'House of the Dragon': Why Harwin Strong was a better match for Rhaenyra Targaryen
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 will stream on HBO on June 16, 2024. 'House of the Dragon' is the prequel to the cult show 'Game of Thrones' and takes fans into the infinite depths of George R R Martin's literature. This show centers around the controversial world of the Targaryen family.
The show's protagonist is an adventurous Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her journey from being declared the heir to the throne to eventually being denied the right to her claim as her best friend and later step-mother Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) gives birth to a male offspring Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) who she has to now compete with for the throne.
Among the biggest talking points of 'House of the Dragon', is Rhaenyra's love life. She starts an affair with Ser Criston Cole (Fabian Frankel) and then goes on to marry Laenor Velaryon ( John Macmillan) in an open marriage where she has an affair with Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr).
By the end of the season, Harwin is dead and Laenor has escaped to Essos and Rhaenyra is now married to Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith).
Fans consider Harwin to be the best match for Rhaenyra
Of all the men Rhaenyra has had in her life, fans seem to think that Harwin was the perfect match for her. Even though their romance gets very little screen space in 'House of the Dragon', it gave fans a glimpse into what might have been a beautiful union.
A Reddit user said, "Harwin Strong was the better match for Rhaenyra, for a lot of reasons. To name a few: He accepted her as she was, he would protect her without a second thought, he would have done anything for her & their children, and if she wanted to be with Daemon he would have stood aside for him."
Some fans complained about the couple getting less screen time. A Reddit user commented, "In theory Harwin is the better match, the problems is that we were shown very little of them together as a couple. People like Daemon x Rhaenyra more because they have a lot of scenes together, we saw their relationship develop and there's just a lot more to work with when it comes to them".
Some fans disagree though as a Reddit user commented, "I love harwin but daemon is better match for sure", referring to Rhaenyra's uncle and later husband as a perfect match.
What happened to Harwin Strong?
Harwin Strong had to return to his home in Harrenhall where he died in a fire that was instigated by his brother Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) to prove his loyalty to Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke).
In the book though, Harwin's killer is not determined and there are rumors of him being killed by Daemon to clear the way for him to marry Rhaenyra.
Harwin's character is dead though and the potential romance between Rhaenyra and Harwin came to a screeching halt leaving fans disappointed.
How to stream 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?
'House of the Dragon' will stream on HBO Max on Sunday, June 16, 2024. To watch the series, you will need a Max Subscription.
The streaming platform typically offers three packages that you can choose from depending on your budget.
The low-cost plan that supports advertising costs at $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually.
The second package, which does not support advertising, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99.
Meanwhile, the third package, titled Ultimate Ad-Free, costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually.
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 trailer
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 is streaming on HBO on June 16, 2024.