VIDEO Game of Thrones Season 2 trailer “Shadow”

The new Game of Thrones Season 2 trailer is here! (I just Sam Tarlied myself!)

Just prior to the premiere episode of their new series Luck, HBO premiered a new trailer for the second season of their EMMY and Golden Globe Award winning fantasy drama Game of Thrones. The trailer is simply called “Shadow” and is narrated by everyone’s favorite soft-skinned eunuch spider Varys, who summarizes the shattered state of the kingdom of Westeros for Tyrion Lannister:

BOOYEAH! WINTER SEASON 2 IS COMING!

I confess it is going to be difficult to watch without [SPOILER ALERT for Season 1] Sean Bean as the morally upright Lord of Winterfell and Jason Momoa’s Khal Drogo, the greatest dark-skinned character of few words since Marilyn Whirlwind of Northern Exposure, but there are so many other mesmerizing characters both good (Arya) and evil (Joffrey) and maybe both (Daenerys) that I will be glued coem April 1st with the second season premieres!

And speaking of mesmerizing characters, the “Shadow” trailer is our first glimpse at actress Carice van Houten (above), who will be playing the pivotal roll of the Red Priestess Melisandre! In the first trailer for Season 2 (you can see it below) we got a first look at (and sound of!) Stannis Baratheon, played by British actor Stephen Dillane. Of the major new characters to make their first appearance in Season 2 (based on the book) that just leaves Brienne of Tarth (played by Gwendoline Christie) and Davos Seaworth, The Onion Knight (played by Liam Cunningham). (Although I must confess I’m a bit more excited to see more of Daenerys’ dragons! Oh, and the castle at Harrenhal! (My apologies if your nerd alert is blaring.)

UPDATE – Looking on Twitter there are a number of people claiming there are brief glimpses of Brienne and Davos in the trailer, but I sure didn’t see it. (I suppose if this were a duel of GoT geekdom I would be forced to yield here!) Anybody want to share a screen cap or a link to one with either Brienne or The Onion Knight?

Here’s a transcript from the trailer:

Varys to Tyrion Lannister: Three great men: a king [Stannis Baratheon], a priest [Melisandre], and a rich man [Tywin Lannister]. Between them stands a common sellsword. Each great man bid the sellsword kill the other two. Who lives? Who dies? Power resides where men believe it resides. It’s a trick – a shadow on the wall. And, a very small man can cast a very large shadow.

Woman’s voice to Robb Stark: You’re fghting to overthrow a king.

King Joffrey Baratheon to Sansa Stark (with a crossbow aimed at her of course): “Killing you would send your brother a message.”

Tyrion to Cersei Baratheon: You might find it difficult to rule over millions who want you dead.

Daenerys: I am Daenerys Stormborn and I will take what is mine with fire and blood!

Arya: Anyone can be killed.

Tyrion to Varys: I understand the way this game is played

And in case you missed it, here’s the first trailer for Game of Thrones Season 2 released by HBO called “Cold Winds” and narrated by the strong but brittle would-be King Stannis Baratheon: