Did House of the Dragon Just Tease Melisandre’s Return?

Did eagle-eyed viewers just spot Melisandre in the House of the Dragon Season 2 teaser?

The House of the Dragon Trailer

HBO’s House of the Dragon is finally back – and what a way to start a season that was. The first episode of the show’s second season brought back the classic political intrigue the original series was so loved for. We got everything from the long-awaited return to Winterfell and the Wall, to an extremely dark ending that will haunt the series for the rest of its run.

This episode showcased the ripples caused by Lucerys’ demise in last season’s finale. The newly crowned King Aegon II struggles to keep the kingdom afloat, all the while King’s Landing fills itself with rumors and traitors at every corner. Simply put, A Son for a Son is one of the most brilliantly-paced episodes in the series.

If you watched the episode on Max, you were likely treated to a few sneak peeks at the end. That’s where the explosive “Weeks Ahead” trailer comes from. The trailer teased what’s to come after the first episode’s brutal finale, including a more deranged Aegon now out for blood. However, keen-eyed viewers might have noticed something a bit more mysterious going on in this trailer.

The Red Priestess

“Weeks Ahead” deals mostly with how King’s Landing deals with the ongoing war, and Rhaenyra’s struggles to maintain her dubious claim to the throne. That said, around halfway into the trailer, a familiar face briefly appears.

Dressed head to toe in a red cloak is who appears to be a Red Priestess – and not just any Red Priestess, mind you. This particular lady has a striking resemblance to fan-favourite Game of Thrones regular Melisandre. Now, I say “familiar,” but long-time Game of Thrones fans might notice this Melisandre might not be Carice Van Houten.

To make things worse, there’s no way to officially confirm or debunk it was Van Houten in that trailer at the time. Since the teaser was not exactly a part of the episode, she’s not listed on IMDb’s page of A Son for a Son. However, we can predict whether or not that really was Melisandre – and the good news is that the timeline adds up.

A Prophetic Return

One thing that bothered many GoT fans by the time of that series’ divisive finale is how Melisandre’s prophecy about The Prince That Was Promised was, apparently, never fulfilled. GoT’s rushed ending fumbled the whole Azor Ahai storyline, that’s evident, but House of the Dragon has the opportunity to retcon the prophecy into something more substantial – which would have worked perfectly with the sadly canceled Jon Snow spin-off.

Still, the fact that King Viserys mentions the prophecy on his deathbed has led to much speculation among fans. Melisandre being an integral part of all things prophetic in the Game of Thrones universe seems to confirm she’s set for a long-awaited return.

Melisandre, unlike most of the characters in House of the Dragon, is still alive during the events of Game of Thrones. At the time of her death in Winterfell, Melisandre was about 400 years old, which means she must have been around 220 during House of the Dragon.

Considering the Red Priestess in the “Weeks Ahead” trailer does look younger than Melisandre’s usual appearance, this could be a new actress playing the same character. This would be a shame, considering Carice Van Houten has been teasing her return to Westeros for over two years.

Still, the fact that House of the Dragon is ramping up the intrigue right at the start of the season is great news for fans. This is a return to form for all things Game of Thrones, and it’s great to see the franchise gaining traction once again.

Read our full review of House of the Dragon Season 2.