The first season of House of the Dragon introduced us to a whole bevy of characters, and not all of them got to share many scenes together. Since she’s at the center of the story, Rhaenrya Targaryen got to interact with a lot of the principles, but there are still many avenues left unexplored.
Speaking to actor Emma D’Arcy about Rhaenyra, GQ asked them if there’s anybody in particular they’d like to work with more in the forthcoming second season? “Liv Cooke!” D’Arcy said immediately, referring to Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent Hightower. “Midway through season one, me and her were fighting for more screen time together. I don’t know what they’re cooking. But I would love that.”
That said, there are other characters who intrigue D’Arcy, including some of the older men in Rhaenyra’s life. “The other one is Corlys Velaryon, (played by Steve Toussaint),” they said. “I think Rhaenyra really seeks to claim surrogate fathers, and I think she is drawn to him somewhat.”
Rhaenyra and Corlys had a terrific scene in the season finale, and if the pages of George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood are anything to go by, they’ll have plenty more before the story is over.
Rhaenyra Targaryen “seeks to claim surrogate fathers” on House of the Dragon
It makes sense that Rhaenyra would collect father figures given her strained relationship with her own father, King Viserys Targaryen. According to D’Arcy, Rhaenyra even feels somewhat conflicted with Otto Hightower, who has been her political enemy at court for years. D’Arcy felt that unexpectedly in a scene from the finale where Rhaenyra and Otto have a confrontation on a bridge outside Dragonstone.
"That scene took me completely by surprise. As soon as [Otto Hightower actor Rhys Ifans] and I rehearsed that scene, I wanted to do right by him, and we didn’t plan it this way but that validation of a paternal figure factored into the scene. Rhaenyra has just lost her father, and I think she wants this male authority figure to validate her. If she gives in to him, she can go home, and maybe even be loved, and maybe Alicent would take her back. It caught me off guard, but the desire to do right by this other paternal figure after losing her father was so strong and it came in the moment. I’d love to do more scenes with Rhys, we have had very little together other than large group scenes."
All 10 episodes of House of the Dragon are available to stream now on HBO Max. We shouldn’t expect season 2 until 2024.
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