In the season 1 finale of House of the Dragon, Rhaenrya Targaryen (Emma D’Arch) spent a lot of time trying to keep a lid on war. Yes, her half-brother Aegon had usurped her throne back in King’s Landing; and yes, her husband Daemon Targaryen immediately wanted to go into battle. But she was mindful of the responsibility her father King Viserys had bequeathed to her: to hold the realm together, not just for its own sake, so that it might be ready should a great darkness ever descend out of the far north.
But in that same episode, Rhaenrya’s half-brother Aemond Targaryen kills her son Lucerys Velaryon (he didn’t technically mean to, but it comes to the same thing). The last we see of Rhaenrya, she’s glaring into the camera as if she’s ready to wreck everybody’s s**t. No more Mrs. Nice Guy, board your dragons, we’re burning the whole thing down.
And indeed, that seems to be what D’Arcy is hoping for once filming on House of the Dragon gets rolling. “I think season one Rhaenyra spends a lot of time mediating her Targaryen fire,” D’Arcy said on the red carpet during this week’s Golden Globe Awards. “My hope is that in season two the brakes are off a bit.”
Emma D’Arcy hopes Rhaenrya Targaryen will be less diplomatic in House of the Dragon season 2
As for specifics, D’Arcy could share “very little” about what happens next, but if you’ve read George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, you know things are about to get real.
Filming for House of the Dragon season 2 is expected to start this year and carry on for a good long while. We probably won’t see new episodes until 2024.
As for D’Arcy, they were up for a Best Actress award at the Golden Globes, but lost out to Zendaya for Euphoria. But given all the great material Rhaenrya will have to play in season 2 and beyond, I suspect D’Arcy may get another chance down the line.
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