The season one finale of "House of the Dragon" had a shocking end even by Westeros standards. (Warning: spoilers ahead!) That explosive last episode saw the death of young Lucerys "Luke" Velaryon (Elliot Grihault), who was killed by his uncle Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) during a dramatic dragon chase.
That tragedy only fueled the already tense relationship between Luke's mother, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), and her half-brother and the usurper of her throne, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), to whom Aemond is allied. As viewers saw in the final moments of season two, Luke's death takes that sibling rivalry and turns it into a full-force civil war.
After the official trailer gave fans a sneak peek at how the "Dance of the Dragons" succession war will play out in "House of the Dragon" season 2 — the premiere episode will hit HBO and Max on Sunday, June 16 at 9pm ET — viewers got an early look at one scene from the upcoming premiere, which finds Rhaenyra's husband Daemon (Matt Smith) discussing his stepson's death with his cousin Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best).
In the new clip, which aired during a recent interview with actor Matt Smith on CBS Mornings, shows Daemon concerned that Rhaenyra took off alone on her dragon Syrax after receiving word of Luke's killing.
"What if Aemond were to happen upon her?" the prince worries. "Then I would pity Aemond," replies Rhaenys, though she acknowledges that Rhaenyra was wise to "recuse" herself and not to give in to vengeful impulses against her half-brothers. Given how absolutely enraged Rhaenyra looked at the end of season 1 of the "Game of Thrones" prequel, her choosing against immediate retribution is quite a feat.
And though Rhaenyra is rightfully fired up in season 2 (reportedly ," the history book on which "HOTD" is based), we will see a "much weaker" version of her husband this time around, Smith told CBS Morning.
"I think [Daemon] sort of tumbles into anonymity in a way. He gets sort of softer, lazier, fatter, slower," the actor revealed. "He's sort of haunted by his demons really, by ghosts, by apparitions, by the weight of all the bad deeds that he's done...I think he becomes more exposed, so to speak."
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And as for why new viewers should tune into the show's second season, Smith joked that "House of the Dragon" is the perfect show "if you like blond, maniacal families." He added: "It's like a great, big, political sort of Odyssey really and it's violent and sexy and strange. And there are some really wonderful characters, we've got some fabulous new actors who've come in this year." The actor also singled out Aegon II's actor Tom Glynn-Carney as "just fantastic" in "HOTD" season 2.
Whether you're rooting for Rhaenyra and Team Black or Aegon II and Team Green, Tom's Guide will keep you posted on all things related to the second season of "House of the Dragon." In the meantime, you can catch up with everyone in House Targaryen by rewatching the show's first season with a Max subscription.
Christina Izzo
Writer
Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, food and drink, travel and general lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York.
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