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The following contains Major Spoilers for both HBO’s House of the Dragon and George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.

In its first two seasons, House of the Dragon has certainly made plenty of changes to the story depicted in Fire & Blood, George R. R. Martin’s wide-ranging history of the Targaryen family, and the civil war that tore them apart. From deepening the relationship between rivals Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) to giving Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan) a quasi-happy ending, the show has consistently made choices that purposefully complicate its characters, adding unexpected layers and nuance to almost every major player onscreen. But the show’s most interesting deviation from its source text has to be its treatment of Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), daughter of Alicent and sister-wife of Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), whose dreams have predicted many of the key moments of the series to date.

(This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2 up to Episodes 5.)

House of the Dragon Season 2 is building to its (hopefully dragon-y) conclusion. With Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) serving as Prince Regent, the power dynamic within Team Green remains in a state of flux. Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), revealed last episode to have survived his injuries (for now), is bedridden. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), unsure if Daemon (Matt Smith) intends to support her in the war, pursues a wild act of faith in the hopes of gaining an advantage. Daemon is still away from Dragonstone, suffering the hallucinogenic affects of the reputedly cursed castle Harrenhal as he attempts to gain support in the Riverlands.

Season 2 has gotten repetitive in multiple respects – core themes continue to manifest in single threads of cause and effect – but this episode introduces some new plot elements and does quite a bit for character development. There...

House of the Dragon features a number of nuanced and compelling female characters. Some of them have been reimagined by the show to be more prominent than they were in the source material Fire & Blood. Some did not make to far before dying, but even as a memory they still hold sway over the events of the show, their absence being just as important as their presence was. For those still kicking though, most are playing a part in the early stages of the Dance of the Dragons.

Each of these women is unique, and they all bring something to the table. For example, Rhaenyra is quite literally driving the plot forward with her mission to claim the Iron Throne. Other characters have less than clear motives, either trying to facilitate a future where women can lead in Westeros, or even playing a grander game, trying to manipulate the future for unknown reasons.

This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6 and details from Fire & Blood that could spoil future episodes.

The eight-episode House of the Dragon season 2 is heading into its endgame, and as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) tries to bolster the ranks of the Blacks, some major players are waiting in the (dragon) wings. Despite all of season 2’s newcomers, fans are worried a beloved character has been booted through the Moon Door.

Much like fans were worried that House of the Dragon had cut the character of Daeron Targaryen, another key player in the Dance of the Dragons might’ve been jettisoned. While we know Daeron is on the way, there’s still no word on where the character of Nettles is. More concerningly, House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6 “Smallfolk” gave us our biggest indication yet that a different character will take Nettles’ arc.

George R.R. Martin...

Includes Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6.

Daemon's season 2 in "House of the Dragon" features character returns and deep exploration of his relationship with King Viserys. Viserys' pivotal moments with Daemon drive the narrative, leading to significant growth and introspection for the character. Daemon's visions in episode 6 provide closure to his arc, highlighting guilt, regret, and potential future choices in the Dance of the Dragons.

Daemon's scenes in House of the Dragon season 2 have allowed for some notable character returns, with one cameo in episode 6 seeming to finally conclude this arc. Much of Daemon's season 2 narrative is original to the show, with his visions allowing for old House of the Dragon cast members like Milly Alcock (Young Rhaenyra) and Nanna Blondell (Laena Velaryon) to reprise their roles from season 1. Episode 6 had its most significant cameo yet, with Paddy Considine returning to the role of King Viserys I Targaryen.

This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 episode 6.

In House of the Dragon season 1, the death of King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) came as something of a mercy. The poor Targaryen monarch really went through it, suffering from a mysterious illness that sapped away his vitality and turned him into little more than a walking skeleton.

While Viserys’ passing was expected, it wasn’t celebrated. That’s because many House of the Dragon fans consider Considine’s performance Emmy-worthy and among the best acting jobs in all of Game of Thrones. A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin even hailed Considine’s Viserys as being superior to his depiction on the page in Fire & Blood. With all this praise, it seemed only a matter of time before House of the Dragon found a way to bring the beloved Targaryen back via flashback or hallucination.

This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5.

Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) has been haunted by many ghosts during his time at Harrenhal on House of the Dragon season 2. In the first half of the season, Daemon welcomed spectral visions of his two wives – the young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) and the dead Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) – into his waking and sleeping nightmares. House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5, however, introduces the strangest shade yet: his own mother, Alyssa Targaryen (Emeline Lambert).

