HBO segues into the return of Game of Thrones with a 22-minute special featuring the show's creators and stars recapping the story so far and looking ahead to what the major players will have to deal with as war rages in Westeros.

Kit Harington says season 2 "doesn't hold back any punches," and Peter Dinklage promises that "fans who want blood and battle won't be disappointed."

If you want to skip past the interviews, the previously unreleased season 2 footage begins at around 19:25.

Game of Thrones returns to HBO on April 1st.

[vulture]