HBO released six new images from "The Dance of Dragons"

“The Dance of Dragons,” the ninth episode of Game of Thrones’ fifth season, is almost here. And you all know what goes down in the ninth episodes of each season: stuff. Big stuff—we’re talking deaths, battles, and deep dark personal revelations. If “The Gift” represented the show driving onto the freeway and “Hardhome” represented it tearing across the open road, “The Dance of Dragons” could see it leap off a ramp and fly through the air. If we follow this metaphor to its natural conclusion, that would mean the show would either stick the landing or crash and burn with “Mother’s Mercy.”

ANYWAY, here are some new images from “The Dance of Dragons” to whet your appetites before Sunday.

Pictured: Joel Fry as Hizdahr Zo Loraq, Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen. Photographer: Nick Wall/HBO

Despite the fact that this episode is expected to feature a pretty crucial scene involving Daenerys—one taken directly from A Dance with Dragons—this is the only photo of the Dragon Queen in the set. She and Hizdahr zo Loraq look to be presiding over what the official episode synopsis calls “a traditional celebration of athleticism.” In other words, they’re officiating battles to the death in the Meereenese fighting pits. Hizdahr sort of looks like he just got through telling a joke he was hoping Dany would find more amusing than she did.

Pictured: Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, Tom Wlaschiha as Jaqen H’ghar. Photographer: Helen Sloan/HBO

Over in Braavos, Arya sports her new outfit inside the House of Black and White as Jaqen H’ghar looks on. My guess is that we’ll see Arya bump off the insurance salesman we met last episode, thereby bumping her up a rank in the Faceless Men hierarchy. How long before they have to start calling themselves Faceless People?

Pictured: John Bradley as Samwell Tarly, Kit Harington as Jon Snow. Photographer: Helen Sloan/HBO

Meanwhile, at the Wall, Jon and Sam catch up. “The army of the dead massacred most of the wildlings and the Night’s King resurrected them as wights. How’re you?” “I got laid.” “Awesome.”

Jon at Castle Black in The Dance of Dragons--Official HBO

Pictured: Kit Harington as Jon Snow. Photographer: Helen Sloan/HBO

But it’s not all Black Brotherly banter at the Wall. In this shot, Jon looks pensively around the snow-covered courtyard at Castle Black. Note the cut on his forehead—is that a wound left over from the Massacre at Hardhome or was there some violent fallout over the arrival of the wildlings?

Pictured: Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth, Kerry Ingram as Shireen Baratheon.
Photographer: Helen Sloan/HBO

A bit further south, Shireen and Davos play with a toy stag. Given what Melisandre suggested Stannis do to Shireen a couple of weeks back, I’m pretty nervous for her, especially considering that the episode synopsis suggests that Stannis will be facing “a troubling decision.”