'Game of Thrones' Season 8 Episode 5 Trailer Has a Heartbreaking Easter Egg

Game of Thrones broke everyone’s heart when the show killed off Missandei in “The Last of the Starks,” but if the Season 8, Episode 5 trailer is any indication, no one is taking it harder than Daenerys Targaryen. The Mother of Dragons just lost her best (and only?) friend, and our early look at GoT’s second-to-last episode shows her mourning Missandei’s death. It also contains a heartbreaking Easter egg you probably missed.

The trailer shows Dany looking extremely sad (with what appears to be Tyrion in the foreground), but take a look at her hair in this official Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 image released by HBO. Notice anything different?

Dany’s hair, which is usually braided to perfection, instead looks unkempt. This definitely fits with her demeanor in the scene, but it may also be a grim Easter egg.

As redditor u/divyastark noted in a post to the Game of Thrones subreddit, “Missandei used to do her hair 💔“

So, with Missandei gone, not only is Daenerys mourning, but she also apparently has no one left to maintain her braids.

In case that wasn’t enough heartbreak for you, there’s a second potential meaning to Dany’s new hairdo in Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 5 that references an even older episode. If you can remember all the way back to Season 1, you’ll recall that the Dothraki grow out their hair for as long as they are undefeated in battle.

Here’s a quote explaining it from our old friend Viserys Targaryen:

“When Dothraki are defeated in combat, they cut off their braid so the whole world can see their shame.”

As Dany won victory after victory back in Essos, her braids became more complex. Now that she’s suffered a big defeat against Cersei and Euron, the braids are gone. Maybe she didn’t cut them off, but the decision to remove the braids at all still feels like a pretty big deal considering their importance in Dothraki culture.

Has Daenerys already admitted defeat? We sure hope not. With her strongest dragon, Drogon, still in action and Jon Snow’s army set to arrive in Episode 5, we’re expecting a big showdown very soon. Without Dany, the good guys don’t stand a chance, and hopefully by the time Game of Thrones Season 8 is over, the Mother of Dragons will be able to add one more braid back to her hair.

Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on HBO.