House of the Dragon Season 2: While the first season of “House of the Dragon” focuses on introducing the characters of the story that takes place 200 years before “Game of Thrones“, the previews for the second installment show the preparation towards a civil war that will occupy a central place in the plot.
Once again, the battle for the throne will pit Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), her uncle-husband Daemon (Matt Smith) and their various forces against Rhaenyra’s childhood friend Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and their children (who turn out to be Rhaenyra’s half-brothers), one of whom, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), claims his late father’s mantle.
Fans of the “Game of Thrones” prequel will be able to see a new installment in which “strategy often takes a backseat to revenge and emotion,” says CNN’s Brian Lowry in his review of the new season .
“Westeros is on the brink of a bloody civil war with the Green and Black Councils fighting for King Aegon and Queen Rhaenyra, respectively,” according to a description published in March.
In addition to Smith, Cooke, D’Arcy, Glynn-Carney, we will be able to see actors Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Sonoya Mizuno and Rhys Ifans returning. They will be joined by a host of new members, including Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers and Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, among others.
We tell you who’s who in the second season of “House of the Dragon” that premieres on June 16 in Latin America on the streaming platform Max (owned by CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery).
Daemon Targaryen
Daemon Targaryen, played by British actor Matt Smith, returns to the second season as the husband of Queen Rhaenyra and a key combatant in the war of succession to the Hightower family for the Iron Throne.
Daemon, who is the younger brother of Rhaenyra’s late father King Viserys I, had two daughters with his first wife Laena Velaryon: Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), who will play an important role in future battles in the series.
Following Laena’s death, Daemon married his niece Rhaenyra “in an effort to strengthen his house and the queen’s claim to the Iron Throne,” according to a profile of the character published by HBO. As a result of their marriage, Daemon and Rhaenyra had two sons, Aegon and Viserys.
Daemon is the rider of the dragon Caraxes, although in the end of the first season we see him calling with a song to the legendary and enormous dragon Vermithor, although we still do not know which dragon he will ride in the second installment.
Alicent Hightower
Olivia Cooke plays Alicent Hightower, daughter of Otto Hightower, who was the hand of King Viserys I. Alicent was married to Viserys I from the death of his first wife, until his death. Together they have several children, including the male Aegon Targaryen who was crowned in the first season behind Rhaenyra’s back.
In their final moments together, Alicent thought she heard the king whisper that her son Aegon was the chosen heir, and not Rhaenyra . Convinced of this, and under the advice of her father, Queen Alicent allies herself with her so-called “Green Council” to crown Aegon as the next king of Westeros.
In the second season, however, we will see how Alicent asks Aegon for caution in the middle of a complicated war in which feelings get in the way: “Alicent loves our enemy, that makes her a fool,” Aemond says later in the trailer for the second installment of the series. Although she “maintains a fierce loyalty to her house and her family,” the bond of her friendship with Rhaenyra could threaten the “greens'” fight for the Iron Throne.
Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen
Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by British actress Emma D’Arcy, is the firstborn of King Viserys. After the death of her father, who named her his heir, she will have to defend her right to the Iron Throne.
The first season of “House of the Dragon” ends with Rhaenyra learning that Aemond’s dragon killed her son Lucerys, who has the surname Ser Laenor Velaryon, whom she married in an arranged marriage. This ending could put a twist on her mediating spirit in season two, D’Arcy said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I think she no longer has the bandwidth to suppress and repress her nature… I’m excited to find out what happens when Rhaenyra navigates less and acts more on her instincts and desires,” the actress added.
Rhaenyra, unlike Alicent, is a free soul with a strong character. The close bond he shared with her protector, Ser Harwin Strong, during the first season led to speculation about who the real father of her children was. Rhaenyra has always maintained that Laenor was the father, who faked his death in a plan created by Rhaenyra herself and Daemon so that he could leave the continent and be free without the ties of royalty, which forced him to hide his identity. sexual.
To bolster her family’s claim, her character’s HBO profile says , Rhaenyra married her uncle Daemon. Together they have two sons, Aegon and Viserys.
Aegon II Targaryen
Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) is the firstborn son of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower. Following the death of his father, Aegon was sworn in as king, with the support of his mother and his grandfather, Otto.
In the second season we will see in Aegon “a weak and erratic ruler prone to actions and decisions that risk undermining his cause,” says Brian Lowry in his review of the second part of the series , in the midst of the battle between greens. and blacks for the throne.
Aegon is married to his younger sister Helaena, with whom he has two children, Jaehaera and Jaehaerys.
Aemond Targaryen
Aemond, played by Ewan Mitchell, is the second son of King Viserys and Alicent Hightower. Aegon’s brother is known for having a “serious character and fiery temper,” according to the character profile.
It is Aemond’s dragon that kills Lucerys Velaryon, son of Rhaenyra. This episode closes the first season and is the one that officially triggers the war known as “Dance of the Dragons.”
Rhaenys Targaryen
Granddaughter of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Princess Rhaenys was once a possible contender for the Iron Throne . However, the nobles of Westeros overlooked her claims in favor of her male first cousin, Viserys. She later married the powerful Lord Corlys Velaryon and had two children, Laena and Laenor.
During Aegon’s coronation, Rhaenys, who is a powerful rider, escaped on her dragon Meleys. It was she who shared the news of Viserys’ passing with Rhaenyra and Daemon. She is currently part of the “black” side, that is, she supports Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne and will be key in the battles of the second season.
Rhaenys is played by Eve Best and will be part of the returning cast for this second season of House of the Dragon.
