What to expect from House of Dragon, Season 2
House of the Dragon’s first season ended on the brink of war, with Rhaenyra Targaryen and Aegon Targaryen II proclaiming themselves the true ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. Now it’s time to look at what Season Two might bring. Perhaps the most important question about Season 2 is when it’s coming. HBO Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys told Vulture it’s more likely House will return in ‘24 than ‘23. Anybody addicted to an HBO show has sadly gotten used to the delays.
Writer Sara Hess talked with Variety and teased that one of the most infamous events in George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood could be on the horizon. Asked about the tale of Blood and Cheese, Hess said, “I don’t think you will be disappointed.”
The first season ended with the death of Lucerys Velaryon in a dragon chase, during which both Lucerys and Aemond lost control of their mounts. In the book, Daemon blames Aegon since he’s the king of his faction. Since Aemond wanted an eye for the loss of his own eye, Daemon declares Alicent’s family should lose a son for a son. He hires two assassins: Blood, a disgraced former member of the King’s Watch, and Cheese, a rat-catcher. They sneak into the castle and capture Aegon’s wife Heleana, asking her which of her children should be killed and threatening to kill them all unless she chooses. She chooses Maelor, who is so young he doesn’t understand what is happening. They instead kill Jaehaerys, first in line to the Iron Throne. Even by Targaryen standards, things are getting completely out of hand. All this child killing makes the kingdom’s subjects understandably sickened and turns public opinion against Rhaenyra.
Steve Toussaint, who portrays Lord Corlys Velaryon, said a viewer pointed out an especially sad detail about Luke’s death to him.
“Somebody mentioned this to me today, and I hadn’t thought about it,” he said at the official Game of Thrones convention on Dec. 9. “The scene in Episode 5 when I say to little Luke, your brother’s going to be king, but you get to do all this. And he says I don’t want it, because if I do it then someone’s dead. And that, I think, will resonate with Corlys when he thinks about that boy being dead.”
The Sea Snake spent season one obsessed with his legacy but finally realized the Game of Thrones has cost his family too much. He decided he no longer wanted to participate, but Rhaenys informed him the actions of The Greens would make it impossible for their family to stay on the sidelines.
Luke expressed understandable reservations about flying the dragon to Storm’s End during the beginning salvos of war. Rhaenyra assured him it would be fine, something she’ll have to live with now. The incident illustrates one of the points the would-be queen made earlier in the finale. When dragons fight, the world burns. The Targaryens are better at riding dragons than most, but Luke’s death shows that no one can ever truly control them.
Aegon has been vocal about having no desire at all to be king. But he genuinely wanted to believe his father saw the qualities of a king in him. And he certainly seemed to enjoy the crowd cheering for him, even though they were doing so with swords pointed at their backs.
In the book, Aegon eventually succumbs to an assassination by poisoning, and the true murderer is never revealed. With Game of Thrones’ controversial ending still in fans’ memories, that probably won’t be the play here. A murder mystery at some point seems like a good possibility, and the suspects are plentiful. Any number of people have designs on the throne, obviously. But Aegon also raped a servant girl and has a plethora of bastard children around King’s Landing. The list of characters that don’t have a reason to kill Aegon is a short one.
Around these times, actors and directors alike are cautious about what they say, knowing fans are scouring every interview for the tiniest of morsels. One thing showrunner Ryan Condal did confirm is a slower pace for Season 2. He’s planning fewer time jumps and describes the upcoming season’s rhythm as more in line with the middle seasons of GOT.
Milly Alcock and Emily Carey began the series portraying Rhaenyra and Alicent and did such a good job that many viewers are hoping to see them appear again in flashbacks. Carey told the Hollywood Reporter that “there have been conversations,” and of course, she’d love to come back for another appearance. But nothing is concrete right now, according to the actress.
A character conspicuous by his absence is Daeron Targaryen, the fourth son of Viserys and Alicent. Responding to concerns he might have been cut, George R. R. Martin himself confirmed in a blog post that Daeron does exist in the TV universe and is living in Oldtown. There’s a whole lot of chaos to come, and 2024 seems way too far away right now.
