House of the Dragon Season 1 came out in 2022 and quickly became a cultural phenomenon, scoring an impressive 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The show took us back nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, to a time when dragons ruled the skies and House Targaryen held absolute power. The Targaryen family drama spanned several decades with multiple time jumps, a sprawling cast of characters, and constantly shifting alliances.
And let’s be honest, keeping track of who’s who and who wants what could be a bit tricky, especially now that it’s been nearly two years since Season 1 first aired. With House of the Dragon Season 2 set to drop on June 16, 2024, now’s the perfect time to catch up on all the key moments from Season 1. From royal decrees to tragic misunderstandings, here’s a quick recap to get you ready for Season 2. Let’s start with a quick recap of each episode:
| Episode | Incident | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Viserys Names Rhaenyra Heir to the Iron Throne | King Viserys, after losing his wife and newborn son, names his daughter Rhaenyra as his heir, bypassing his brother Daemon. |
| 2 | Viserys Marries Alicent Hightower | Viserys marries Alicent Hightower, orchestrated by her father, Sir Otto Hightower, leading to tensions with Rhaenyra. |
| 3 | Birth of Aegon Targaryen | Alicent gives birth to Aegon, causing questions about the line of succession despite Rhaenyra being named heir. |
| 4 | Aemond Loses an Eye | Aemond claims Vhagar, Laena’s dragon, leading to a fight where Lucerys slashes Aemond’s eye, but Aemond gains a dragon. |
| 5 | Tension Between Rhaenyra and Alicent’s Children | Growing tensions between Rhaenyra’s and Alicent’s children lead to further conflict and division. |
| 6 | Viserys’ Final Words Misunderstood | Alicent misinterprets Viserys’ dying words, believing he wants their son Aegon to be the heir, leading to Aegon’s crowning. |
| 7 | Lucerys Velaryon’s Death | Aemond, seeking revenge, accidentally kills Lucerys during a dragon chase, sparking Rhaenyra’s determination to wage war. |
King Viserys Names Rhaenyra Heir to the Iron Throne
When the series begins, King Viserys (Paddy Considine) is consumed by a singular desire — a healthy male heir. However, things go horribly wrong during the Queen’s labor, and Viserys has to choose between saving his wife or their baby. Desperate for an heir, he chooses the baby, but the infant dies just a few hours after being born.
Viserys’ brother Daemon (Matt Smith) was next in line for the throne, but a male heir would have pushed him out of the line of succession. After the baby’s death, Daemon is seen celebrating the death of the king’s son, calling the baby “the heir for a day.” Furious and heartbroken, Viserys decides to name his daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy) as his successor instead.
He apologizes to her for being so focused on having a male heir and tells her about the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy. This decision is highly controversial, especially among the nobles who believe that only a male heir should sit on the Iron Throne. Despite the controversy, all the Great Houses swear fealty to Rhaenyra, recognizing her as the King’s chosen heir and the next in line to claim the Iron Throne.
The Birth of Aegon Puts the Line of Succession Into Question
Viserys decides to remarry to have more children and strengthen his family line (though he insists Rhaenyra will still be his successor). Sir Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), the King’s Hand, sees an opportunity and nudges his daughter, Alicent (Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke), to spend time with the grieving king and comfort him — eventually to seduce him into marrying her. The plan works, and Viserys chooses to marry Alicent.
This decision, however, drives a wedge between Viserys and Rhaenyra. Alicent, once Rhaenyra’s closest friend, now becomes her stepmother, and Rhaenyra feels betrayed. Things get even more complicated when Alicent gives birth to a baby boy, Aegon Targaryen (Ty Peter Tennant/Tom Glynn-Carney). This baby raises questions about the succession again. Many people think that Aegon, as the king’s first trueborn son, should be the rightful heir, even though Viserys had already chosen Rhaenyra as his heir.
