Courtney Balcombe – Sports Editor

clb6264@psu.edu

SPOILER WARNING

As a long-time “Game of Thrones” fan, from the books to the eight-seasons-long HBO T.V. show, “House of the Dragon” brought back many GoT memories, but also many disappointments. However, it had nothing to do with the plot of the show, but rather the yelling and screaming I did over the events of the episodes.

While I was disappointed with how GoT ended, the excitement I had when the return to the land of Westeros was announced could not compare. HotD is set to take place 200 years before the start of GoT, focusing primarily on the House of Targaryen civil war. While we do see some of the other houses, they are only minor moments compared to how often we saw them in GoT. This season focused a lot on Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen as a teenager and adult. After Viserys names her heir to his throne rather than his brother Daemon, you would think this would start the war… nope.

As the episodes continue, family drama ensues and eventually begins to add to that familiar GoT presence we’re all used to. While Viserys’ wife passed away at the beginning of the season, he remarries to Alicent Hightower, who is of course best friends with Rhaenyra, and eventually has children with her. Their first child was Prince Aegon and their second son was Prince Aemond, along with Princess Helaena. By the time their children are roughly young teens, Rhaenyra and her husband, and cousin, Laenor have three children: Prince Lucerys, Prince Jacaerys and Prince Joffrey. 

Eventually, Laenor “dies” per his choice and Rhaenyra marries her uncle Daemon. A conspiracy Laenor agrees to with Rhaenyra and Daemon because he misses battling as he was born to do. Together, Daemon and Rhaenyra have Aegon III, or Aegon the Younger, and Viserys II. Daemon also has two daughters from his former wife who passed, Baela and Rhaena.

Marriage lines between the children, Aegon and Helaena are married and have at least two children, Lucerys is betrothed to his step-sister Baela, and Jacaerys is betrothed to his other step-sister Rhaena.

The Targaryen House believes in the way of Old Valerian, which means they believe in incest, something that is not new to us as GoT fans have seen Cersei and her twin brother Jamie Lannister are the parents to Joffery Baratheon.

The king is dead, long live the king … or queen. With Viserys finally having succumbed to his long-running illness, the Iron Throne is up for grabs, and many in Westeros will need to decide whether they support Aegon II or Rhaenyra. By episode nine, “The Green Council,” conveyed, the Dance of the Dragons is beginning.

Now we all know hell is about to break loose, but Rhaenyra is like her father and wants peace to hold the realm together. On the other hand, the Hightowers want to make sure they keep control of the Iron Throne and are willing to plunge it into war, the one thing Viserys never wanted, what a peaceful man… too bad he started this.