If you’re anything like me (and I know you are because I see what you’ve all been Googling), you initially didn’t realize that the woman Daemon was making love to was his own mother. That’s because Alyssa Tagaryen actress Emeline Lambert bears a striking resemblance to King Viserys I’s first wife Aemma Targaryen née Arryn (Sian Brooke). Daemon coveting his brother...

Warning! This article contains Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 5!

Daemon Targaryen experiences a disturbing vision of his mother, Alyssa, in season 2, episode 5, revealing his darkest moment yet. The vision of Daemon being intimate with Alyssa highlights his twisted sense of power and intimacy, rooted in his mother's favoritism. Daemon's vision of his mother reveals his subconscious insecurities and ambitions, leading him to take drastic actions in reality.

Daemon Targaryen has a shocking vision of his mother, Alyssa Targaryen, in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 5, which is now in the running for Daemons darkest moment yet. Ever since he arrived at the cursed castle, Daemon has had several visions at Harrenal that seem to be influenced by Alys Rivers powers, Harrenhals cursed background, and the weirwood bed he sleeps on. Each vision so far has brutally tackled Daemons subconscious guilt, fears, insecurities, desires, and resentments, with the...

If you’re watching “House of the Dragon” for the dragons, congratulations — and also, sorry for your loss. The HBO drama showed off its majestic CGI creatures extensively in Season 2, Episode 4, “The Red Dragon and the Gold,” a beastly battle with devastating human cost.

The realm is as divided as ever, but at the top of this episode directed by Alan Taylor, one side is quite literally divided; Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) is on her way home from King’s Landing while her council unravels at Dragonstone and prince consort Daemon (Matt Smith) attempts to win over more allies in the riverlands. The queen’s absence incenses the council and irks her family; Jacaerys (Harry Collett) grows particularly restless because Rhaenyra’s secrecy and the council’s insolence both indicate disrespect for the young heir, as does his mother’s refusal to send him to battle. Jace might be old enough to join in the war,...

Winter is coming, and so are spoilers. This article discusses events from the latest episode of "House of the Dragon."

If the entirety of the debut season and the first two episodes of "House of the Dragon" season 2 didn't make it clear already, then there's little doubt anymore: War is coming to Westeros, a "hateful" one between kin and a "bloody" one between dragons (as Eve Best's Princess Rhaenys warns Emma D'Arcy's Queen Rhaenyra early on) all wrapped up in a single conflict. Book readers and fans who've paid an inordinate amount of attention to franchise lore know that this civil war will have lasting ramifications on the Seven Kingdoms centuries later, even during "Game of Thrones" -- in fact, they're the only ones who may remember that the original show already "spoiled" the outcome of this prequel series, the events of which were documented by author George R.R. Martin...

The idea of introducing dragons to the screen has long captivated viewers; Daenerys’ three dragons from Game of Thrones are the prime illustration of this. Following this, the American fantasy drama House of the Dragon, which was developed under the creative direction of George R.R. Martin and Ryan Condal, is now taking it to a whole new level.

Emma D’Archy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon still

Although the names of the dragons in Game of Thrones were of little significance given the role they played, the tale in House of the Dragon is very different. Therefore, it becomes crucial for the viewers to have a general understanding of all the dragons that season 2 will bring forth. Let’s start the list with the most well-known of the lot.

1. Syrax

Syrax, a name taken from a Valyrian goddess, is the first dragon to make an appearance on the American fantasy drama,...

It’s been two years since Season 1 of “House of the Dragon” debuted, which is a long time to spend away from House Targaryen, its divided allies and enemies, and a whole buncha dragons. Who do we like, who do we hate, who’s married to their brother or uncle or just a casual cousin once removed?

Season 1 of “House of the Dragon” began during the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine), chronicling the last decade and change of his life before he died of an unidentified wasting disease. After his first wife and son died, Viserys named his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) as the rightful heir, overturning a council ruling that actually put Viserys on the throne in the first place and rattling minds across the realm. Upon his death, Viserys’ second wife Alicent (Olivia Cooke) claimed that he named their son Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) as King,...

