After a sophomore season filled with some of the best dragon combat in Game of Thrones history, House of the Dragon concluded with a strangely action-free finale. While some fans expected an epic fight, instead we received an episode filled with planning, plotting, and stunning revelations to set up Season 3.
So, if you have watched the House of the Dragon finale and are ready to decipher all of the teases, set up, and secrets revealed in the episode, you have come to the right spot because we are breaking down everything and more.
House of the Dragon Season 2 Ending Explained
From the first episode of House of the Dragon, the story has focused on Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’arcy), two young ladies whose fates have been intertwined with the crown since childhood. As Season 2 concludes, we see them reconnect once more when Alicent approaches Rhaenyra with an offer: let her, Helaena (Phia Saban), and Jaehaera (Lulu Barker) depart the realm after handing over the Red Keep to Rhaenyra. It makes sense. This is one of the series’ most emotionally charged moments, and it challenges our understanding of Alicent and Rhaenyra.
As Alicent walks through Dragonstone as a free woman, the Dragon Seeds prepare for battle, donning new armor and ready to mount their dragons. The Green army moves into the Riverlands, as Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) prepare to face them. The Northmen ultimately arrive at the Twins, going to support Rhaenyra’s claim as Daemon (Matt Smith) prepares his army to do the same.
The Triarchy ships then move towards Corlys and his men, such as his son Alyn (Abubakar Salim), who are preparing to battle. Rhaena eventually catches up with the wild dragon she is been hunting near the Eyrie, while Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) awakens in a prison cell.
Then it is revealed that Larys persuaded Aegon to flee, implying that he is going to survive the apparent takeover of King’s Landing. All of this indicates one thing: war is coming to House of the Dragon Season 3, and it will be a horrific and bloody struggle regardless of the arrangement Alicent and Rhaenyra struck to end Season 2.
Key Points
The Sowing of Seeds- Rhaenyra’s attempt to find new dragonriders among the common people resulted in tragedy, with many young lives lost. While it initially seemed like a desperate gamble, it ultimately provided her with a new generation of dragonriders.
Alicent’s Offer- In a surprising turn of events, Alicent offered Rhaenyra the Iron Throne peacefully, suggesting a potential end to the war. However, Rhaenyra, fueled by grief and anger, rejected this offer, solidifying the inevitable conflict.
The Path to War- The season ended on a note of impending doom, with both sides preparing for all-out war. The stage is set for a catastrophic conflict that will likely result in the deaths of many beloved characters.
What Does Daemon’s Vision of Daenerys mean for the House of the Dragon?
Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) surprises Daemon by showing him the future, which includes numerous Game of Thrones scenes. In a sight of Daenerys Targaryen (Emila Clarke) and her three dragon eggs, she also shows him the impending conflict against the White Walkers, as well as the truth of their battle: that the most essential thing is that they fight together now in the hopes that their relatives will help defend Westeros in the future.
This vision solidifies his commitment to his wife / niece Rhaenyra, as he recognizes that she is the rightful heir, and he does not want any of that Song of Ice and Fire smoke.
It is incredibly amazing to watch Daemon finally believe the prophecy, because when Rhaenyra mentioned it last season, he strangled her and rejected that dreams or prophesies exist. Now that he is been through Haranhall’s magical nightmare and linked with Alys, it is evident that he understands and believes the prophecy.
What To Expect From House of the Dragon Season 3?
To be honest, everything is pretty well set up. That is not to say that the episode fails to deliver, as it is another terrific character-driven chapter in the series that reveals a lot about each of the important actors in the upcoming conflict. However, the episode nearly immediately leads up the upcoming conflict, but it ends just before any of the action happens.
We watch each side preparing for battle; as previously said, we see the massive Alicent revelation, Larys and Aegon making it out of the Red Keep, and Aemond preparing for war. Daemon (Matt Smith) eventually pledges his loyalty and armies to Rhaenyra, setting the stage for the great war that will follow.
It will most likely surprise both book readers and TV viewers because the show pushes us right up to the edge without showing any of the action.
House of the Dragon Season 3 Plot
The easy response is: take action! If you were disappointed by the startlingly action-free closing, you will be relieved to know that the following season will be all battles, death, brutality, betrayal, and conflict when the Dance of the Dragons officially begins.
When the show resumes, we will witness two things, the most obvious of which is Rhaenyra and Daemon riding their dragons to conquer King’s Landing. It will most certainly be a short but ruthless invasion, especially now that we know Alicent made a deal to save her own life, as well as those of her daughter Helaena and granddaughter Jaehaera, in exchange for ensuring King’s Landing is ready for the taking.
The Battle of the Gullet was another major event that book readers anticipated seeing before the season finished, so expect it to play a significant role in Season 3’s early episodes. The epic fight sees newly helmed dragon seeds assisting Jace as he faces down the Triarchy ships that Tyland Lanister secured for the Green faction. If history repeats itself, that conflict will result in some truly awful losses.
We can also expect the introduction of two key new characters: Alicent’s son Daeron and his dragon Tessarion. Based on what we saw of Otto’s destiny, it seems improbable that he made it to Oldtown, where Daeron was being nurtured, and even if he did, he is certainly gone. Perhaps the next Targaryen will arrive looking for his father figure or to assist in defending his brother’s rights to the Throne in the face of Rhaenyra’s impending onslaught.
Potential storylines for Season 3 include-
⦁ The full-scale war between the Greens and the Blacks
⦁ The fates of key characters like Rhaenyra, Alicent, Daemon, and Aegon
⦁ The rise of the new dragonriders
⦁ The growing impact of the war on the realm
Of course, we know the series is not hesitant to cut and twist what we know from the books, so we will have to patiently await what the third season has in store and how it chooses to adapt these massive moments in Game of Thrones history.
