezes; Jon and Arya draw their swords as Sansa looks on. A cold mist makes its way through the chambers. Is this predicting the fall of Winterfell at the hands of the army of the dead? Fade to black. Now, for those who wish to remain unsullied, beware: what follows is information sprung forth from the forehead of father Zeus himself (or what we in the biz called guesswork). Quick takeaway 1: The statues make it seem like Sansa and Arya are marked for death in Season 8, while Jon will have the fortune (or misfortune) of living on. Quick takeaway 2: Some might find the lack of Bran disturbing (extra points for those who spotted the Star Wars reference), but it only reinforces what he told Meera in Season 7 — Bran Stark is dead. He’s the Three-Eyed Raven now. His battle against the dead won’t be physical, but mental and spiritual. Quick takeaway 3: Which direwolf statue is that by Lyanna? Jon’s Ghost or Sansa’s Lady? Quick takeaway 4: No Daenerys Targaryen? That could be another dead giveaway (if you catch our drift) or simply a decision by Satan’s henchmen — also known as the HBO marketing department — to focus on where it all began for the series: with the Stark family. Quick takeaway 5: Try not to die till 14 April. Time is indeed a flat circle. No wait, that’s the other HBO show…