House of the Dragon introduced many characters in Season 1, from the extensive Targaryen family to the scheming Hightowers, but the series included even more actors. Spanning roughly 20 years, many of the important members of the story were initially played by a younger actor before being swapped out for the person who would remain until the end of the series (or more likely the character's death). Some characters required three different actors, like Laena Velaryon! However, the most memorable examples in House of the Dragon are Milly Alcock's Rhaenyra and Emily Carey's Alicent. Though these two play the central roles for the first five episodes, they are replaced by Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke for the back half of the season, and the adult versions of the characters will likely continue through the rest of the story.

Any new show by producer Frank Doelger – whose credits include “Game of Thrones,” “The Swarm,” “John Adams” and “Rome” – must rate as an event. That event takes place Oct. 17 at Cannes Mipcom trade fair, with the world premiere of “Concordia,” on which Doelger serves as executive producer and showrunner.

Produced by Intaglio Films, a joint venture of Zdf Studios and Beta Film, which share international distribution, “Concordia” is backed by a powerful partnership of Zdf, Mbc, France Télévisions and Hulu Japan. Shot in English, the six-part series is directed by Barbara Eder.

“Concordia” begins in classic Noir style cutting from a seeming suicide on a windswept moor to the discovery of a young man’s dead body, found beside a road just outside Sweden’s Concordia, a attempt to create a utopia powered by AI surveillance to ensure a fairer, more humane and safer society.

Near 20 years old, Concordia is...

House of the Dragon retells one of the many stories in George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, but as with any adaptation, the two versions don't look exactly the same. HBO made several changes to the story adjusting and cutting out parts as they saw fit. The result is a series that skips through the years leading up to the Targaryen civil war and drops many plot points from Martin's original story. While some of the changes benefit the story, others do it a disservice. For one thing, while the show has many different characters, few have the time they deserve. The leads, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy), Alicent (Olivia Cooke), Daemon (Matt Smith), and Viserys (Paddy Considine), are explored in depth, but the secondary characters are often forgotten. For example, Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) often appears but does very little. Many of the skipped plot points involve Laena, from her willful...

“House of the Dragon” looks set to continue the trend that its predecessor, “Game of Thrones,” set with a slew of its stellar cast contending for Emmys. Currently, we are predicting three of the ongoing cast of this HBO hit — Emma D’Arcy, Paddy Considine, and Matt Smith — to reap Emmy bids for their performances. They will contend in lead drama actress, lead drama actor and supporting drama actor respectively.

But we just launched our prediction center for guest stars and we are predicting that three of the performers who appeared in only a handful of episodes will make an impression on TV academy voters. Tom Glynn-Carney and Ty Tennant are among those vying for Best Drama Guest Actor bids while Bethany Antonia is among the hopefuls for Best Drama Guest Actress.

Glynn-Carney and Tennant play the same character in “House of the Dragon,” which is set almost 200 years before “Game of Thrones...

This article contains spoilers from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood and therefore may spoil portions of House of the Dragon season 2.

Close viewers of HBO’s Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon may have noticed a troubling trend with the House Velaryon of Driftmark. As season 1 of the prequel progressed, the ancient family with Valyrian roots (much like the Targaryens) seemed to be running low on potential heirs.

Lord Corlys Velaryon a.k.a. The Sea Snake (Steve Toussaint) is about as powerful as a Westerosi noble can be. Thanks to his fruitful voyages across The Narrow Sea, Corlys’s house is blessed with untold riches and influence. Yet, as we saw with his close call near the end of the season, Corlys can’t live forever. One day someone will have to succeed him as Lord of the Tides and sit atop the Driftwood Throne. Unfortunately,...

House of the Dragon’s deleted scenes changed the show in a few ways, but no one felt the impact more than Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). House of the Dragon season 1 had a lot to pack into its 10 episodes, with a decades-spanning story that saw the Game of Thrones spinoff have multiple time jumps and recasts. Somewhat inevitably, despite the longer runtime afforded to some episodes (a few of which went over an hour), plenty of material had to end up on the cutting room floor.

Few of House of the Dragon’s deleted scenes have been revealed in full, but several have been teased in images, clips, and interviews. For instance, one deleted scene featured Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower preparing for the letter’s wedding to King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine). It was a small but touching moment that would’ve helped, but didn’t impact things too much.

The award comes with 38,000, making it one of the world’s largest film prizes.

Goteborg’s lucrative Dragon Award for best Nordic film has gone to Danish director Malou Reymann’s second feature Unruly.

The drama premiered at Toronto and had its Swedish premiere at Goteborg. TrustNordisk handles sales and the Danish cinema release is planned for spring 2023.

Reymann previously directed Rotterdam Big Screen winner A Perfectly Normal Family.

