House of the Dragon Season 1 has finally ended and I am depressed that I am most likely going to be waiting two years until Season 2 comes out. But, that’s just the life we live when it comes to crazy fantasy shows. However, that doesn’t mean there isn't already more to the story.
At this point, I’m sure everyone knows that the series is based on the George R.R. Martin book, Fire and Blood, which details the three-hundred year long history of the Targaryens ruling in Westeros, and the Dance of the Dragons. Obviously, there are so many moments from the book that I am craving to see happen in House of the Dragon Season 2. For those who are as impatient as I am, here are seven particular things I’m praying come to the small screen when Season 2 rolls around.
A big spoiler warning for anyone who hasn’t read Fire and Blood or finished House of the Dragon Season 1 yet!!!!
When Ser Arryk And Ser Erryk Have Their Duel
Fans of the show were really only given the crumbs of who Ser Arryk and Ser Erryk really are. These twin knights end up on opposite sides of the war, with Arryk working for the Greens and Erryk for the Blacks, both of them swearing their allegiance to their own rulers. However, the Greens end up sending Arryk to Dragonstone on an assassination attempt, and who does he meet there, but his own brother.
It’s a heartbreaking moment where two brothers, once close, end up fighting to the death with tears in their eyes. And, no one ends up winning – they both fatally wound each other, taking themselves out of the dance early on in the war. I’m assuming that in Season 2, we’re most likely going to dive a little deeper into their stories before we get to that final battle, and it’ll be eventful, nevertheless.
When Daeron Finally Comes Into The Fray
There have been so many time jumps in House of the Dragon that I’m surprised we’ve somehow kept up with this Targaryen family tree, but book fans might have noticed that one of the children that Alicent and Viserys had is missing, and that’s Daeron.
While at first, fans thought that he might have been cut out of the series, both Martin and the showrunner, Ryan Condal, have adamantly said that Daeron is going to be in the show, with Martin saying that he's is just in Oldtown right now, in a blog post.
The only question is how is this prince of Westeros going to fit into the storyline going forward? Within Fire and Blood, he is given the name ‘Daeron the Daring,’ so you know that it’s going to be fun for fans of the show to see just how daring this man can be. I can’t wait to see him appear.
When The War Really Starts With The Blockade Of King’s Landing
The Season 1 finale of House of the Dragon featured Rhaenyra getting dealt a heavy blow with the loss of her son, Lucerys, since Aemon’s dragon, Vhaegar, ends up eating him. This is truly the beginning of the war, but in Fire and Blood, the fighting doesn’t really start until this battle outside of King’s Landing.
There’s a reason why the Velaryons are one of Rhaenyra’s best allies, and it’s because they have the best fleet in all of Westeros, and they use this to blockade King’s Landing. However, it’s in this battle that the Greens have their own ally, the Triarchy, that engages in an assault on the blockade.
The blockade does succeed, but it obtains heavy losses, becoming the real start of the war. Hearing about this adventure makes me excited to learn more about this Sea Snake show that’s in development so I can learn more about this fleet.
Daemon Targaryen Wreaking Havoc On Harrenhal
Daemon Targaryen has sort of been crowned as one of the best characters of the show for how morally grey he is, but we’re about to see him get a lot darker and bloodier than he already has been, and that starts with him wreaking havoc on Harrenhal.
If that name sounds familiar, it’s because House Strong inhabited Harrenhal before that fire occurred, killing most of them. However, in the dance, Rhaenyra doesn’t have much footing on the actual land of Westeros, so Daemon suggests they take Harranhal as a rallying point, since Larys Strong is the lord there, and also a Green.
This is marked down as one of the first major battles of the war and a sure thing that we just might see in Season 2, so I would keep an eye out for this to happen very soon – and to see Daemon go feral again in a battle.
If You Know, You Know – Blood And Cheese
Okay, okay, so this isn’t something I want to see, but it’s something that I feel does need to happen to push the story forward. In Fire and Blood, Aemond’s killing of Lucerys was intentional, and Daemon decides to do something despicable right back and sends over two assassins – named Blood and Cheese – to capture Helaena Targaryen’s children (she's married to Aegon) and make her choose which of her sons has to die.
Yes, it is straight up a Sophie’s Choice moment in the Game of Thrones universe and it is every bit as horrible as you would expect it to be. I wonder if they might make it a little easier to watch on television or if they’re just going to go straight into it, since House of the Dragon really hasn’t held back from showing hard to watch scenes (like Visenya’s birth or Aemma’s death).
Criston Cole’s Rise
The House of the Dragon cast is all impressive in their own ways, with so many amazing characters and many who are all related to each other, but I have seen no other character get as much hate as Criston Cole has in this series, and for good reason. The dude is a snake, and sort of everything I hate about men, if we’re being honest.
But, if you thought he was bad now, oh boy, just wait until next Season. In Fire and Blood, Otto Hightower actually doesn’t stay in his position as Hand to the King for much longer, as Aegon thinks that the way Otto tries to be diplomatic about every single thing is tiring and he decides to get rid of them. Who is his replacement? Ser Criston Cole, the man we all hate.
With him as the hand, the battle really started, and the bloodshed spread even more. All I can say is that Fabien Frankel, who plays Criston, is going to have a field day in these next couple of seasons if they stick with what happens in Fire and Blood. I can't wait to see the internet react to that.
The Battle Of Rook’s Rest
Dragon warfare. Dragon warfare!!!!
It’s something we’ve always wanted to see more of. For years, we were teased with the idea of it in Game of Thrones, but then Drogon ended up being the only dragon remaining. Now, we get to see people on dragons fight each other, and that’s exactly what happens with The Battle of Rook’s Rest.
There are so many dragons in House of the Dragon that it’s hard to keep track, but in the Battle of Rook’s Rest, three dragons face off in the air against each other, literally spreading fire and blood everywhere, featuring three riders: Rhaenys, Aegon II, and his brother, Aemond.
That’s right, we’re about to see Meleys, Sunfyre, and Vhagar, and I am not prepared for this battle to be on screen. It’s a serious fight and one that, ah, I won’t spoil here but ends in some deaths of characters that will change the face of the war.
What are you the most excited for when it comes to the next season of House of the Dragon? I am counting down the days until production begins because I can’t wait to see what happens next. Here’s hoping that they stick to the source material for a good amount of Season 2.
