Spoilers for the first three episodes of House of the Dragon Season 2 are ahead. Read with caution if you aren’t caught up!
When King Viserys died, and Aegon was (wrongfully) crowned king of Westeros, I would have laughed in your face if you said I’d care about the young ruler when House of the Dragon Season 2 returned on the 2024 TV schedule. However, here we are. I have found myself fascinated by Tom Glynn-Carney’s character in these episodes of the Game of Thrones prequel. Plus, considering I’ve hated all the young despicable characters that came before him – like Joffrey and Ramsay – I’m genuinely in shock over this revelation.
This all comes down to the idea that somehow, I feel empathy for Aegon. While I don’t necessarily think I should, he’s been developed in a way that I do. Also, we keep learning new information about him, and the actor behind him is a master. Therefore, unexpectedly, this evil little king has become the most interesting character in House of the Dragon.
We Know Aegon’s History
Through the Targaryen kids’ stories this season, I’ve fully realized why it was so important to take us through so much Targaryen family tree history last season.
If Alicent's children – specifically Aegon, Aemond and Helaena – wouldn’t have been introduced when they were legit kids, I don’t think I’d feel an ounce of sympathy for them. However, we saw them struggle as Viserys slowly died and we witnessed them and Rhaenyra’s kids – specifically Jacaerys and Lucerys – growing up together and being neglected, in a way, by their parents. All of that added so much depth to the younger HOTD characters, and it made them tragic three-dimensional figures rather than simply evil ones.
So, when Aegon was crowned king, I felt the dread that an immature child had taken over, but he did too, and that sparked this interest.
We See Aegon As More Than Just A Ruler In Season 2
Aegon never wanted to be king, and in Season 1, he even said:
I have no wish to rule! No taste for duty, I’m not suited!
However, he’s forced to take the crown, because the Greens, and specifically Alicent, believe that’s what Viserys wanted. So he does, and what follows is confused chaos.
Throughout the first three episodes of Season 2, we’ve seen Aegon toggle between a confused kid reeling with this new power, a maniacal ruthless ruler and a degenerate drunk dude. The guy contains multitudes and it makes for fascinating television.
On one hand, I agree with the King’s council when they roll their eyes at Aegon and try to manipulate him. However, when his kid died and we saw his genuine grief or when we witnessed Alicent not going to comfort him as he broke down, I couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit of sympathy for him. I could never say that about Joffrey and Ramsay.
This unexpected empathy I feel for the king is shocking to me, and I’m here for it. However, there’s only one reason why I’m capable of thinking this at all, and it’s because of how Tom Glynn-Carney plays the king.
Tom Glynn-Carney Is Giving Us A Masterclass Of A Performance
Tom Glynn-Carney plays Aegon as this damaged man who is trying so hard to be as big and macho as the other guys, and he’s been raised to believe that war and dominance are the best way to do that.
So, he makes Criston Cole his hand and he wants to go into battle on his dragon like the other HOTD characters, and it clearly bothers him that he can’t. There’s a lot of pent-up aggression, yes, but confusion too in Aegon, and Glynn-Carney makes that abundantly clear. George R.R. Martin had a similar view on the actor, as he wrote in a recent blog post:
Tom Glynn-Carney brings Aegon alive in ways we have not seen before; he’s more than a villain here, he shows us the king’s rage, his pain, his fears and doubts. His humanity.
From his seemingly genuine care for that peasant who wanted help with his sheep to the deep sadness he felt over the death of his child, I know Aegon has feelings, he’s not a total villain (even though he's always a pain). However, he’s also erratic and demanding, as shown in the council scenes and that ruthless moment in the brothel with his brother. That duality is played brilliantly and believably by the actor behind the king, and that’s why I’m loving his storyline so much.
When I saw the official trailer for HOTD Season 2, I wrote that Aegon looks like “a bomb waiting to explode,” and that remains true. He’s unpredictable, and the fact that he’s a reluctant ruler who is trying to embrace his title is intriguing to me. The choices he makes and the steps he takes to try and do what he thinks is right are never what I anticipate, and that’s why the king captivates me so much.
To see Aegon in action in House of the Dragon, you can stream new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO or with a Max subscription.
