Highlights
- House of the Dragon's first season ended on a devastating cliffhanger for Rhaenyra, with her being disinherited and losing her baby.
- Season 2, set to be released in 2024, will see Rhaenyra seeking revenge and going to war against the Greens.
- The upcoming season, which will have fewer episodes than the first season, has finished filming and new cast members have been announced. Fans are eagerly awaiting its release.
HBO’s House of the Dragon was met with widespread critical acclaim when it premiered last year. Based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, House of the Dragon is the prequel to the esteemed fantasy series, Game of Thrones. The series, which documents the fall of the House Targaryen, was embraced by Game of Thrones fans, leaving them eagerly anticipating House of the Dragon’s upcoming second season. On the whole, House of the Dragon was widely praised, however it was also met with a few criticisms. A frequent point of criticism was targeted at the series’ somewhat ‘excessive’ use of time-jumps. Some viewers argued that these frequent time-jumps unnecessarily complicated the plot, making it hard to follow. Because of this, it’s likely that some viewers may have forgotten some of season 1’s crucial plot points, especially since it has now been over a year since its release.
House of the Dragon follows Rhaenyra Targaryen, the daughter of King Viserys. Before the series’ first major time jump, Rhaenyra is played by Milly Alcock, with Emma D'Arcy succeeding the role during House of the Dragon’s later episodes. Whilst Rhaenyra was named as heir to the Iron Throne in the show’s opening episode, her capability to rule was frequently challenged due to her gender. Season 1’s final few episodes were absolutely brutal to Rhaenyra, leaving the character in an extremely difficult position. Whilst season 2 isn’t expected to be released until summer 2024, there have been some exciting new updates about the awaited second season, making it more important than ever to recap on season 1’s dramatic finale.
What Happened to Rhaenyra Targaryen At the End of Season 1?
It’s safe to say that a lot happened throughout season 1’s ten episodes, but the series ultimately ended on a devastating cliffhanger for Rhaenyra. In the series’ eighth episode, King Viserys (Paddy Considine), Rhaenyra’s father, dies after suffering from a severe illness for many years. His wife, Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) was by his side as he died. However, the King’s final words were greatly misinterpreted by Alicent, resulting in significant consequences.
In his final moments, King Viserys began deliriously speaking of his ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror. Due to the King’s near-death state, Alicent was unable to decipher what her husband was talking about, and falsely believed that he was referencing their son, Aegon II Targaryen. Alicent then mistakenly deciphered the King’s final few words as his wish for Aegon to inherit the throne, consequently disinheriting Rhaenyra. When Lord Beesbury hears of the plan to crown Aegon as King, he states that it seems unlikely that King Viserys would’ve wanted Aegon to inherit the throne. However, Lord Beesbury is killed for speaking out against the future King. Those siding with Aegon and Alicent are known as the ‘Greens’, and those in opposition are referred to as the ‘Blacks’.
In the season’s final episode, Rhaenyra, who was pregnant at the time, hears the news of her father’s death and discovers Alicent’s plan to crown Aegon as King. This is an exceptional betrayal, deepened by the fact that Rhaenyra and Alicent used to be close friends. Upon hearing this devastating news, Rhaenyra goes into a traumatic premature labor, and sadly loses her baby.
By this point, Rhaenyra has married Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), her uncle. Whilst Daemon is adamant about going to war against the Greens, Rhaenyra holds off on the idea, torn between her desire to maintain peace in the realm and making herself known as the rightful heir to the throne. In a rebellious coronation, Rhaenyra is crowned Queen of Westeros by her loyalists, the House Targaryen Black party.
In order to rally more supporters, Rhaenyra sends her sons over to confirm the support of some potential allies. Her second-born son, Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) is sent to talk to Borros Baratheon. However, by the time he arrives, Borros Baratheon’s support has already been stolen by Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), who has negotiated a marriage agreement between the two parties. Aemond is the younger brother of Aegon, and is the son of Viserys and Alicent, making him Rhaenyra’s half-brother. As viewers may recall, there is some severe bad blood between Lucerys and Aemond. In a memorable episode, Lucerys and Aemond get into a violent fight, causing Aemond to lose an eye at the hands of Lucerys. Aemond has never forgiven Lucerys for this act of violence and has been plotting his revenge for many years.
Aemond demands for the young boy to cut out his own eye to repay for his act of wrongdoing, but Lucerys refuses, and attempts to escape on his dragon. However, Aemond quickly chases after the boy on his own dragon, which is a monstrous size. In an incredibly tense scene, Lucerys' dragon manages to hit Aemond’s dragon in the eye with fire. Shockingly, Aemond’s dragon responds to this by swallowing both Lucerys’ dragon and Lucery himself, tragically killing the young boy. Aemond is visibly stunned by this, clearly showing that his intention wasn’t to murder Lucerys. Despite Aemond’s shock, it is unlikely that he was regretful over Lucerys’ death.
Season 1’s finale entails Rhaenyra discovering the news of her son’s tragic death. After hearing this devastating news, Rhaenyra realizes that her desire to maintain the realm’s peace has been destroyed. In order to regain her place on the Iron Throne and avenge the deaths of both her son and stillborn baby, Rhaenyra realizes that she must go to war against the Greens. Season 1 ends with Rhaenyra staring off into a pit of flames. She is broken by her son’s death, but her sorrow quickly subsides into rage as she begins to plot her revenge. The division between the Greens and Blacks has cost Rhaenyra so much, but it is only the beginning.
What is Known About House of the Dragon’s Second Series?
Season 2’s production officially began back in April. Fortunately, the series’ filming was not disrupted by the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, which have impacted upon the release of many upcoming TV series. Last month, it was announced that filming had officially wrapped, meaning that House of the Dragon’s second season is on track to be released in 2024.
Whilst the series’ main cast will be returning, viewers can expect to see some new faces along the way. Simon Russell Beale, Freddie Fox, Abubakar Salim, and Gayle Rankin are all set to join season 2’s cast list. It is speculated that season 2 will consist of fewer episodes than season 1. Whilst House of the Dragon’s first season consisted of 10 episodes, the upcoming season is set to have 8 episodes. According to George R. R. Martin, House of the Dragon will require four seasons, meaning that it likely won’t be long until the series is renewed for a third season.
On the brink of starting a war, Rhaenyra is clearly in a difficult position. After the devastation that Rhaenyra suffered in season 1’s finale, some fans are looking forward to Rhaenyra releasing her wrath throughout season 2. It is safe to say that fans are greatly anticipating the next installment of this esteemed series, but a few viewers are hoping that the upcoming season will take note of some of season 1’s time-jump criticisms ahead of its release.