Unruly is about the Sprogø Women’s Institution in the 1930s, when “morally feeble” girls and women were sent to the island to become more compliant. The story focuses on Maren,...

Seasoned helmers Ole Bornedal, Erik Poppe, Mikael Håfström, newcomers Mika Gustafson, Sara Gyllenstierna and rising talent Ulaa Salim are some of the 15 Nordic helmers set to pitch their feature projects in post-production at this year’s Nordic Film Market.

The leading Nordic film confab is due to run Feb. 2-5 in a hybrid version, parallel to Sweden’s 46th Göteborg Film Festival (Jan.27-Feb. 5), the biggest film-tv event in Scandinavia.

For its first full-scale outing post-covid and first year under the helm of industry chief Josef Kullengård, the Nordic Film Market is set to draw a record 500 delegates on-site, on top of nearly 60 on-line visitors. “The interest from the international industry is amazing! It will be a record year for us, even compared to pre-pandemic times,” boasts. Kullengård, a habitué of the event’s backstage gigs who took over from Cia Edström in October to allow her to focus on...

On the heels of the House of the Dragon season 1 finale, Honest Trailers takes aim at the Game of Thrones prequel and gets quite a bit wrong. Originally based on George R.R. Martin's fantasy novel, Fire & Blood, the new HBO show immediately broke records with over 10 million viewers tuning in for the show's premiere and subsequently wowed critics and audiences with its captivating performances and engrossing narrative. House of the Dragon was quickly renewed for season 2, however, Miguel Sapochnik will no longer serve as co-showrunner with Ryan Condal.

Set nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the prequel series focuses on the conflict at the heart of House Targaryen after King Viserys I Targaryen's (Paddy Considine) decides to name his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), as heir to the Iron Throne. However, with a number of the king's court viewing the choice as an insult to royal time-honored patriarchal tradition,...

George R.R. Martin loves to make audiences cringe. Martin's "Game of Thrones" books and the massively successful HBO series the universe inspired — "Game of Thrones" and "House of The Dragon" to date, with more to follow — are rich with subversive and flinch-inspiring moments. Consider the former's gasp-inspiring pilot finale. Yes, the images of Jaime and Cersei Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Lena Headey) engaging in coitus were shocking. Seeing Jaime push Bran Stark (Issac Hempstead Wright) out a window? Even more so.

But neither is the scene's most crucial or resonant moment. That honor goes to Jaime's tossed-aside utterance of, "The things I do for love," before his hands cast Bran toward paralysis. There's a whole world of uncomfortable to be unpacked in those six words. Jaime loves his sister and is willing to murder for her, and the casualness with which he dispatches of a child (plus the drollness of...

Warning: The below article contains descriptions of violence, miscarriage, and abuse.

"House of the Dragon" flew onto our screens and did the impossible -- it made us (mostly) forget about that terrible, horrible, no good, very bad final season of "Game of Thrones." But more importantly, it made us excited to return to Westeros. The captivating characters in "House of the Dragon" and the nuanced storytelling are all part of what makes this HBO series soar. Plus, it has dragons galore!

You can't tell a "Game of Thrones" story without conflict, and most Westeros conflicts inevitably devolve into bloodshed. That probably has something to do with everyone wearing swords like they are some kind of belt accessory. Here, we'll rank this debut season's best fight scenes and their action set pieces. One note: Of the 12 items on this list, one-third of them include Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). (That dude loves to mix it up!

Warning! This article contains Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 1 and George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood!House of the Dragon actor Steve Toussaint reveals a deleted scene centered on Corlys in battle. Lord Corlys Velaryon (Toussaint), also known as the Sea Snake, serves as the head of House Velaryon in the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon. As the Lord of Driftmark and leader of an ancient, proud House which contains the blood of Old Valyria, something they have in common with the Targaryens, Corlys has been shown to possess great ambition, which only grew since his wife Rhaenys (Eve Best) was passed over for the Iron Throne. The character has seen great tragedy in House of the Dragon, with his daughter Laena (Nanna Blondell) dying during childbirth, his son Laenor (John MacMillian) presumably being killed (though viewers know he is alive), and his brother Vaemond (Wil Johnson) being killed.

Content Warning: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 1 and discussion of birth trauma and stillbirth.

