7 Years After Game Of Thrones’ Ending, HBO’s Daenerys Replacement Debuts In 5 Days

Warning! Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3, episode 1, ahead!Following a devastating premiere, House of the Dragon season 3 is just a few days away from debuting the next Mad Queen. So far in this Game of Thrones spinoff series, Rhaenyra Targaryen has kept a relatively good head on her shoulders. Of course, the same would have been said of Game of Thrones‘ Daenerys Targaryen—that is, until she lost her mind from grief and burned a city of innocents to ashes.

Like Daenerys, Rhaenyra is no stranger to grief. She previously lost her second son, Lucerys Velaryon, and has yet to get justice for the crime. Now, in the premiere episode of House of the Dragon season 3, Rhaenyra has lost her oldest son and heir, Jacaerys Velaryon. Jace took an arrow in the neck during the very last seconds of this installment, so we have yet to see Rhaenyra’s reaction to this most recent tragedy. Given the circumstances of Jace’s death, however, it’s sure to be absolutely terrible.

Before Jace locked Rhaenyra in her room and took off for the Battle of the Gullet, the usurped queen was almost giddy. She was so close to the Iron Throne that she could taste it—the end of the terrors of this Targaryen civil war just a flight to King’s Landing and an execution away. Jace being killed while defying her orders when they were so close to victory may just be too much. Daenerys’ hero status crumbled away when her dragons and Missandei were killed. In House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2, it will be Rhaenyra’s turn.

Rhaenyra’s Mad Queen Arc Could Be Just As Disastrous As Daenerys Targaryen’s

The next episode of House of the Dragon season 3 is sure to kick off with Rhaenyra’s reaction to Jace’s death. Whether this leaves her temporarily defeated or adds fuel to the fire of her desire to take King’s Landing, we already know from canon and teases from actor Emma D’Arcy that this Targaryen Queen has a dark path ahead of her. Rhaenyra will develop a reputation for cruelty and fanaticism, and, in House of the Dragon’s version of the story, this is expected to begin in season 3. So, it certainly seems Jace’s death will be the catalyst.

The trouble with this is that the sudden switch to Targaryen madness has proven controversial in the Game of Thrones franchise. In the original series, Daenerys’ rapid decline was seen as rushed and uncharacteristic. Sure, losing her dragons and close friend was terrible, but Daenerys refrained from cruel retribution when just as terrible crimes were comitted against her in the past. It just didn’t feel believable or organic that the losses of Game of Thrones season 8 would suddenly prompt Danaerys to unnecessarily murder thousands of innocent people.

It’s interesting that the Game of Thrones franchise would follow this up with a similar arc in House of the Dragon season 2. It would be one thing if Rhaenyra had already demonstrated the capacity for mad cruelty, but that just hasn’t been the case in the on-screen version of the story. In an effort to keep this Targaryen Queen a more sympathetic and likable protagonist, House of the Dragon may have set itself up to repeat history.

Targaryen Madness’ Isn’t Quite The Same In George R.R. Martin’s Books

The issue with the Game of Thrones franchise’s Mad Queen arcs isn’t that these Targaryens shouldn’t behave cruelly. George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, though unfinished, certainly suggests that Daenerys has the potential to head down a similar path. The problem is that the on-screen story has been unwilling to show the less favorable sides of these characters. Daenerys was portrayed as a hero until she suddenly wasn’t. Similarly, House of the Dragon has shown Rhaenyra in a more flattering light than Martin’s works.

In Martin’s Fire & Blood, Rhaenyra is described by the narrators as being far more morally ambiguous and prone to rage and paranoia. This increased once she claimed the Iron Throne, but these characteristics were always there. The books consistently make the point that this behavior wasn’t exclusive to Targaryens, but the position of royalty. Game of Thrones, on the other hand, suggests that a Targaryen can suddenly switch to madness at any moment. Rhaenyra’s current arc suggests that House of the Dragon is keeping this going, and it could become a problem.

Release Date

August 21, 2022

Network

HBO

Directors

Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel

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  Fabien Frankel

  Ser Criston Cole