In season 2, young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) meets a guilt-ridden Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). Image: HBO.
House of the Dragon is going all out in season 2. In episode three, all the pieces are in place and the fronts are clear. After both the Greens around King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and the Blacks around Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) have already lost royal blood, open war now seems inevitable.
Rhaenyra’s uncle Daemon (Matt Smith) is also to blame. He had commissioned a murder plot in the belief that he was doing Rhaenyra a favor, but it had unforeseen consequences. Plagued by guilt, Daemon sets off alone in the new episode to redeem himself. He meets an old acquaintance.
Warning spoilers: The following paragraphs cover essential plot details from House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 3, The Burning Mill
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House of the Dragon: In season 2, a bitter war for the Iron Throne breaks out
Like in the old days
After the unintentional murder of Aegon’s son Jaehaerys Daemon Targaryen is in an uncomfortable position
The murder makes his niece/wife Rhaenyra look like a cold-blooded child murderer. Such an image makes it difficult for her to find new allies. Rhaenyra therefore withdraws her trust in Daemon. Intending to help Rhaenyra (and thus himself), Daemon decides to ride off on his dragon to conquer Harrenhal Castle.
Harrenhal is one of the oldest and largest fortresses in the Seven Kingdoms and has a reputation for being cursed. In its dark vaults, Daemon is haunted by a vision: He meets a younger version of Rhaeryra, who sews the severed head of the king’s son Jaehaerys back on.
What is remarkable about this scene: Rhaenyra is played here by Australian Milly Alcock, who also portrayed her at the beginning of the first season and was extremely popular with viewers.
According to episode director Geeta Patel, this cameo is meant to show how misunderstood and hurt Daemon feels at this point. Industry magazine Screenrant she said that the younger Rhaenyra came from a time in which she still looked up to Daemon instead of looking down on him
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In this dream, she just looks at him – she doesn’t have to say anything. We just worked on the look; the meaning that comes from all the previous episodes before she looks at him and judges him. She says, hey, you killed a boy. You don’t do that.
People have actually been telling him this all the time. But when young Rhaenyra says it to him, it’s the first time he feels it. It’s the first time he’s come to terms with his actions, even though he’s been killing people all along. It’s the first time we see him regret it. We see how he feels. And we’ve never seen that from Daemon before.
Even the crew got emotional at that moment during filming. It wasn’t just about the show, it was about making a mistake that you deeply regret and that hurt someone else. It’s as simple as that.
Geeta V. Patel
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