The childbirth scenes in House of the Dragon have been a talking point among fans online since the horrifying Cesarean section depicted in the first episode. Some of what we’re seeing on the show represents things we’ve seen before – screaming mothers, pacing fathers, crying infants. But there are aspects of childbirth presented on House of the Dragon that we hardly ever see on mainstream television, and that’s really exciting.

Mainstream TV dramas have been showing more and more of the gory details of childbirth over the years and some shows have given us memorable birth-and-labor sequences. We’ve seen a couple having sex in an attempt to help labor along in Outlander, the tragic death of a woman from undiagnosed eclampsia in Downton Abbey, and the exact same...

This post contains spoilers for the first season of House of the Dragon, which is now streaming in its entirety on HBO Max.

“The Black Queen” was the season finale of House of the Dragon Season One, and its climax appropriately summed up nearly everything about the show, good and bad.

As the cocky, sadistic Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) chased his anxious nephew Prince Luke (Elliot Grihault) through a stormy sky, pitting his massive dragon against Luke’s comparatively tiny one, it was impossible to not be impressed by the visual splendor,...

Warning! Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon episode 10 and George R.R. Martin's Fire & BloodHouse of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal offers his insight on the deaths in the HBO show's season 1 finale. Game of Thrones was no stranger to major character deaths, famously killing off protagonist Ned Stark (Sean Bean) in season 1 and only ramping up the kill count from there. Got prequel series House of the Dragon, based on George R.R. Martin's 2018 book Fire and Blood, has continued that tradition throughout season 1. The show bears many differences from its predecessor in terms of pacing and scale, as well as updating the franchise's death scenes to become even more shocking and gruesome.

The House of the Dragon season 1 finale saw a major book event translated to the screen when Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) accidentally murdered his nephew Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) after he lost control of his dragon, Vhagar.

Image Source: HBO

"House of the Dragon"'s first season is going to cover a pretty major swath of time, though we're not sure yet exactly how many years it will cover. Before the season began, we knew the actors playing Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower - Milly Alcock and Emily Carey - would be swapped out for older actors Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke. That huge jump forward in time finally happened with episode six. But most of the episodes involved jump in time from the one that came before.

The first episode covers the events around the death of Aemma Targaryen (Sian Brooke) as she delivers a Targaryen heir, who quickly dies. Viserys names Rhaenyra heir and shares the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy with her, removing his brother Daemon (Matt Smith) from the line of succession. Episode two doesn't pick up the next day, and some pretty important time has passed.

“House of the Dragon” Season 1 has been a wild, 20-year journey, full of backstabbing and incest and the occasional death by small metal ball. HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel pulled in audiences and is clearly trying to raise the bar set by “Game of Thrones” in every department — including disgust and shock value. As Season 1 draws to a close, we look back on the violence, body horror, and feet. Even when this show has us bringing up our dinner, it doesn’t fail to entertain.

Here are the 10 grossest things in “House of the Dragon” Season 1.

“House of the Dragon” is a hit, and it’s clearly trying to raise the bar set by “Game of Thrones” in every department — including disgust and shock value. Just shy of half a season in, this show is on track to out-gross its predecessor with violence, body horror, and incest. It might be nauseating to watch sometimes,...

Six-time Primetime Emmy award-winner Frank Doelger, whose credits include “Game of Thrones,” “The Swarm,” “John Adams” and “Rome,” and Intaglio Films, a joint venture between Beta Film and Zdf Studios, have started production on surveillance drama thriller “Concordia,” set in an experimental utopian community.

Zdf, Mbc, France Télévisions and Hulu Japan have signed up as partners for the six-part series, shot in English and directed by Barbara Eder. Doelger helms as executive producer and showrunner, alongside the executive producers Ute Leonhardt, Rafferty Thwaites, Jan Wünschmann and Robert Franke. Shooting takes place at various locations in Rome, Northern Italy, and Leipzig in Germany.

The world of “Concordia,” created by Mike Walden and Nicholas Racz, is powered by AI to ensure a freer, fairer, and more humane society. As the community approaches its 20th anniversary, cities around the world are lined up to replicate its success. Then the secret behind its creation...

Frank Doelger is helming a surveillance drama that counts broadcasters Zdf, Mbc and France Télévisions and streamer Hulu Japan as partners.

The Game of Thrones executive producer is showrunner and executive producer on the six-part Concordia, which has gone into production, with shooting taking place in various locations in Rome, northern Italy and Leipzig, Germany. His Beta Film- and Zdf Studios-owned joint venture production house Intaglio Films is producing.

