House of the Dragon’s latest episode thrilled fans, who have a wide range of reactions to the brewing love triangle involving Princess Rhaenyra.
WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 1 episode 4!
House of the Dragon episode 4 finally unveiled Rhaenyra Targaryen succumbing to the passions of romance, and Game of Thrones fans are here for the brewing drama. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set some 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The HBO show depicts the unraveling of the powerful House Targaryen and how the quest for power destroyed a family and a kingdom. Paddy Considine stars as King Viserys I, Matt Smith as his younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen, and Milly Alcock as the young Princess Rhaenyra. Other cast members include Rhys Ifans, Emily Carey, Steve Toussaint, and Eve Best.
In Sunday night’s episode, entitled “King of the Narrow Sea,” Prince Daemon returns to King’s Landing after his heroic victory against the Crabfeeder in the Stepstones. He sneaks Rhaenyra out one evening and takes her through the city, until they end up in a brothel. The night leads to uncle and niece sharing a steamy moment, but the two stop before anything can happen. Confused, Rhaenyra returns to her chambers and invites her Kingsguard, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) to share her bed. While this love triangle was written in Martin’s books, Game of Thrones fans couldn’t hide their excitement seeing it finally play out on screen.
After the episode, fans took to Twitter to discuss what happened between Daemon, Rhaenyra, and Ser Criston. Seeds of this love triangle have been placed in the series’ first installments, and to see it culminating in an entire episode last Sunday no doubt thrilled viewers. Many rooted for Daemon, who obviously wanted to get his hands on his niece and the Iron Throne, while many also noted that Criston was a fine lover for the princess. Check out some of the most animated fan discussions on Twitter below:
Since House of the Dragon episode 1, the show has teased the chemistry between Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen, even though the two are related. Targaryens are known for keeping their royal bloodline pure by marrying their relatives, so the pair getting together is not an issue in Westeros. Ser Criston Cole, however, is a Kingsguard, and can take no titles, lands, or a wife. Of course, it’s not a question of who Rhaenyra ultimately ends up with. Readers of Martin’s Fire & Blood already know the fate of Rhaenyra and how the Targaryen civil war will play out, and the series will likely be faithful to the book.
Still, Sunday’s House of the Dragon episode was a treat for Game of Thrones fans, with all its familiar drama, intrigue, and underlying political themes. It was also brilliantly played by the lead actors, who are now being praised by fans in much the same way as the original show’s cast members. If there were doubts about how the prequel will fare against its mega-successful predecessor, viewership and reviews prove that it’s now becoming a much-loved and discussed series in its own right.
Source: Twitter (see links above)
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