We have to wait until April 7 for Game Of Thrones to return to Sky Atlantic. To help make the intervening time drag just a little less, HBO has released a batch of new images from Season 4, featuring some of the veterans and a few new faces.
Of course, most of the favourites – those who survived the bloodbath of last (and every) season, at least – are represented here, with Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen looking like she’s posing for a photoshoot instead of commanding an army; King Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) looking like the smug little arsehole he is; Rose Leslie’s Ygritte and Kristofer Hivju’s Tormund ready to do battle; Sansa (Sophie Turner) and reluctant new hubby Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) in a quiet moment and more.
As for the newcomers, we get proper looks at Michael Huisman, who is taking over from Ed Skrein as one of Dany’s mercenaries, Daario Naharis. Then there is Pedro Pascal as Oberyn Martell and Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand, two characters who will have vital interactions with the Lannisters in the coming season.
We’re promised that everything will ramp up again this year, with the White Walkers and Dany and her dragons getting ever closer to conflict with the other armies. Given how they’ve grown so far, can we expect the dragons to be teenagers now, getting told off for smoking and staying out late?