Barbara Eder, who is attached to Doelger’s Mipcom launch drama The Swarm, which we wrote about last week ahead of the market, is directing the show, which is shooting in English. Ute Leonhardt, Rafferty Thwaites, Jan Wünschmann and Robert Franke are also exec producers, with Nicholas Racz and Mike Walden the series co-creators. They are writing alongside Isla van Tricht and the producers are Tobias Gerginov,...

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The next project from Emmy-award winning producer Frank Doelger (Game of Thrones, Rome) will be the surveillance sci-fi thriller Concordia, a six-part drama set in an utopian community and produced by Doelger’s Intaglio Films, a joint venture between German groups Beta Film and Zdf Studios.

The English-language series, which has begun production, is backed by German and French public broadcasters Zdf and France Télévisions, Hulu Japan and Mbc. Barbara Eder, who shot several episodes of Doelger’s upcoming eco-thriller series The Swarm, will helm all six episodes of Concordia.

The series, created by Mike Walden (The Frankenstein Chronicles) and Nicholas Racz (The Burial Society), imagines a utopian community run by artificial intelligence intended to ensure a freer, fairer and more humane society. Initially judged a tremendous success, as the community approaches its 20th anniversary, cities around the world line up to copy its model.

As “House of the Dragon” Season 1 draws to a close, the 10 episodes will have covered over 20 years in the lives of these characters.

But you wouldn’t know it looking at some of them. There are characters who look unrecognizable from Episode 1 as well as new ones who have been introduced and recast faster than you can say “Which Aegon?” Still others are seemingly untouched by the passage of time. While certain recasting decisions make sense for the show’s timeline, others feel rushed and arbitrary, distracting from the central story.

Not only are characters aging rapidly and inconsistently, but the actors portraying them aren’t always the same age as the character, adding another layer of potential confusion for the audience. Hollywood loves to cast an adult as a teen, but when it comes to old and young teens aging just a few years, there’s not a big margin of error.

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Episodes 1-7 of House of the Dragon.It’s been a tumultuous journey thus far in House of the Dragon. After a major time jump halfway through the season that cycled out the main cast, there’s already been a lot of juicy developments as the various families of Westeros begin to plot against each other. The sixth episode, “The Princess and the Queen,” featured two shocking deaths that set up future conflict. Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr), Princess Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) lover, is killed by his brother, Larys (Matthew Needham). Daemon’s wife, Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell), takes her own life when she commands her dragon Vhagar to set her aflame.

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Episodes 1-7 of House of the Dragon.In House of the Dragon Episode 7 "Driftmark," Prince Aemond (Leo Ashton) the youngest son of Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and King Viserys (Paddy Considine), claims the dragon Vhagar for himself. When Rhaena (Eva Ossei-Gerning) and Baela (Shani Smethurst) find out that Aemond has taken the dragon that belonged to their recently deceased mother, Lady Laena (Nanna Blondell) they bring their cousins Jacaerys (Leo Hart) and Lucerys (Harvey Sadler) down to confront him. A fight breaks out and after Luke's nose gets broken, he uses Jace's weapon and strikes out at Aemond, taking his eye. In the aftermath, the adults convene to discuss what happened, and Alicent demands one of Luke's eyes be removed in kind.

This post has spoilers for "House of the Dragon" episode 7.

For those who don't already know, House Targaryen's sigil is a three-headed dragon, and its words are "Fire & Blood." I don't know what that sounds like to you, but anyone who has been acquainted with the unhinged antics of the members of this noble Valyrian house already knows that most of its members are a hot mess. Daenerys Targaryen = hot mess. Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen = hot mess who didn't know much but was still a hot mess. And then there's "House of the Dragon," the seriously superior spin-off (try saying that three times as fast) which showcases an unseen side of one of the most significant events in Targaryen history — The Dance of Dragons — which took place in the first place because of said hot messes.

Every episode shuffles the rank on which character is the most miserable or the...

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Episodes 1-7 of House of the Dragon and Fire & Blood.While Episode 7 of House of the Dragon was full of culminating moments that the season has been building up to, from Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) finally butting heads and drawing battle lines to Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra marrying to unite their power, one scene is perhaps a little less obvious and even a bit confusing. The event that brings the houses of Targaryen and Velaryon together at Driftmark is the funeral for Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell). After struggling to give birth while in Pentos with Daemon and her two daughters, the high potential of dying in childbirth leads her to run out into the sand and command her dragon, Vhagar, to burn her to death with dragon fire.

