The eighth and final episode of HBO’s House of the Dragon season 2 was quite anti-climactic. After seven episodes of buildup and only a major battle, it was expected that it all would lead up to a big battle or two in the finale. But the season 2 finale, titled “The Queen Who Ever Was”, was a more overlong trailer for season 3 than anything else. Still, let’s explore House of the Dragon season 2 ending and what it all means for season 3.
House of the Dragon is a spinoff series of Game of Thrones and is set almost 200 years before the events of GoT. It details the Dance of the Dragons, a war of succession between rival factions among the Targaryens: one called the Greens and the other the Blacks.
What is the conflict in House of the Dragon all about?
Like GoT, there is a huge cast of colourful characters in House of the Dragon. It all began when King Viserys I Targaryen (played by Paddy Considine) chose his daughter Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy) as his heir. Most Westerosi lords were averse to a woman ruling them, but they paid fealty to her due to the power and dragons of Targaryens.
However, this situation was when Viserys did not have a male heir. When he married Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke), who gave birth to sons, it was unclear for years what was Viserys’ wish and whether he had changed his mind.
And then, he died. Now, there is a war between Alicent and her children on one side and Rhaenyra on the other.
Spoilers ahead!
House of the Dragon season 2 ending: The finale promises battles in season 3
What happens in House of the Dragon season 2 finale?
First, let’s look at what happens in the HotD season 2 finale. At the beginning of the episode, Tyland Lannister (played by Jefferson Hall) finalises the Greens’ deal with Triarchy, an alliance between the Free Cities of Myr, Lys and Tyrosh.
Daemon Targaryen (played by Matt Smith) finally has his army after what feels like years of wandering around Harrenhal, seeing strangely prophetic visions, ghosts of the past and a mysterious femme fatale (Alys Rivers, played by Gayle Rankin).
Simon Strong (played by Sir Simon Russell Beale) informs Rhaenyra of the development, and she, along with Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) and Seasmoke, flies on Syrax to Harrenhal. Daemon bends the knee and renews his fealty to his niece and wife.
Alicent Hightower (played by Olivia Cooke) is now guilt-stricken and turns up on Dragonstone. She offers Rhaenyra King’s Landing, believing that a full-on war may be averted. However, an unconvinced Rhaenyra informs her that she will now have to take the head of her half-brother Aegon II Targaryen (played by Tom Glynn-Carney).
Aemond Targaryen (played by Ewan Mitchell) tries to persuade and then force Helaena Targaryen (played by Phia Saban) to ride her dragon Dreamfyre to battle. But she is steadfast in her refusal. She tells him that she knows it was he who burnt Aegon, and that she has foreseen his death above God’s Eye, a lake near Harrenhal. Meanwhile, Larys Strong (played by Matthew Needham) smuggles Aegon II to one of the Free Cities.
What does House of the Dragon season 2 ending mean?
If it weren’t a finale, “The Queen Who Ever Was” would have been a pretty solid episode. It, after all, has a lot of setup for big future events. But it is a finale and being a spinoff of Game of Thrones, we expected the season’s finale or penultimate episode to feature a major battle or at least some sort of violent confrontation that resulted in the death of an important character. But as I said above, the episode turned out to be an overlong trailer for season 3, which we might not see until 2026, considering the two-year gap between HotD seasons 1 and 2. Perhaps the producers had a limited budget for CGI dragons that they wished to use in the next season.
While the show differs from the book in salient ways, we do know that there will be one huge battle in the first few episodes of season 3. This is the Battle of the Gullet. It occurs between the forces of Triarchy (or the Greens) and the Blacks, led by Corlys Velaryon and Jacaerys Velaryon (played by Harry Collett). We do not know how it will play out in the show, but there are heavy casualties on both sides, Jace dies along with his dragon Vermax, and the ship Gay Abandon is attacked by the Triarchy in the book. Viserys II Targaryen is taken prisoner, though he is little more than a baby in the show. Oh, and the Greens win and the blockade is lifted, though the Triarchy does not participate in the war after this.
Battle Above the God’s Eye
We might also see the Battle Above the God’s Eye that resulted in two major human characters (though one’s eventual fate is not certain) and two dragons. Daemon Targaryen and Caraxes fought with Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar. It was a massive battle, evoking the awe-inspiring power of the dragons.
Apparently, the roar of the dragons could be heard miles away. In the end, Caraxes locks its jaws on the throat of Vhagar and both fall to their deaths. But before that happened, Daemon leapt from his saddle and stabbed the eyeless socket of Aemond, killing him. While all four are believed to be dead, Daemon’s corpse was never found and some believe he survived.
HotD season 2 ending also suggests that the major battles in the Dance of the Dragons are being squeezed closer together than they are in the book, perhaps to heighten their effect when they actually happen and to make the next season more climactic, though the show should have at least four seasons.
At this point, the Blacks are in a superior position, though that might shift soon.
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(Hero and Featured image: Courtesy of Ollie Upton/HBO)
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
‘House of Dragon’ should have at least four seasons, but we do not know for certain.
Yes, ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2 finale was leaked on illegal torrent websites, though HBO got it quickly removed.
Some of the dragons in ‘House of the Dragon’ include Vhagar, Syrax, Caraxes, Dreamfyre, Seasmoke, Moondancer, Vermithor, Arrax and Meleys.
