Warning: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon episode 10.
The Dance of the Dragons has officially begun.
As expected, the first season of House of the Dragon ended in explosive fashion with its tenth episode this weekend as the conflict between the Greens and the Blacks finally spilled over into all-out civil war, the conflict that the lore tells us becomes one of the bloodiest wars in Westeros history. As we’ve seen, the crux of the matter is the confusion surrounding the fabled “Song of Ice and Fire” prophecy, which dictates that a son or daughter of the House of Targaryen will one day save the land.
Of course, Game of Thrones viewers know that this actually refers to Jon Snow, but in House of the Dragon the prophecy’s various interpretations is the reason for the royal dynasty’s in-fighting. While Alicent mistakenly believes her late husband King Viserys wants their son Aegon on the throne, Rhaenyra knows her father believed she was the rightful heir. But just why does Rhaenyra care so much over this turn of events when she’s always put peace before her own personal ambitions?
This is what showrunner Ryan Condal was asked in a tell-all interview unpacking the finale episode. Condal was quizzed on why Rhaenyra has such a problem with Aegon becoming king when his Targaryen blood means he could still fulfill the prophecy. The EP explained to Deadline that it’s not as simple as all that:
“It’s not as easy and clear cut as that. I think what Rhaenyra is struggling with is this idea that her father has entrusted this charge with her, and that she is the named heir, and the other side has seized the throne. She’s been told that Viserys changed his mind on his death bed but I don’t think Rhaenyra believes any of that for a minute, because he backed her. We saw him in episode eight climb the throne in that beautiful scene and essentially back her claim. So she’s dealing with the fact that she is the named heir and also that she thinks she is uniquely qualified to be somebody who keeps the realm at peace and to unite everybody. She does not think that Aegon is the guy to carry on the charge, nor does she believed that Viserys ever entrusted the secret with him. So she’s wrestling with the idea that she’s been asked to keep the realm of peace, but also she’s the rightful heir. That’s the thing that she’s really struggling with over the course of episode 10, when all the men around the table just want to charge off for war.”
Following the jaw-dropping conclusion of its first season, House of the Dragon will be back for its even bigger second run next year on HBO.