Warning! This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 3.
Summary
House of the Dragonseason 2, episode 3 featured a surprising cameo from a former actor in the show, furthering my disappointment over multiple skipped storylines. Since season 1,House of the Dragon’s casthas grown immeasurably. While some cast members, like Matt Smith, Fabien Frankel, and Rhys Ifans, have remained throughout,House of the Dragonseason 1’s many time jumps saw multiple roles recast in favor of older actors. Admittedly, I thought these changes were a thing of the past, yetHouse of the Dragonseason 2 episode 3somewhat proved me wrong.
One of the storylines in this episode centered around Daemon’s capture of Harrenhal.Harrnehal isHouse of the Dragon’s haunted castle, and the largest in the Seven Kingdoms which Daemon intends to capture in order to wage war against the Greens. Due to the haunted curse that lies upon the castle,House of the Dragonseason 2, episode 3 saw Daemon experience some strange visions. One of these visions featured the return of an original cast member fromHouse of the Dragonseason 1, which only resurfaced my disappointment over their skipped story.
Daemon’s Harrenhal Visions In HOTD Explained: All Scenes, Returning Characters & What They Mean
Daemon’s visions in House of the Dragon season 2, episodes 3 & 4 revealed some harsh truths about the Targaryen prince and teased major future events.
A Giant Portion Of Rhaenyra’s Life Was Left Out Of House Of The Dragon
The returning actor in question wasHouse of the Dragon’s Milly Alcock, who made a brief cameo in the episode as young Rhaenyra. I will explain the meaning of young Rhaenyra’s appearance later, but seeing Milly Alcock as the character again made me long for the period of time we missed in her life. BetweenHouse of the Dragonseason 1, episodes 5 and 6, 10 years were skipped over and Alcock was replaced by Emma D’Arcy.
I cannot deny how disappointing it was that so much of Rhaenyra’s life was told to us instead of shown…
I will note that this is not a slight against D’Arcy, who is fantastic in the role and is delivering one of the best TV performances in yearsinHouse of the Dragonseason 2. Instead, it is more the fact that so much of Rhaenyra’s character was skipped over, giving less visible context to the version of her we see depicted by D’Arcy. If Alcock had been kept around longer, we would have been able to see Rhaenyra’s early marriage with Laenor, herskipped relationship withHouse of the Dragon’s Harwin Strong, and her becoming a mother.
House of the Dragon season 1 could have been focused entirely on young Rhaenyra to allow these storylines to be included.
All of this would have further solidified Rhaenyra asHouse of the Dragon’s true protagonist. While the switch between Alcock and D’Arcy still worked, I cannot deny how disappointing it was that so much of Rhaenyra’s life was told to us instead of shown. If these storylines had been shown, it would have allowed Alcock more time in the role, fleshed out vital elements of Rhaenyra’s life, and made the switch to D’Arcy even more effective as we had been shown how she got to that point.
Milly Alcock & Matt Smith’s HOTD Reunion Is A Reminder Of A Harsh Reality In Daemon & Rhaenyra’s Marriage
Daemon’s Vision Of Young Rhaenyra Brings To Light Harsh Realities Of Their Marriage
Concerning why Daemon saw Milly Alcock’s version of Rhaenyra instead of Emma D’Arcy’s, it was used to highlight how their relationship used to be compared to what their marriage is like now, and also how Dameon feels about that. When they were younger, Daemon and Rhaenyra had an almost unspoken chemistry, and Alcock’s version of Rhaenyra almost became the symbol of Daemon’s infatuation. The marriage he and Rhaenyra have now is much more strained, less lustful, and built on broken trust.
Much like us as audience members afterHouse of the Dragonseason 1, episode 5, Daemon had also not seen Rhaenyra for years. Similarly,Daemon did not spend time with her and experience her change from teenager to adulteither. Therefore, Daemon seeing young Rhaenyra means he is still caught up on that version of her, arguably wishing they could go back to that time in their lives before their marriage became what it was. Alcock was used to symbolize that, showcasing how both Daemon and the audience missed many years of her life inHouse of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
