‘House of the Dragon’: The Story So Far, Heading into Season 2

As a warrior queen cried, “Where are my dragons?” »

This is the question that persists Game Of Thrones fans of the franchise for almost two years now, as audiences eagerly await the second season of the prequel series Dragon House to drop. Well, good news folks: it’s almost here! June 16 is the big date, with the war between the black team and the green team finally reaching the extreme, and many fierce winged beasts fueling the fight.

Of course, now comes the question: “Great, so remind me what happened?” »

The first season finale was released in October 2022. Two years is a long time in TV land. Hell, two days is a long time in TV land, with entire seasons popping up in their entirety left and right – not to mention trying to identify the next freshest show. At the very least, Westeros is nothing more than a massive water fountain that we can all gather around. For anyone who needs a refresher on what the situation is as we approach showrunner Ryan Condal’s second season Dragon Housegrab a cup and fill up.

At first…

Dragon House opened with a prologue set years before the main events of the series, which is a bit of a misleading statement since the main events of the first season itself took place over several decades. The series initially followed the trials and tribulations of Viserys Targaryen, played by Paddy Considine, a man who was made king despite apparently wanting little to do with the job; but better a man than a well-qualified woman, according to the electors of the Seven Kingdoms, since Viserys was crowned in favor of his cousin Rhaenys (Eve Best), who had better pretensions and better management of responsibilities (if not for that annoying problem of patriarchy).

Viserys’ ascension to the throne has proven to be quite problematic, despite the fact that his current reign has been relatively peaceful throughout the kingdom. Viserys inherited the Iron Throne from a king who ruled peacefully for several decades, and perhaps that explains why so many different people, great and small, spent years plotting and fighting their way to the center of the power of Westeros.

The king is dead! Long life…?

The first season explored the entirety of Viserys’ reign, primarily through the perspectives of two young women: Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy/Milly Alcock) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke/Emily Carey), respectively the king’s daughter and her best friend. . Rhaenyra is named heir to the throne after a horrific family tragedy, and in due time Alicent is named wife of Viserys, much to the dismay of her childhood friend. The rift between Rhaenyra and Alicent only grows wider over the years through a tragedy of mistakes, whether as simple as poorly communicated feelings or as horrific as one of their children stabbing the child on the other in the eyes. (Even with a new name, Game Of Thrones go Game Of Thrones.)

It’s getting worse. Eventually, Viserys dies as a decrepit old man, still with Rhaenyra as his named successor. However, on his deathbed, he recites “A Song of Ice and Fire”, an ancient Targaryen prophecy (and the name of author George RR Martin’s book series on which Game Of Thrones is based) which predicts the White Walker threat that this audience is now very familiar with. Hearing this, Alicent thinks that Viserys actually wants their son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney/Ty Tennant) to the Iron Throne, wrongly understanding that her dying husband is actually referring to the original Aegon the Conqueror, and hasn’t changed his mind about Rhaenyra at all.

So the situation becomes even more complicated when Alicent decides to honor what she truly believes to be her husband’s last wishes, by placing the crown on the head of her son Aegon. And when the news of his coronation reaches Rhaenyra’s ears… oh, that’s not good at all, folks.

War comes to Westeros

Who is now in charge of the kingdom? Is it Rhaenyra, who was named as successor long ago and has trained her entire life to protect the Seven Kingdoms in both law and deed, keeping an eye out for the ominous threat lurking within north of the Wall? Is it Aegon, Viserys’ eldest son, who literally sits on the throne in King’s Landing, with a conqueror’s name and gender supporting his argument? And who will be cremated the moment they insert themselves into the argument?

At this point, you’re now aware of what’s at stake heading into season two, because those are exactly the questions the show is preoccupied with. Gone are the days of numerous time jumps where you had to figure out which new actor is playing which old character. We’re locked in the war zone now, with Dragon House should follow a pace much closer to the Game Of Thrones of the old woman. The circumstances are reminiscent of the transition between Thrones‘ the first two seasons, when King Robert died, leaving a power vacuum filled by the War of the Five Kings. This time there are only two people vying for the throne, but they are related by blood and everyone in their family has a different opinion. It’s not unlike the animosity found today at Thanksgiving tables across the American realm, except your MAGA crazy uncle doesn’t have a dragon at his disposal. (Probably.)

In short… war! And there are already casualties heading into season two, the biggest being Rhaenyra’s son Luke (Elliot Grihault/Harvey Sadler), the aforementioned boy who stabbed his cousin in the eye once upon a time . The Klingons like their revenge served cold; The Targaryens prefer it hot, but they’ll take what they can get, as evidenced by Luke’s cousin Aemond (Ewan/Mitchell Leo Ashton) flying the kingdom’s largest dragon, Vhagar, directly into Luke’s path, eating and killing the little prince. . Alicent’s child has now killed Rhaenyra’s child, during the only reasonable time for peace to settle between the two sides, promising a gruesome and violent start to the season.

Which side are you on?

And so, Dragon House Season two is the Westeros Civil War, and it’s time to choose a side. Are you Team Black, supporting Rhaenyra’s claim, honoring her father’s dying wish that his daughter become the first Queen of the Seven Kingdoms? Are you Team Green, supporting Aegon’s claim, supporting a dude who is unfit for the position and was absolutely not his father’s chosen successor and is actually sitting in a completely stolen seat that rightfully belongs to Rhaenyra?

Obviously, I have chosen my side. And now you must decide where you stand as the dragons come back online, setting off for hell and brimstone.

The powers behind the Dragon House marketing Really I want you to choose between the black team and the green team, although in truth the answer is probably more subtle than that, right? To his favorite, Dragon House illustrates the breakdown in communication that often leads to such violent conflicts, with people who once loved each other and considered each other friends, if not much more, ending up at each other’s throats. There’s a lesson to be learned from all of this, looking between the copious bloodshed committed by Rhaenyra and Alicent’s respective champions, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel).

The lesson continues on June 16 when season two begins its eight-episode reign over the summer.