Warning: Contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 3.
Summary
- Aegon’s dream once again changed the story of the House of the Dragon, affecting the relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra and the history of the Dance with the Dragons.
- Prophecy adds nuance to the characters and their motivations, making the story more emotional and personal.
- Aegon’s dream will likely continue to have an impact on the plot, potentially driving future character decisions and storylines.
Dragon House Season 2, Episode 3, retells A Song of Ice and Fire with Aegon the Conqueror, and changes the show’s story once again. Dragon HouseWhen Aegon had his dream of the White Walkers in the season 1 premiere, it was a major addition to Game of Thrones lore and completely changed the Targaryen’s purpose in staying in Westeros.
Season 1 continues to build on the prophecy, making it the linchpin of the Dance with the Dragons. Viserys tells Alicent this dream before he dies. She misunderstands its meaning, thinking he wants their son Aegon to be king, and the rest is bloody and violent history. Season 2 finally resolves this misunderstanding, and it’s done beautifully, making the whole use of the prophecy even better.
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Aegon’s Dream changes Alicent and Rhaenyra’s story again
This prophecy adds a new twist to Game of Thrones’ Dance with the Dragons history
Dragon House Season 2 marks another shift in Alicent and Rhaenyra’s story (while game of Thrones History) Thanks again to Aegon for the dream. I’ve been wanting to see a conversation like this between them since the first misunderstanding, and I’m glad we finally got it here. It’s exactly what it should be: emotional, with a hint of regret, but a firm refusal to abandon this path because it’s come too far.
It’s important that Allicent’s decision isn’t just a misunderstanding, because then the actions that happen now will have more weight.
It’s important that Alicent’s decision is more than just a misunderstanding, because then the actions that are happening now have more weight. These are deliberate acts of war. Alicent knew the truth but continued to push Aegon’s cause, which doesn’t make her more likable, but it does make her a more nuanced character and give her more autonomy. Because she’s doing this not only for her son, but for herself: She’s lost a lot, and people – including at least one of her sons – doubt her. She’s lost too much to risk losing more by admitting the truth.
For Rhaenyra, she should be braver for it, too. Meeting Alicent was a last-ditch effort to stop the Targaryen civil war from going too far, and now she knows there is no other choice. The dragons will be unleashed, the kingdom will burn, and Rhaenyra will now be a part of it like everyone else, but for understandable reasons.
Aegon’s dream now confirmed this even further. Knowing that this story was spoken to her alone, and that Viserys 100% did not pass it on to Alicent or Aegon, she not only solidified her claim to the Iron Throne, but also her position that she was destined to save Westeros, or that the Prince Who Was Promised would at least be from her bloodline.
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Alicent and Rhaenyra’s dialogue setup is silly – but worth it
Rhaenyra’s plan was not clever, but it was necessary.
Look, I’m not going to lie: I thought the storyline of having Rhaenyra go into King’s Landing and meet up with Alicent was a little silly. It was a huge risk, considering her face was exposed, it wasn’t the strongest disguise, and it could have ended badly in a number of ways. It wasn’t exactly “Tyrion plans to capture a wight” levels of stupidity, but it wasn’t a smart move either. However, it was absolutely necessary, and I’m glad they did it.
Rhaenyra and Alicent are the heart of this show. Their story, their relationship, is what matters…
Rhaenyra and Alicent are the heart of this show. Their story, their relationship is what matters (I’m not talking about the books, but how the show centers around these two characters, their experiences, their loves and hates). These events naturally tore them apart, but it was important that they found a way to reconnect them on screen and move their stories forward, so I’m glad the show found a way. It’s not a perfect solution to bring them together, but there might not be one, and it’s very worth it.
It’s perhaps somewhat ironic that Rhaenyra is disguised as a septa. One of the biggest rifts in their relationship was the beginning of Rhaenyra’s sex life and the effect that the events surrounding it had on Alicent, who became more religious and self-righteous. Now, Alicent is in a relationship with Criston Cole, while Rhaenyra is masquerading as one of the most devout religious figures in Westeros.
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Aegon’s Dream is the key to a Dance with the Dragons
It makes the Targaryen history more important to their present and future
Dragon House Using Aegon’s dream to start and perpetuate the Targaryen Civil War was a great decision, and each new layer and twist only made it better. It was originally a misunderstanding, which gave it a bittersweet element, and things moved so fast and so hard that there was no going back, and even learning the truth only added to the pathos. It made A Dance with the Dragons more moving and made the relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra more intimate and personal.
It doesn’t matter who the prophesied prince is, what matters is what a person believes and how they choose to interpret it.
What I particularly like is how it speaks to the power and fallacy of prophecy. game of Thrones franchise. It doesn’t matter who the prophesied prince is, it’s what a person believes, and how they choose to interpret it. Alicent interpreted Viserys’s story as him wanting Aegon to be king, so she made that happen; even things that weren’t prophesied came true.
Rhaenyra was the only person Viserys told A Song of Ice and Fire to, and her faith was strengthened by it. This gave her even more reason to fight for the Iron Throne, because to her, she was fighting for a greater cause, and her bloodline must continue. The cruel irony is that her belief in the prophecy that could save the kingdom ultimately led to its destruction.
House of the Dragon Season 2 remaining episodes and air dates | |
|---|---|
Episode | release date |
4 | July 7 |
5 | July 14 |
6 | July 21 |
7 | July 28 |
8 | August 4 |
The Dance with the Dragons was a defining moment in the history of the Targaryens. It was a long way from the end—it would be about 150 years before the Mad King was killed by Jaime Lannister—but in a sense, it was the beginning. Of course, the demise of the dragons began with this civil war, which wiped out so many of them. It’s fitting, I think, that the motivations for this civil war were the same ones that led Aegon the Conqueror to unify the kingdom.
Related Dragon House timeline confirmation and explanation
House of the Dragon takes place before Game of Thrones, but the time jump has left some confused about the length of time it covers. Here’s HotD’s explanation of the timeline.
Will Aegon’s Dream have a greater impact on the House of the Dragon?
Rhaenyra still needs to tell Jacaerys about this
The biggest part of Aegon’s dream is resolved now that Alicent knows the truth, but I do think it will continue to have an impact on the show. One thing I think needs to happen is for Rhaenyra to tell Jacaerys about it (since he doesn’t seem to know it yet). This would not only advance her story, but his as well, and make it a more important part of the show. Dragon House Moving forward by partially rooting another character’s decision in A Song of Ice and Fire.
New Episodes Dragon House Season 2 airs Sundays at 9pm on HBO and Max.
Dragon House 
happened at game of Thrones, Dragon House The series follows the rise of House Targaryen, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff originally starred Millie Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, before being replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke as older versions of the characters. The series also stars Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.
Cast Jefferson Hall, Paddy Considine, Fabian Frankel, Ryan Cole, Eve Best, Gavin Spocks, Graham McTavish, Steve Tuson, Olivia Cooke, Sonoya Mizuno, Bill Paterson, Matthew Needham, Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Rhys Ifans, David Horovitch
Release date: August 21, 2022
Season 2
HBO Max Online
Ryan Condall
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