Somehow, House of the Dragon did the impossible: over ten gloomy, occasionally exhilarating episodes, the prequel not only matched the hype of its predecessor, but saved the franchise’s reputation after Game of Thrones’ much-maligned eighth and final season. The internet had a new problematic fave (Matt Smith’s sulky, sauntering Daemon), a fresh mutual enemy (Ewan Mitchell’s sapphire-eyed Aemond) and a ton of dragons to coo over (both the CGI and choreography of the dragons have improved tenfold since Thrones). It was not a faultless endeavour – TV shows rarely are – and often the pacing and (literal) darkness got in the way, but it set things up effectively for what will presumably be a long run. Here are our predictions of where Dragon might venture next.
A new generation of Targaryens
One of the benefits of that mid-season time jump – which replaced Milly Alcock with Emma D’Arcy and Emily Carey with Olivia Cooke – was the influx of children. While it was sometimes confusing – many of these kids have similar-sounding names (hello, Aegon II and Aegon III) – it ramped up the stakes in the insular family drama. Those final 15 minutes of the tenth episode were unbearable not just because Lucerys seemed like a good kid (he did!), but also because we knew how much his death would impact Rhaenyra. So the children are going to be a big deal going forward, not least because many of them are now prepared to fight. While Jacaerys is speaking up at court, it’s likely that Rhaenyra and Daemon’s two children are going to take centre stage: they’re full Targaryen blood, which means they’ve probably inherited their parents’ hot-headedness. Meanwhile Dareon, Viserys and Alicent’s fourth child, is still in Oldtown. Both George RR Martin and showrunner Ryan Condal have said he will be appearing in the series, and wouldn’t be hard for him to the most well-adjusted out of that crop. But what role will he play in the upcoming war?
Dragons: complicated beasts
One of the more compelling parts of the finale was how it shifted our understanding of dragons. While it’s been clear for a long time that dragons would be an important part of the civil war (the clue’s in the name: the Dance of the Dragons), the big issue seemed to be who had the most fire-breathing beasts (the Blacks easily win that numbers battle). But that final sky-bound fight between baby Arrax and monstrous Vhagar highlighted that, yes, size really does matter for dragons! And also, um, dragons can misbehave! You don’t have to have read the books to know that the dragons will play a big part in the civil war, but the nature of that role now seems a lot more up in the air. Do the Targaryens control the dragons, or has it been the other way round this whole time?
HBO will likely be flexing its budget when it comes to new dragons. As Daemon pointed out at the Painted Table in the finale, there are five wild dragons to tame: Seasmoke, Silverwing, Sheepstealer, Cannibal and Grey Ghost. (Martin’s work might not be held in the same lofty esteem as Tolkien, but he really does know how to name a dragon.) It already seems like Daemon is getting a head start with Vermithor, with his crooning in the mighty dragon’s cave.
A change of pace
Dragon had one overarching goal for its first season: to set the groundwork for the Targaryen civil war, which will eventually lead to the destruction of a once-omnipotent Westeros family. Spreading that backstory over an entire season was a risk, but one that mostly paid off. (According to Condal, taking the time to become invested in the characters was one of the reasons for that slower, not very Thrones, pace.) Did those final few episodes feel like three hours of scene-setting? Perhaps, but by the time Rhaenyra learnt about Luke’s fate – her third monumental loss in one episode – the audience felt her mindset switch from peace to revenge immediately. The pace is set to pick up in the next season, with many a battle on the horizon; good news for anyone hankering after Thrones’ inventive approach to fight scenes. And a showdown between Daemon and Aemond seems all but inevitable.
Daemon and Rhaenyra
Daemon and Rhaenyra’s relationship – as uncle and niece, husband and wife – was one of the first season’s most compelling, ambiguous plot points. The chemistry between Smith and Alcock and later D’Arcy was genuinely thrilling. Rhaenyra went for it, Daemon pulled back, and eventually they found each other at Daemon’s dead wife’s funeral. It has all the makings of a great, incestuous, Westerosi fairy-tale. The thorniness of that relationship was in full show in the finale. Rhaenyra tells Daemon about the prophecy about Aegon ruling Westeros, also known as the Song of Ice and Fire. The only snag? Viserys had never told Daemon. He reacts by strangling her. It’s an uncomfortable realisation for anyone who thought that relationship would be anything but supportive. As the things get bloodier and more brutal, how Daemon and Rhaenyra play off each other will be crucial – and thanks to Smith and D’Arcy, that interplay will likely be one of the show’s biggest draws.
Comedy comes to Westeros
Though there were glimmers of humour in early episodes of Dragon, any hope for some tonal lightness were soon snuffed out as the season continued. Condal says there might be some jokes in the upcoming season, euphemistically promising “natural pathways into moments of levity”. What such pathways might look like is unclear. There’s no really comic figure in this show, and certainly no wise-cracking Tyrion Lannister. Condal is pinning his hopes on some of the big names. “I think Matt Smith is very funny,” he says. “If there is one character that does not care, it is Daemon.” Matt Smith is funny, but Daemon does seem to care about quite a lot, actually. As previously noted, he strangles his wife because his brother did not tell him about a vision. Surely there’s scope to make one of the many, many children funny – Halaena, the kooky, prophesising, daughter of Alicent and Viserys, has a certain comic touch.
Henry Wong is a senior culture writer at Esquire, working across digital and print. He covers film, television, books, and art for the magazine, and also writes profiles.
