'Game Of Thrones' Season 7 Trailer Breakdown: Dragons And Schemers And Eunuchs, Oh My!

Game of Thrones returns for its penultimate season in less than two months and no other 2017 pop culture event has me more excited. Season 6 was one of the epic fantasy series' best batch of episodes yet, trimming the main cast down to its key players (via a huge body count) and maneuvering the survivors into position for a final showdown. This is going to exciting. And grisly. And nerve-wracking.

Because the new trailer is so full of greatness worth exploring, it's time for a good 'ol fashioned trailer breakdown. Let's go through this whole thing shot-by-shot and see what we can find.

"Enemies to the east. Enemies to the west. Enemies to the south. Enemies to the north. Whatever stands in our way...we will defeat it." And here we go! Cersei Lannister now sits on the Iron Throne and it only cost her almost every single person she has ever cared about. I've heard more than one person say that Cersei doesn't stand a chance against the opponents that currently surround her, but if there's one thing these past six seasons have taught us, it's that no one else in the Seven Kingdoms is as prepared to burn everything to the ground in name of holding on to power quite like the current Queen of Westeros.

As Cersei's voice over goes on about enemies, we get to see a few of them. First up is Grey Worm, Daenerys' general and one of the toughest men to ever swing a weapon on this show. Note his new armor, which is a bit more regal and stylish than the more stripped-down costume of past seasons. Also note the long sleeves – warm Essos is behind them and winter has arrived.

After a few seasons of studying abroad, Arya Stark has retuned to Westeros as a full-fledged assassin, ready to start crossing names off her list of enemies. She got things started in a grand, bloody fashion at the end of season 6 when she cut Walder Frey's throat after feeding his sons to him in a pie. Will she actively pursue additional vengeance or will she prioritize reuniting with the surviving members of her family? This scene looks like it could be taking place in the Riverlands (where she killed Walder), so it's just a question of whether she rides north or south...

We haven't seen this room before, so it's likely that Queen Cersei just had it installed (the ladder off to the side indicates this as well). While we've seen our fair share of map tables on Game of Thrones, this is our first map room. Of course Cersei would want something more grandiose than her enemies and of course she'd want a room that truly emphasizes that she views this whole war as a game...a game she's proven herself to be quite good at playing.

It's been a little while since we've seen Lannister troops in full-blown battle mode, but here they are, assembled for war and marching toward... Well, with enemies on all sides, it could be any direction. But since Daenerys is a bit closer than Winterfell (and because Jon Snow has a lot more on his mind than just a human war), I bet these guys are marching toward dragon doom.

The Red Keep's throne room has gotten a makeover. While the Iron Throne is just as intimidating as ever, the Lannister sigil now hangs over it. Cersei clearly wants to make sure everyone in the room knows exactly who's calling the shots now. And despite what should have been a career-ending injury, Jaime Lannister is still at her side, leading the Kingsguard.

In the season 6 finale, Cersei took the throne in a black outfit that was fair bit more militaristic than what we've seen her wear before. After all, the men who could have told her to go put on a pretty dress are now all dead. This new outfit continues this. Now that she's in charge, Cersei is going to wear outfits that better reflect her inner warrior.

After a few seasons in Essos, Tyrion is back in Westeros, where he will help Daenerys Targaryen wage war against his own family. At first, it's not clear where this shot is taking place...

...and then we cut to this wide shot, where we can see the edge of a castle in the distance. Tyrion is at Dragonstone. We'll talk about the strategic importance of this area in a moment. For now, let's just admire the view...

...and appreciate that Dragons have finally returned to Dragonstone.

And here, we see the gates to Dragonstone opening, letting Daenerys and her army through. There are two reasons for Dany to take this castle first on her mission of conquest. First, it's on an island of incredible strategic importance. Located in Blackwater Bay, it's an excellent base of operations from which to assault the mainland...or to sail right to King's Landing. Remember, this used to be Stannis Baratheon's home and it was from here that he was able to organize his army against the Lannisters back in season 2, culminating in the Battle of the Blackwater.

And secondly, and more importantly from an emotional point of view, Dragonstone used to be the seat of House Targaryen. Built centuries ago, it was from here that Dany's ancestors established a foothold Westeros before going on to conquer the Seven Kingdoms. This is truly a homecoming for the Mother of Dragons, who is hoping for a similar outcome.

But it goes beyond that. Daenerys was born at Dragonstone, during a huge storm that decimated the Targaryen fleet and sealed her House's doom during Robert's Rebellion. She was spirited away by loyal allies (along with her now-deceased older brother) to be raised in Essos. Although she was born in Westeros, Daenerys has no memory of her homeland or the castle that was her first home. And now she's here. Expect this to get emotional.

Despite hanging out with Stannis at Dragonstone for a few seasons, this is our first time seeing the castle's throne room. While not as intimidating as the Iron Throne, this is definitely a seat fit for a Queen.

From the look of things, Daenerys isn't going to be wasting any time when her troops hit the shore. As you can see from the sigils painted on the arch, those Unsullied soldiers are breaking into a Lannister stronghold of some kind.

And they're not taking any prisoners. Previous Game of Thrones seasons have waited a few episodes before truly allowing the shit to hit the fan, but with only seven episodes, this season looks like it will launch right into the battles.

Hey! It's Jon Snow, and he looks as dour as ever. Then again, you'd be dour too if most of your family was dead, you had just sustained heavy losses against your evil brother-in-law, and you were just proclaimed the new King in the North as Winter arrives while an army of the undead plans to invade your home turf.

