"The Great War is here," announces the new "Game of Thrones" Season 7 trailer, which appears to eclipse Ned Stark's ominous warning in Season 1 that, "Winter is coming." As warned by Cersei Lannister (or Baratheon), there will be enemies from all directions that will attempt to overrun Westeros. And the Mad Queen vows they will be defeated.
Cersei (Lena Headey) knows of the threats that will descend from all corners of the Seven Kingdoms. "Enemies to the east, enemies to the west, enemies to the south, enemies to the north," the current occupant of the Iron Throne told her twin brother and occasional lover Jamie (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. She also made clear that Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage), once beloved by Jamie, is on the list of foes that the Lannisters will need to destroy to stay. And not a hint of protestation from the Kingsguard that turned Kingslayer.
If Tyrion is to be eliminated, his siblings will have a seemingly easy task. As the trailer showed, Tyrion is now the Hand of the Queen and tending to the three mighty dragons of Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). As the teaser suggests, the Lannister assassins will need to get past the fire-spewing pets of the Mother of Dragons to get to Tyrion.
Daenerys is all set to retake what she believes as her birth-right. "I was born to rule the Seven Kingdoms. And I will," Dany declared as she prepares for war. The Targaryen queen is brimming with confidence that she will soon rule with the help of Varys (Conleth Hill), Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel), Grey Worm (Jacob Anderson) and his Unsullied Spearmen and the rampaging Dothraki riders.
Cersei though sees no reason to worry as she has The Mountain to do the all dirty works. But it remains to be seen how the zombified Ser Robert Strong will stop the advancing dragons and army built up by Dany.
More problematic, according to Winter is Coming, are the threats coming from the West, courtesy of Euron Greyjoy's navy, from the South that will be delivered through the Tyrells and the Dornish and from the North. In the latter, Cersei will have to deal with the rebuilt House Stark led by the sisters Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Arya (Maisie Williams).
But it's in the North where the likely end of the Lannisters will come from. The King in the North Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), part Targaryen and Stark, is mustering an army but not march down South. Conquering the King's Landing will have to wait as Jon is convinced the Seven Kingdoms will need to be defended against the impending onslaught that the Night King will lead. The Wall must never be breached or Eddard Stark's prophecy will come true that "Winter is Coming," and everything on its path will be annihilated.
In between, Jon Snow must also address the enemies from within. In the HBO teaser, Petyr Baelish (Aidan Gillen) was shown doing what he does best - sowing intrigues and working up Sansa to do his biddings. There is a chance that Jon will finally cut the real menace that the Littelfinger is.
And if Dany has a formidable support system led by Tyrion Lannister, it appears too that Jon Snow can count on the Red Woman also known as Melisandre (Carice van Houten) on his quest to protect Westeros and possibly one day rule the Seven Kingdoms.
The Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres on July 16.
