We had to say some gut-wrenching goodbyes in the last episode of House of the Dragon, “The Princess and the Queen.” This story takes place in a world created by George R.R. Martin, so anybody can go at any moment.
Ryan Corr, who played Harwin Strong until he was murdered in Episode 6, sat down with Insider to discuss the small but impactful role he played. “We always knew Harwin had a limited time in the series,” he said. “I spoke with at the start about trying to create maximum impact. I remember Ryan speaking to me about the Red Viper, Pedro Pascal’s character in the first series and how he was only there for a limited time, but his resonance through the series lasted.”
Pedro Pascal appeared as Oberyn Martell for fewer than 10 episodes but is one of the highlights of the entire eight-season run of Game of Thrones. Corr only appeared in four episodes but made his mark. Fans latched on to a tiny moment in episode three, where Harwin stares lustfully at Rhaenyra when she returns from the woods covered in the blood of a boar she killed.
"Harwin being a hunter and a knight of the realm, I think coming back and seeing Rhaenyra having slaughtered a boar was rather impressive to him. I was still amazed at people’s reaction to him looking over a skinned rabbit at the woman. But hey, you can’t pick these things sometimes."
Harwin Strong had a “twin flame” love for Rhaenyra Targaryen
In Episode 6, we learn that Harwin is the father of Rhaenyra’s children, but we never got to see how their affair began, or many intimate moments between the characters. We do see that Harwin loves the children and tries to spend a lot of time with them despite them thinking Laenor is their father. Harwin, Rhaenyra and Laenor get along very well considering the complications of their situation, not to mention the danger it could put them in.
“We set out to really have people champion that love story and champion Harwin’s love for his children,” Corr said. “I had ideas of ruminating in my head about how physical strength is one thing, and of course he’s a very strong knight and they call him ‘Breakbones’ – but I think strength can also manifest in a number of other ways.”
And break bones Harwin does when he lays the smack down on Criston Cole’s face after Criston goads him about being the father of Rhaenyra’s children. This moment shows that Harwin is a man who will defend the honor of his lover and his children and he is willing to spill blood to do it. “We have this side of the father that’s obviously very doting over his children and happy to step back,” Corr said. “And we need to see the other side to Harwin which is this very strong and potentially very violent man who has the ability to create destruction. We really wanted to tread that line of having both a man of honor that’s there for his family and based in love and has found a twin flame with Rhaenyra, but that also can be very dangerous and volatile.”
"For an audience to believe us, we have to show all sides of the character. So we spoke about that in great detail and Miguel and Ryan also made it paramount that Harwin very much loves Rhaenyra. He lives his life in service of this love and of his family."
One of the drawbacks of all the time jumps on House of the Dragon is that we don’t always get to see the full picture of things. While the show did a decent job portraying Harwin’s love for his family, I couldn’t help but want more. Depending on the direction Ryan Condal and company want to take this show, I feel like flashbacks could be a useful tool in bridging some of the gaps. Perhaps when Jacaerys or Lucerys are facing adversity, we could see them remember a moment when Harwin gave them advice. I know flashbacks are controversial but I think they could work if used correctly.
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