Editor’s note: The below contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4.
House of the Dragonis no stranger to magic. Between the dragons that the Targaryens ride to the prophecy that is at the center of this story, the show is grounded, but it’s a lot more willing to lean into the fantastical in a way thatGame of Throneswas not. However, in Season 2, Episode 4, the series really kicks it up a notch over at Harrenhal. Daemon (Matt Smith) doesn’t just experience another disturbingdream of young Rhaenyra(Milly Alcock); he also sees himself dressed like Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) in a hallucination, has a bizarre conversation with Alys (Gayle Rankin) that ends with him essentially being drugged, and then hallucinates another wife in Laena (Nanna Blondel). The castle has not been kind to him, andit doesn’t seem like it will relent with these nightmares any time soon.
House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
Daemon’s Time in Harrenhal Has Not Been Easy
Although Daemon taking Harrenhal was a piece of definitely-not-poisoned cake, everything else has been difficult. Daemon has never been a believer of the magic or the mystical. He scoffed when Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) explained that Harwin (Ryan Corr) and Lyonel Strong’s (Gavin Spokes) deaths weredue to the curse of Harrenhal. He also snapped at her when she mentioned the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy, saying, “My brother was a slave to his omens and portents. Anything to make his feckless reign appear to have purpose.“He really isn’t the type to put his stock into prophecies and curses, so it’s safe to say that he simply walked into Harrenhal with his usual swagger. But almost immediately upon arrival, the castle proves itself an eerie spot, leading to Daemon experiencing vivid dreams and hallucinations. What should be a victory ultimately has become a political quagmire, and his creepy dreams aren’t helping.
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 4 Fully Leans Into the Magic of Harrenhal
Episode 4 kicks off with one of Daemon’s dreams. Daemon walks into the throne room in the Red Keep and approaches the Iron Throne. There, a young Rhaenyra sits with Jaehaerys' crown on her head, speaking High Valyrian to him. This isa nearly identical scene to when we first meet Daemonin the pilot episode of the show. AsPJ Dillon, the episode’s Director of Photography points out in abehind-the-scenes featurette from the showThe House That Dragons Built, this was an intentional parallel and mirror. Rhaenyra is brought to the same room by Ser Harrold Westerling (Graham McTavish) and approaches the throne where Daemon is lounging before the two converse in High Valyrian.
The use of High Valyrian between these two charactershas always been significant; it’s a language they can use to be honest and speak plainly even when others are around. In that episode, Viserys (Paddy Considine) isholding a tourney for his heir, his unborn son Baelon. But Daemon jokes that the tourney is being held in his name, since he is the actual heir at the time. The first sceneteases and sets up the dynamic between Viserys' two heirs— one his present and another his future. The second scene digs into the complicated dynamic under the surface.
What Is Rhaenyra Saying to Daemon in High Valyrian When He Walks In?
When Daemon walks into the Throne Room in this scene, Rhaenyra is already speaking High Valyrian to him distantly. Although we don’t get to hear the whole conversation, linguistDavid J. Petersonhas stated in a post the direct translation of what she is meant to be saying in the scene even without the translations written out on screen and it speaks to Rhaenyra’s relationship with Daemon.According to Peterson, she says:
It’s been said that Targaryens are closer to gods than to men… In my eyes, you were a god. Daemon Targaryen. The Prince of the City. The Lord of Flea Bottom. I was an innocent. You exploited me and abandoned me. You sullied my name at court. You empowered my rivals. You tried to make my ruin. You put me on that throne. And you love me, and you hate me for it. You created me, Daemon. Yet you are now set on destroying me. All because your brother loved me more than he did you.
In the scene, we only see Rhaenyra say, “You created me, Daemon. Yet you are now set on destroying me. All because your brother loved me more than he did you.” This triggers rage in Daemon, andhe abruptly cuts off her head cleanly with his Valyrian steel sword, Dark Sister. It’s a shocking scene as Daemon looks down at his beheaded niece in what can only be described as horror and regret. The severed head looks up at him accusingly and says, “This is what you always wanted, is it not?” before Daemon is awakened bySer Simon Strong(Simon Russell Beale). Shielding his eyes from the sun, Daemon’s hand is covered in blood for a split second before it disappears, a final guilty remnant of his nightmare.
But examining Peterson’s translation, Rhaenyra’s condemnation becomes clearer. Rhaenyra tells Daemon that as a child, she idolized him, but when she needed him,he not only exploited her and abandoned her but he also tried to bring about her ruin. We saw at the beginning of Season 1 that Rhaenyra and Daemon had a close connection, and she clearly admired him; however, from when she was named heir, Daemon began to resent her. Hestole her brother’s dragon egg, he ran off to fight a war, he came back andtook her to a brothel where her reputation was almost sulliedbefore he left her again. She makes it clear that she knows Daemon loves her, but he also hates her for replacing him before getting to the heart of the issue: Viserys choosing her over him.
What Does Daemon’s Dream Actually Mean?
Earlier this season, Daemon and Rhaenyra had a blowout fight that aired out all of their issues. At the core of Daemon’s development as a character is his relationship with his brother. So, when he learns that Rhaenyra will be named as Viserys' heirafter Queen Aemma’s (Siân Brooke) death, effectively replacing Daemon, he leaves infuriated. He asks his brother why he was never named as hand and Rhaenyra, years later, points out in their fight that Viserys could never really trust Daemon. When Viserys died,Daemon learned that Rhaenyra was told about a secret prophecythat was passed down from king to heir, something Viserys never shared with Daemon, meaning he was never really considered an heir.