This post contains plenty of spoilers related to weddings and funerals in "Game of Thrones" and "House of the Dragon." Proceed as you would down the church aisle, at your own risk.

In the world of Westeros, to paraphrase Billy Idol, it's always a nice day for a Red Wedding. You might think "it's your funeral" to show up at one, but as we learned this week in "Driftmark," the latest episode of "House of the Dragon," actual funerals in Westeros can be dangerous affairs, too.

Basically, anytime you get a bunch of family members together for a big occasion, happy or sad, it's going to go sour, so we shouldn't be surprised at the events that went down in "Driftmark." The funeral of Lady Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) after her death by dragonfire turned into a real Old Testament, eye-for-an-eye affair. Perhaps the first sign of trouble was the way Laena's husband,...

This post contains spoilers for all recent episodes of "House of the Dragon."

"House of the Dragon" has a lot of characters on its roster, and not all of them seem to matter in equal measure. But just as Bran ended up winning the game of thrones after spending a whole lot of that series' runtime on the sidelines, a seemingly unimportant "House of the Dragon" character may actually be the key to the show's future.

Helaena Targaryen, played by Evie Allen, has only appeared on the fringes of the Targaryen-Hightower drama so far. She seems to be a rather introverted child, and while it's unclear whether she's coded as neurodivergent or simply eccentric, she has little use for the infighting of her siblings or the conflict of her extended families. In fact, she spends much of her time looking at insects, spouting fragmented and seemingly meaningless phrases along the way.

The seventh episode of House of the Dragon titled Driftmark has aired and the mess Westeros finds itself in only seems to be deepening. A proper debacle, is it not? The episode began with the somber funeral of Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) with all her family gathered around. Even the solemnity of a funeral didn’t mask the tension that exists between the warring parties in the family. As the episode progresses, Prince Aemond (Leo Ashton) bonds with Vhagar but loses an eye which leads to a stand-off between his step-sister, Rhaenyra.

“House of the Dragon” Episode 7, “Driftmark,” might be the series’ best so far.

After weeks of prologue and arguable time wasting, the show has arrived unambiguously at conflict between the houses of Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke). After the funeral of Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell), Rhaenyra’s son Jacaerys (Leo Hart) slashes the eye of Alicent’s son Aemond (Leo Ashton), which leads to the series’ most outstanding scene — not the child knife fight that ends with the stabbing, but the quarrel that follows. The episode was written by Kevin Lau and directed by Miguel Sapochnik.

As Targaryens, Velaryons, and everyone around them crowd the hall to figure out exactly what happened, the formidable “House of the Dragon” cast gets to showcase their talents on a glorious stage. King Viserys (Paddy Considine) demanding to know what happened, and despite various ailments and growing age, his fury is palpable.

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Episodes 1-7 of House of the Dragon.Leave it to House of the Dragon to end an episode with a massive plot twist. Episode 7 set up many things for the future of the Dance of Dragons, making it a turning point in the series. Mourning the loss of Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell), the whole family is brought together in Driftmark to attend her funeral. Viserys (Paddy Considine) is present along with Alicent (Olivia Cooke), as is the newly minted Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) and the re-minted Hand of the King, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) has arrived with Laenor (John Macmillan) and their two older sons, met by the Velaryons, including Rheanys (Eve Best) and Corlys (Steve Toussaint). Daemon (Matt Smith) has returned from Pentos with Laena's body and his two daughters. For some, this is the first time in...

This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon episode 7.

An uncomfortable but inevitable romance has finally ignited in Westeros. It feels a bit wrong to have been rooting for Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and her uncle Daemon (Matt Smith) all season, but at least House of the Dragon’s newest power couple aren’t twins? And the seventh episode definitely addresses the slow burn building of an alliance between the two rebellious dragonriders on their way to an epic “dance” of war.

But is it also true love?

Fire calls to fire, and if one overlooks their royally tangled bloodlines, the sexual tension between Rhaenyra and Daemon has simmered from the show’s start. In episode four, desire escalated when Daemon encouraged his young niece (then played by Milly Alcock) to sneak away from the palace in disguise and join him on a tour of the capital’s seedier side,...