Even with all of these troubles, Jon doesn't know what his missing brother Bran now knows: he's actually the bastard son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, which could compromise the loyalty of all the people currently looking to him for leadership. Everyone has a big 'ol plot of problems on Game of Thrones, but Jon may have the most.

"Your father and brothers are gone, yet here you stand." At some point, the healthy thing for Sansa to do would be to step away from Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish and just stop talking to him. However, the man who betrayed her father and put her in the clutches of Ramsay Bolton is also the only reason Jon won the the Battle of the Bastards. Like it or not, the Lord of the Vale has wormed his way into House Stark's circle of allies.

Hey, it's the Wall! Remember the Wall? The only thing keeping the Night King and his army of wights from invading Westeros and killing everyone? With Jon no longer commanding the Night's Watch, who's actually going to take this threat seriously up there?

Theon Greyjoy cannot catch a break. Even after the mutilated and traumatized lord has reunited with his sister and allied with a woman with a giant army and a trio of fire-breathing dragons, he still finds himself on a burning ship, fighting for his life. We'll see more from this scene in a bit.

At the end of season 6, Melisandre was exiled by Jon under the threat of execution. So where is a Red Witch to go now that everything she has ever put faith in has completely let her down?

I don't recognize this area! It could be completely new! The presence of water and rocks and  fortifications lead me to believe that this could be Dragonstone. If so, has Melisandre come to the Mother of Dragons, hoping to lend her services? And would Dany even want a Priestess of R'hllor on her squad?

A group of Wildlings move through a pass, running from...something. Since this definitely appears to be north of the Wall, we can wager a guess as to what's pursuing them. However, they may have some help from someone experienced in battling the undead. We'll come back to this.

Arya Stark: still looking cold, still not clearly moving north or south. What are you up to, girl? Where are you going?

This may be one of the definitive shots of Littlefinger in the entire show: lurking the shadows like a true creeper. Watching. Waiting. Whoever is on the receiving end of that stare isn't in for a good time.

We're going to see some larger CGI armies later in the trailer, but this shot of Dothraki horseman riding into battle is impressive and a testament to how big this show has gotten. Even with all of the digital assistance, Game of Thrones knows how to fill the frame with actual men riding actual horses in giant medieval warfare sequences.

Remember that shot of Theon looking distressed while flames flickered around him? Well, here we are. From the look of things, Euron Greyjoy has caught up with his niece and nephew and is trying his damnedest to make good on his promise to end their lives.

"If we don't put aside out enmities and bound together, we will die. And then it doesn't matter whose skeleton sits on the Iron Throne." We don't know who Davos Seaworth is talking to in this shot, but as usual, he's making more sense than everyone else on this show. We know from set pictures that Davos apparently pays a visit to Dragonstone to meet with Tyrion and Daenerys, so he may be warning them about the threat to the north. After all, what good is a kingdom to Daenerys if it's overrun with the undead?

We've seen this Dragonstone room with its impressive map table before, mainly because this was Stannis' little clubhouse for most of his time on the show. And now, it's being utilized by Team Fire and Blood. Note that the room appears much chillier than it has in the past. Winter is here and this space is open to the elements.

A few seasons ago, Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane was fatally poisoned by Oberyn Martell during a trial by combat. However, the most terrifying knight in Westeros was kept alive (or kept undead, rather) by the increasingly icky Qyburn and now he simply exists to do Cersei's bidding. Anyway, he has some fancy new armor now that somehow makes him look even more intimidating.

It's hard to tell because the screen shot is blurry, but that's Jon Snow pushing Littlefinger around. While the new King in the North wouldn't be alive without the assistance of the Lord of the Vale, he's surely not going to forgive this guy for using every single member of his family as pawns in his quest for power. Jon can't exile him like he did with Melisandre (and he certainly can't kill him), but he can rough him up a bit. Also, it appears that this encounter takes place in the crypts beneath Winterfell, where Lyanna (Jon's secret mother) is buried.

Here's another shot from that big battle between Daenerys' Unsullied and the Lannister troops.

And here's another. While the Lannisters may be the richest family in Westeros, money can't stand in the way of the deadliest army ever assembled on this continent. One thing is clear: House Lannister cannot defeat House Targaryen in a straightforward military engagement. Cersei is going to need to be sneaky to win this war.

Here's some kind of rotten arm emerging through a gap in a wall. Is this someone with an unfortunate condition or is this a wight? And if it is one of the Night King's undead minions, where is it? Have they finally arrived at the Wall?

Remember that shot from earlier with the Wildlings fleeing something? It looks like this encounter also involves Jon and Tormund. While armies clash in the south, it looks like Jon may avoid war for now so he can focus on, you know, the undead army encroaching on his borders.

Grey Worm may be missing certain parts of his anatomy, that hasn't stopped a romance from brewing between him and Daenerys' translator/confidant, Missandei. It looks like their relationship is going to heat up a bit this season, even if their coupling will never be, well, traditional, in a manner of speaking.

Speaking of things heating up, that appears to be Ellaria Sand and Yara Greyjoy, two of the series' most noteworthy gay/bisexual characters, hooking up. After all, they both have a lot in common: they're women who dig women in a narrow-minded, patriarchal society, they're both badasses with tons of blood on their hands, they both hate the Lannisters, and they're both currently pledged to Daenerys' cause.

Tyrion's last name may be Lannister, but after murdering his father and escaping the torments of his sister, he's ready to destroy his own family once and for all. This is nicely symbolized by him knocking over a Lion marker on Dragonstone's map table.

This appears to be the outcome of the naval battle we saw earlier in the trailer. Could this be Theon, escaping his burning ship by plunging into the ocean?

Really, there's nothing to add here except "Whoa." The great war begins, indeed.

Game of Thrones returns on July 16, 2017.