'House of the Dragon' Season 1 Recap: All you need to remember before Season 2 hits HBO
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 is going to stream on HBO on June 16, 2024, and the excitement around the much-anticipated return of the fictional world of Westeros is at an all-time high.
'House of the Dragon' is a prequel to 'Game of Thrones' and it is a fantasy-filled exploration into the Targaryen house where frantic twists and turns blend with big-scale action sequences to create an adventure-filled ride that has the whole world hopping on its bandwagon.
Season 2 promises to be bigger than anything we have seen so far with the trailer promising everything we associate with the world created by George R R Martin as the Targaryen house goes into civil war with the future of the seven kingdoms hanging in the balance.
But it has been almost two years since the first season aired and many would have forgotten what Season 1 was like, so before you head into the second season, here's a recap of everything you need to know about Season 1 before watching Season 2 of 'House of the Dragon'.
King Viserys Targaryen and his heir
'House of the Dragon' Season 1 begins with King Viserys II Targaryen (Paddy Considine) being at the helm of affairs in King's Landing and his rule is considered to be a time of peace for the seven kingdoms.
King Viserys doesn't have a male offspring and when it comes to the question of naming the heir to the throne, he has to decide between his unpredictable brother Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), and his young and adventurous daughter Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D' Arcy).
The King decides in favor of Rhaenyra whom he tells the secret of 'A Song of Ice and Fire', which is a dream Viserys' ancestor King Aegon had about a long winter where a Targaryen King at the helm could unite the seven kingdoms to fight against destructive forces in the north.
In a twist of fate however, when the King's wife dies in childbirth, Rhaenyra's best friend Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) comes close to the king on the insistence of her father and the hand of the king Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). Alicent gives birth to a male off-spring Aegon II Targaryen, sowing the seeds of a rivalry that will shape the rest of this season.
Daemon Targaryen's unpredictable nature
Daemon Targaryen is an unpredictable character in the series who displays characteristics of a positive as well as a negative character. Daemon is a brave warrior who fights bravely with Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) in Stepstones.
However, he kills his first wife Lady Rhea Royce (Rachel Redford) brutally. He then gets married to Laena Valeryon (Nanna Blondell) who also dies in childbirth.
He then married Rhaenyra Targaryen who was earlier married to Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan). Daemon concocts a plan with Rhaenyra and Laenor, who is a homosexual and wants to live a free life elsewhere, and fakes Laenor's death helping him escape to the free city of Essos.
Rhaenyra's relationships, marriage and children
Rhaenyra's love life was a major plot point in the first season and her journey as a character saw her go through many stages of love and relationships. She had an initial moment of intimacy with Daemon early in the season before having an affair with Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). She agrees to get married to Laenor Velaryon in an open marriage.
After Rhaenyra and Cole's relationship falls apart, she has a relationship with Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr), who becomes the biological father of her three children Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault), Jacaerys Velaryon (Leo Hart), and Joffrey Velaryon (Santiago André).
After Harwin Strong is killed and Laenor leaves for Essos, She gets married to Daemon and becomes stepmother to Baela Targaryen(Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell).
With Daemon she has two children, Aegon III Targaryen and Viserys II Targaryen.
Alicent Hightower and her children
Alicent Hightower comes into her own as a character with the illness and consequent death of King Viserys as her son King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) takes over the reigns of King's Landing.
Among Alicent's close advisors are her father Otto Hightower, Criston Cole, who has now turned against Rhaenyra, and Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), who killed his own brother and father at Harrenhall.
The biggest defining moment for her was the moment when her son Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) got his eye injured Lucerys turned her completely against Rhaenyra.
Aemond would go one-up on Lucerys by killing him mounted on his dragon Vhagar, the biggest dragon in the seven kingdoms. Aemond however tried to control Vhagar, who acted on his own will to kill Lucerys and his dragon Arrax. With Lucerys now dead, Rhaenyra and Alicent stand face to face as the second season approaches.
How to stream 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?
'House of the Dragon' is streaming 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 $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. The second package, which does not support advertising, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99 annually. 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 will stream on HBO Max on June 16, 2024