Aemond Loses an Eye and Gains a Dragon
As the series unfolds, there’s a major time jump. Viserys’ health has severely deteriorated, so Alicent and Otto are running the kingdom. Alicent has another son, Aemond (Leo Ashton/Ewan Mitchell), who longs for a dragon of his own. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra has married Daemon and returned to King’s Landing with her five sons: Jacaerys (Leo Hart/Harry Collett), Lucerys (Harvey Sadler/Elliot Grihault), Joffrey (Oscar Eskinazi), Viserys, and Aegon. Her first three sons were born during her marriage to Ser Laenor Velaryon (John MacMillan), but their striking brown hair as opposed to Rhaenyra and Laenor’s silver-white hair lead many to speculate that their real father is Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) — which ultimately brands them bastards in the eyes of many.
Tensions are growing between Rhaenyra and Alicent’s children. Alicent Hightower fears for her children’s lives because she worries that once Rhaenyra comes to power, she’ll kill the boys to secure her claim to the throne. Rhaenyra, on the other hand, burns with resentment over the kingdom calling her sons bastards.
These tensions come to a head in a big fight between the two families. Aemond, who had been desperate for a dragon, sees that Vhagar is riderless after Laena’s (Savannah Steyn/Nanna Blondell) death and decides to claim the dragon for himself. However, he’s caught by Jacaerys, Lucerys, Baela (Shani Smethurst), and Rhaena (Eva Ossei-Gerning), who are furious that he stole their dragon. They fight, and Lucerys slashes Aemond’s eye with a knife. The adults get involved, and Alicent demands that Lucerys’ eye be taken as payback. In her anger, she even slashes Rhaenyra’s arm. Aemond, though, tells his mother to let it go, saying it was worth it. He lost an eye, but he gained a dragon.
Alicent Misunderstands Viserys’ Final Words and Aegon Is Crowned King
In his last moments, Viserys confuses his wife, Alicent, for Rhaenyra. The night before, Rhaenyra had asked him why he chose her and if he truly believed in the Song of Ice and Fire (the secret prophecy that their ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror, had about the fate of the world). As Viserys responds to Alicent, he thinks he’s talking to Rhaenyra about her question from the previous night.
Viserys says, “The Prince!” Alicent, confused, asks, “Prince Aegon?” Viserys, still thinking he’s talking to Rhaenyra, replies, “To unite the realm against the cold and the dark. It is you. You are the one. You must do this.” In his mind, Viserys is doubling down on Rhaenyra as his heir. But Alicent misunderstands and thinks Viserys wants their son, Aegon, to be the heir. As a result, Aegon is crowned king overnight behind Rhaenyra’s back and paraded in front of all of King’s Landing, setting the stage for even more conflict and betrayal.
Lucerys Velaryon’s Death Forces Rhaenyra iInto Full-Scale War
Otto comes to Rhaenyra with terms of surrender, offering her sons honorable positions in the kingdom. Daemon wants to kill Otto, but Rhaenyra wants to consider the possibility of not going to war. Her father made her heir to keep Westeros united, and she doesn’t want to break it apart out of ego.
Driven by the need for allies, Rhaenyra sends Jacaerys and Lucerys to check with their allied Houses to see if they are still loyal. However, at Storm’s End, Lucerys runs into Aemond, who was sent there by the Crown for the same purpose. Aemond still wants revenge on Lucerys for cutting his eye out and chases him and his young dragon, Arrax, with his own dragon, Vhagar. Both boys lose control of their dragons, and though Aemond never intended a fatal blow, Vhagar ends up killing Lucerys and Arrax. The news of her son’s death reaches Rhaenyra, and from the look on her face, it’s clear she’s ready to rain hellfire on King’s Landing.
 |
House of the Dragon |
|---|---|
| IMDB Rating | 8.5/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes Rating | 93% |
| Where to Watch/Buy | HBO Max, Amazon Prime |
| Director | Miguel Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel, Greg Yaitanes |
| Producer | Ryan Condal, Miguel Sapochnik, George R. R. Martin |
| Main Cast | Paddy Considine, Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke |
| Airing Since | August 21, 2022 |
| Genre | Fantasy, Drama |
| Synopsis | “House of the Dragon” takes us back 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones” to the height of House Targaryen’s power. The series follows the family drama, political intrigue, and battles for the Iron Throne as various members of the Targaryen family vie for control. |
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