House of the Dragon Season 2 is finally set to return on the 2024 TV schedule on June 16. In a recent interview, Emma D’Arcy, who plays Queen Rhaenyra—the matriarch of the Targaryen family and rightful heir to the throne—shared insights into what it was like to return to Westeros. D’Arcy mentioned that filming the sophomore season felt somewhat lonely, but they also noted a silver lining.
Speaking to THR at the show’s New York premiere on Monday, Emma D'Arcy opened up about their experience filming the second season of the popular HBO series without their fellow HotD cast members Matt Smith and Olivia Cooke. The Truth Seekers veteran actor admitted that the absence of their fellow actors left them feeling isolated and "kind of lonely" on set.
However, it makes being a viewer more fun, as they shared:
There’s so many beautiful actors on the show, it’s an ever-mutating thing. Certainly, I think it’ll make the active viewership kind of more exciting because there are so many parts to the series that I’ve not had the chance to watch yet. So I get to watch as sort of a pure fan, these other narrative strands.
The Game of Thrones universe and Emma D'Arcy have been trending topics since the premiere of the spinoff prequel series in 2022. The Wanderlust star’s portrayal of Rhaenyra has been widely praised, but the actor's recent revelations have shed light on the personal challenges they faced during production. The O Holy Ghost actor described the experience as both lonely and transformative. They continued:
It really makes you know what you lost, I suppose — every time we do get to work [together], it’s a great privilege and very exciting and very thrilling and nourishes something because it sort of feels old. So much of us making the first series, well for me, was falling in love with them — with Matt, with Liv, with other members of the cast — so anytime you get joy in that is a treat. But shows have to move on, I think that’s what keeps it exciting, and there are different gravitational pulls this season for [Rhaenyra].
Despite the loneliness, D'Arcy found a silver lining in the experience. The changing cast dynamics not only allowed them to appreciate the series from a fresh perspective, akin to that of a dedicated fan but also added a layer of excitement to the show's evolution. This newfound appreciation underscores the show's evolving nature, which continues to introduce new characters and storylines that keep the audience eagerly engaged.
With Daemon departing Dragonstone to join the fight, there were fewer scenes between D’Arcy and Matt Smith. Reflecting on this, the former Doctor Who actor echoed his costar's sentiments:
It was a shame, I missed them terribly because I love being around them; not only are they a wonderful actor, they’re a wonderful person to sort of knock about with every day. So I missed them, but it was what the story required. Daemon is off on his own path trying to figure things out, kind of head first into the dark hole of his own consciousness, into the abyss, and I think Rhaenyra feels a great sense of betrayal.
Although it's disappointing that we won't see many scenes between Daemon and Rhaenyra as well as Rhaenyra and Alicent in the upcoming season, it makes sense, given the dramatic conclusion of HOTD's fires season. Their separation paves the way for more intense and brutal events in the Targaryen civil war, known as the Dance of Dragons. Overall, there are several moments from Fire & Blood that fans like me eagerly anticipate, so bring on the premiere!
Season 2 of House of the Dragon premieres June 16 on Max. Fans can catch up on Season 1 with a Max subscription, and then they'll be ready to see these characters navigating the ever-expanding world of Westeros when the GOT prequel returns this summer.