[Warning: The following contains Major spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 1, Episode 7, “Driftmark.”] There’s always a bit of drama at funerals, especially in Westeros. And in “Driftmark,” Laena Velaryon’s (Nanna Blondell) committal to the deep brings out daggers, slashes out eyeballs, drives Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) into the arms of a new lover and gives Team Alicent a formidable new dragon. Here’s how it happens. Laena’s funeral is a quiet, somber affair; it’s at the post-funeral gathering that the drama begins. Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra reunite, and they go for a private walk on the beach… that quickly turns into more than just a walk. After telling him that she and Laenor (John MacMillian) tried to do their duty but found “no pleasure in it” — and reminding him she’s no longer “a child,” holy moly, Super awkward — she leans in and kisses him, telling him she wants him. After a...

This House of the Dragon review contains spoilers.

House of the Dragon Episode 7

If nothing else, House of the Dragon’s most recent two episodes have made it clear that the show is really going to miss director and co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik.

Last month, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Sapochnik (who directed some of Game of Thrones‘ most action-packed installments like “The Battle of the Bastards” and “Hardhome”) would be leaving the series that he developed alongside co-showrunner Ryan Condal before season 2. This being Warner Bros. Discovery’s biggest TV product by a wide margin, viewers can be forgiven for looking for spilled tea all around Sapochnik’s departure. In listening to Sapochnik on the most recent episode of the official House of the Dragon podcast, however, it really does seem like the guy just needs a break.

And what a well-earned break it will be! Just like last week...

Warning: this article has House of the Dragon spoilers. A new power couple has emerged in Westeros. That's right, during the Oct. 2 episode of House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith) stopped fighting their feelings for one another and finally got together. However, this was more than just an illicit liaison, as Rhaenyra and Daemon got married at the end of the episode. So, how exactly did the princess and her uncle—yes, you read that correctly—find themselves in this entanglement? The episode kicked off with the Targaryens and the Velaryons reuniting at Driftmark for the funeral of Lady Laena (Nanna Blondell), Daemon's...

Attentive viewers saw Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) getting close to a male server in the sixth episode of House of the Dragon, HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series. Now, a deleted scene has fans convinced that the former heir to the Iron Throne is bisexual. In a recent tweet, Twitter user @oochotd shared screenshots from House of the Dragon’s September 25 episode, “The Princess and the Queen,” showing Daemon in a moment of closeness with the male server as he and wife Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell) have dinner with Prince Reggio Haratis (Dean Nolan) in Pentos. In those images, it appears that Daemon is whispering something to the server. “This interaction between Daemon and the server was very interesting,” @oochotd wrote, captioning the images. “Could Daemon be a bi legend?” A day later, @oochotd posted another screenshot, showing an out-of-focus Daemon in an embrace with the man. “Confirmed from this deleted scene,...

House of the Dragon's sixth episode certainly brought viewers to the other side of a long offscreen time jump with a bang. One moment in this episode, in particular, stuck out in terms of bridging that time jump, and it took us right back to the series' first episode. When Laena (Nanna Blondell) died in Episode 6, it made it very easy to draw obvious comparisons back to when Queen Aemma (Sian Brooke) died tragically in that horrific birth scene. There's a lot to compare between these two moments, but it's also vital to look at what sets the two apart. The mirrored trajectories between these scenes are important, but ultimately, the difference in these characters’ deaths is even more so.

House of the Dragon is losing producers as quickly as it's losing cast members. Jocelyn Diaz, who served as an executive producer on the first season of the Game of Thrones prequel series, will not return for season two, according to Deadline. Diaz, whose previous producing credits include the 2016 documentaries America Divided and Serena, had a one-year deal with an option for a second, according to the outlet, which is not being picked up. Her exit comes just two days after an explosive episode of House of the Dragon on Sept. 25, which saw three cast members—Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell), Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) and Lyonel Strong (Gavin Spokes)—meet their...

This post contains spoilers for "House of the Dragon."

No one is Westeros is having a good time. Even Prince Aegon Targaryen (Ty Tennant) is unable to masturbate out his castle window in peace. The pressures of the realm, family, duty, society, the body, and petty jealousy weigh down on every single person at King's Landing and beyond. The 10 year time jump between episodes five and six of "House of the Dragon" may have changed some actors and looks for the characters, but the unpleasantness of life is still as present as ever. With this being a story that comes from George R.R. Martin, I don't expect much light to enter their lives anytime soon. He isn't one for fun parties and happy endings.

Determining who is exactly having the toughest go of it in "House of the Dragon" presents some interesting questions. One's misery is not just determined by what happens to them,...