'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon' set to court controversy as it hints at Daemon and Rhaenyra marriage
Shocking relationships shouldn't be a novelty for those who caught up with the 'House of the Dragon' premiere. 'Game of Thrones' had fairly uncomfortable pairings in its marathon eight-season run. Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) and Shae (Sibel Kekili), Daenerys and Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa), and Sansa (Sophie Turner) and Joffrey (Jack Gleeson) — all these came at a price. Now, with that subtle hint that Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) will end up together, the prequel sets up one of the key relationships as it gets underway.
In George RR Martin's source material, Daemon marries Rhaenyra. This comes off as downright shocking considering the two are actually uncle and niece. On that note, Viserys (Paddy Considine) marries Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) and in the case of the former, there is no doubt that they have a close bond and share mutual fondness, but perhaps the marriage is solely for the purpose of the throne.
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Apart from the controversy it may spark off-screen, these romances and eventual marriages will also have a domino effect on the characters and the plotline of the show. Daemon marrying Rhaenyra will be met with as much criticism as Viserys marrying a significantly younger Alicent. Safe to say, the relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent will also come to a bitter end with the way things took shape in the season opener. While most thought the duo would make for a couple, the events in Westeros have led to some compromises being made and these set the tone for the rest of the series.
In a way, Viserys marrying Alicent may not necessary evoke that much flak as opposed to Daemon and Rhaenyra which practically makes for an incestuous relationship. But this is 'House of the Dragon' and there's no surprise to see this come to fruition. Safe to say, this will be one of the storylines central to the show.
'House of the Dragon' airs on Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO. Episode 1 is available for streaming on HBO Max.