“House of the Dragon” is back and the Targaryen civil war is reaching new bloody heights.
The third season of the show is set to pick up on the Season 2 cliffhanger, as the Blacks and the Greens rally their allies to converge on land and sea alike. Before queueing up the new episodes, it could be good to quickly refresh where Rhaenyra, Daemon, Alicent, Aegon and the rest of the movers and shakers of the war ended up.
Here is everything you need to remember about where “House of the Dragon” Season 2 ended up.
Daemon (Finally) Accepts His Place After Seeing The Ice and Fire Prophecy
Daemon spent the lion’s share of Season 2 wandering through the halls of Harrenhal going on a bit of a vision quest. He fled to the “haunted” keep as Rhaenyra’s war with the Greens raged and he tried to come to terms with the fact that he would not and could not hold as much power as her.
Much of that vision questing was on behalf of Alys Rivers – a Riverlands bastard who works at the keep and has more than a bit of magic to her. She gets into Daemon’s mind and helps him reckon with some of his own demons before eventually taking him to Harrenhal’s weirwood tree for one important vision.
The Rogue Prince placed his hand on the tree and sees the Ice and Fire prophecy that serves as the connective tissue between this show and “Game of Thrones” 200 years in the future. He sees a shot of Daenerys Targaryen (though we don’t see Emilia Clarke’s face) sitting with her three newly hatched dragons, which is the final shot from Season 1 of “Game of Thrones.” Daemon also sees the Night King and White Walkers emerging from the woods. He also sees images of the red comet that streaks across the sky during the Season 2 premiere of “Thrones” – the meaning of which has been hotly debated by fans for years.
The vision prompted Daemon to stop vying for the crown himself and bend the knee to Rhaenyra, thanks to his misinterpretations of Dany being her on the throne. It took him a bit, but The Rogue Prince is finally fully committed to the cause for better and worse.
Rhaenyra and Alicent Conspire to End the War
The second season ends with Alicent taking a secret trip to Dragonstone to pitch Rhaenyra a plan to end the civil war. Her plan was almost as straightforward as it comes: Aemond was set to rally with Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) in the Riverlands to take Harrenhal from Daemon (Matt Smith), and when that happens Helaena (Phia Saban) and Alicent would be calling the shots in King’s Landing — the perfect time to ensure that Rhaenyra can stroll up and claim the throne unhindered and hopefully end the war.
Rhaenyra was open to the idea but knows it won’t work unless she can “put an end to the opposition.” She told Alicent the only way she’ll be accepted as ruler is if she kills Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) — which might be a mercy if you ask the king, as his dragon was killed and his body mostly burned in the Battle at Rooks Rest earlier in the season.
“History will paint you a villain. A cold queen grasping at power and then defeated,” Rhaenyra warns her former friend of the treasonous plan to end the war and sacrifice her son.
“Let them think what they must,” Alicent responds. “I am at last myself, with no ambition greater than to walk where I please and breathe the open air. To die unremarked or noticed, and be free.”
She’s then allowed to leave Dragonstone with her deal in place — a sacrificed son and throne for a realm at peace — unknowing that Westeros is on the razor’s edge, one of the bloodiest battles of the war is about to begin, and Aegon is already being secreted away from King’s Landing by Larys Strong.
The Battle of the Gullet Approaches
While Rhaenyra and Alicent tried to find a way to bring the war to an end, the war itself moved toward a new bloody peak. The Season 2 finale saw the seeds being sown of allies the Greens and Blacks convinced to join them.
The waning moments of the season saw the Starks marching from the North and Daemon rallying his army in the Riverlands both for Rhaenyra. The Lannisters headed toward King’s Landing from the West and the Hightowers – boasting a blue dragon of their own – converged toward the capital for the Greens while Tyland Lannister convinced the naval power The Triarchy to join Aegon’s side to combat Corlys Velaryon’s ships.
The armies are set to clash throughout Westeros but the big moment of the beginning of Season 3 will be The Battle of the Gullet. It has been teased since Season 2 wrapped and marks one of the deadliest naval battles in Westerosi history.
The post ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Recap: What to Remember Before Season 3 appeared first on TheWrap.