Rhaenyra is heavily influenced by Daemon, especially when growing up. Viserys noted that the two were very similar. From gifting her Valyrian steel necklace to their secret language to her being the only one able to talk Daemon down when he steals that dragon egg, the two have a close relationship. He did, in some respects, create her. But,this manifestation of Rhaenyra in Daemon’s dream exposes Daemon’s fears. Now that she has risen to the position of queen, even Daemon questions if he is envious of his wife’s position.
Daemon’s Vision in ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Episode 3 Explained by Series Co-Creator
Series co-creator Ryan Condal explains the meaning behind Daemon’s vision and THAT cameo!
Does Daemon Want the Throne? No, Not Really.
As showrunnerRyan Condalexplains during an after-the-episode featurette in Season 1, “Everybody thinks that Daemon wanted the crown. And maybe he did. Maybe he toyed with the idea of it. But really, deep down,what he wanted was to be Viserys' Hand. He wanted to be his brother’s guy, to help and protect him.” Even Viserys mentions in Season 1 that Daemon doesn’t want the throne, despite his council’s fears.
Daemon’s desire to be needed and essential to Viserys has passed down to Rhaenyra. When Rhaenyra finally returns to Dragonstone after finding the remnants of Luke’s (Elliot Grihault) body, she says only four words: “I want Aemond Targaryen.” After doing nothing for days, this is all that Daemon needs to jump into action.He goes about plotting an assassination— killing the most valuable player the Greens have on the board and getting revenge for Lucerys.
But, the resulting tragedy not only undermines Rhaenyra but alsoshatters the trust they have in each other. In his first dream, we see that Daemon does indeed feel guilt for the death of Jaehaerys, butthis dream strikes at the true heart of Rhaenyra and Daemon’s argument. Daemon wants to be for Rhaenyra what he couldn’t be for Viserys, but he also still struggles with the resentment of never being truly accepted as heir before being replaced.
Daemon’s Conversation With Alys Rivers Reveals There’s More to Harrenhal
When Daemon is awakened by more eerie sounds, he gets up from his bed and stalks after a tall figure with long silver hair. It seems obvious to us who it is because we’re familiar with this silhouette. But then he turns around, and instead of seeing Ewan Mitchell as Aemond,it’s Daemon with Aemond’s hair and an eye patchstaring back at him. For those who readFire & Blood, you’ll know that this is actually a significant hint at Daemon’s future, but at the moment, it’s just an odd vision — one thatRyan Condal attributesto Daemon having a hand in his creation. Perturbed, Daemon follows him, but the doppelgänger disappears, and instead he ends up in Alys' kitchen.
During this conversation, Alys not only reveals thatthe bed Daemon sleeps in is made of weirwood trees— trees that we know have magical properties fromGame of Thrones— but that since arriving at Harrenhal, she knows he has not sent any ravens back to Dragonstone on his progress. It’s obvious to her that he is quarreling with his wife, and she pokes and prods at his insecurities, hitting the mark perfectly. She says, “It’s a hard thing, I imagine, to give obeisance to one who replaced you as heir. And a woman too. A girlchild you bounced on your knee.” She questions if Daemon is pleased that Rhaenyra’s claim is tested and asks if he plans to make his own claim now that he is at Harrenhal.
Although it’s unclear at the moment ifAlys is antagonistic or a potential allyto Daemon, it’s clear that she sees and understands Daemon’s weakness. Whether the dreams are because of her or the castle, this is a part of Daemon that she can manipulate. His conflict with Rhaenyra is very much unresolved, and his feelings about her are equally complicated. He might have regretted cutting off her head, but he still did it, didn’t he? When the real Rhaenyra asks him if he is ready to accept her as his queen and ruler, the silence he responds with speaks volumes. It’s clear thatDaemon hasn’t decided for himself how he ultimately feels about Rhaenyra as his queen.
Harrenhal and Alys Deal One Final Shock to Daemon
Though he might have feared poisoned peas, Daemon has no issue drinking the bizarre and pulpy concoction that Alys hands him. The “sleeping draught” doesn’t even touch his lips before he’s suddenly coming to, seated at the round table in Harrenhal withWillem Blackwood, with no memory of how he got there or what happened in the time in between. Though Blackwood and Simon Strong try to discuss the issue of the Riverlands,Daemon’s eye catches on another familiar face from his past: his second wife Laena Velaryon.
This time, he is fully awake, and Daemon watches in stunned silence as a heavily pregnant Laena pours wine for the table. She looks down at Daemon, and then a split second later, we see that it’s just a serving girl. This hallucination shakes Daemon, and while she says no words, this is the first time we’ve seen Daemon deal with his feelings about his late wife. Though he held no affection for his first wife, Rhea (Rachel Redford), almost/definitely playing a hand in her death, he did at least have an amicable relationship with Laena.
In their time together in Pentos, Laena points out that she knows that she is not the wife he might have wanted, and later dies during childbirth, choosing to die by Vhagar’s dragonfire rather than bleed out on the bed like Aemma. Much like his expression at the beheaded Rhaenyra,Daemon’s reaction to Laena’s death was also one of horror. We have never seen how Daemon deals with his feelings after Laena’s death, but the glimpse of her is an indication thatDaemon has deeper guilt beyond just what he feels for Rhaenyra and Viserys. What that means for his time at Harrenhal is still up for debate, but at the moment, this deep dive into Daemon’s psyche is as fascinating as it is weird.
WatchHouse of the DragonSeason 1 and 2 on Max in the U.S.
