Why weren’t there any dragons at the beginning of Game of Thrones? It’s largely because of the events depicted in the prequel series, House of the Dragon. Despite having control over the seven kingdoms of Westeros, the Targaryen family just couldn’t stop themselves from destroying each other. The march to war unfolded over many years in season 1, but now there’s only room for one person on the Iron Throne. The just-released first two trailers for House of the Dragon season 2 invite viewers to pick a side between the Black and the Green.
First up is the Black trailer, which focuses on Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy). It’s understandable to pick her as the heroine of the series because she was the firstborn and chosen heir of King Viserys I Targaryen. By all rights, Rhaenyra should be on the Iron Throne. And if you’re weirded out by the fact that she married her uncle, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), just remember that this is pretty tame by Targaryen standards. The only real thing that the kingdoms of Westeros have against Rhaenyra is that she’s a woman, and there’s never been a true queen in control.
The Green trailer immediately brings up the fact that Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne would be tenuous at best because of her gender. That’s one of the reasons why her former best friend turned mother-in-law, Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), helped place her firstborn son, Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), on the Iron Throne. Alicent misunderstood her late husband’s final words and she truly believes that this is what he wanted. Now that blood has been spilled, there’s no going back and the Dance of the Dragons is about to begin.
House of the Dragon season 2 will premiere on Sunday, June 16, on Max.
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