House of the Dragon
word of advice ! This list contain spoilers for the first time of year of House of the Dragon and Fire & Blood . AsGame of Throneswas HBO ’s flagship program for a decade , House of the Dragonlives up to its legacy with the serial publication premiere gain track record - breaking viewership for the web . The first time of year has come in to an heroic close as flying lizard agitate dragon , and the Targaryen civil warfare officially begin . This was the second they were racing to from the start , though they prefer to spread the season over twenty years which led to some critiques of strange tempo .
AsHouse of the Dragonsoared through sentence , the mold grew and shrank , yet the caliber of performances only improved . While some storylines would normally unfold over a whole time of year , they were condensed exponentially , so they could get to the real Dance of the Dragons . As such , several character were left to the roadside and deserved more moments throughout season 1 for audiences to appreciate them and make their eventual absences all the more impactful .
Laena Velaryon
When she was present , Laena Velaryon was just a child dream of dragons and almost forced into a wedlock with the King , a man decades older than her . However , as metre go across as she grew , there was a spark for something great , but regrettably , her sad taradiddle was turn out short in " The Princess and the Queen . " There are still some fantastic instant in Laena ’s lifespan that fan were n’t able-bodied to experience .
significantly , she claimedVhagar , the oldest and with child living Draco in season 1 , a view that would surely have been shown if the timeline was n’t press . However , that might ’ve lessened the impact of when Aemond exact her after Laena ’s death . Overall , Laena ’s story in maturity , raising Baela and Rhaena with Daemon , could ’ve been a riveting season of television – ripe with rich fictional character study .
Rhaenys Targaryen
Not every character who deserved more projection screen prison term died in season 1 , as is the case of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen , play by Eve Best . Although she is a primary character , she look at a backseat at prison term , particularly to her married man , Corlys Velaryon . This was done to express how removed from the game of stool she is , dejected by age of social injustice . That is until the shocking moment when she and Meleys , the Red Queen , broke through the story of the Dragonpit , clad in armor .
She is the wisest character inHouse of the Dragon , and it would ’ve been slap-up to showcase her more throughout . She had a few of import moment in the premiere , such as her being named the likely heritor in the prologue and her conversation about bravery and war with Corlys . From there , her shock was subtler than it of necessity needed to be . However , she is in the fray now , and hopefully , season 2 can showcase how brave of a warrior , dragonriding princess she is .
Harwin Strong
If there was one misstep during the first five episodes , it was not found Harwin Strong powerfully enough . Like Laena , he was around sporadically throughout the start but take on his end in " The Princess and the Queen " alongside his Padre – interestingly answering a interrogation book readers have had since their expiry ’s culprit is a mystery inFire & Blood .
While his death did have great significance , thanks to him being one of the best fathers seen in aGame of Thronesproperty , his family relationship with Rhaenyra could issue forth as a surprise . This could ’ve been fixed by accent his introduction and a possible romantic spark between the two ahead of time on .
Laenor Velaryon
Laenor get a far ripe result than his sister . In the text , he is consider formally dead after his buff Ser Qarl cuts him down in plain daytime with many viewer . This change is very welcome , giving a much - needed felicitous ending to one of the few LGBTQ+ fiber in the story . However , if season 1 was split in two , it would ’ve tolerate for them to show Laenor as more than a partier , but also a presumptive beginner .
His relationship with Princess Rhaenyra was a delightful bright daub in the mirky storm that is Westerosi political relation . Despite the many dangerous mistakes that were made , they always persist on the same side . More importantly , since he was not kill off , that opens up the possible action that Laenor could return in the future .
Mysaria
As for the performances inHouse of the Dragon , there are very few misses . Unfortunately , one of those is Mysaria , run by Sonoya Mizuno , because the fiber has n’t been quite developed – Mysaria is still a very challenging character who will have a orotund role to play in the future . Nevertheless , if she had bulge up more pronto throughout season 1 , then audiences would ’ve been more acclimated to her .
Interestingly , House of the Dragonchose to have her secret federal agent , Talya , more than Mysaria . She is operating like Varys , as the master of whisperers , but they have n’t utilized her enough for her to be on the same level . The next-to-last episode did show her family being burned down by one of Larys Strong ’s homo , but as book - readers know , that wo n’t stop the White Worm .
Aemma Arryn
The seriespremiere had many moments that fleshed out character more , including every time Queen Aemma was on - screen . Sian Brooke only had one sequence , and she made it work , giving a character hardly cite in the text a whole breadth of emotionalism and wisdom . Aemma was what sparked Viserys into being a more enthralling character .
Her death was authoritative to develop Viserys ' decision that came after and provided comparisons with other characters like Laena and Rhaenyra in how their nascency unfolded likewise or differently . The premiere needed the aroused weight and encroachment of her death , but it would ’ve been nice to have seen this unfold over a longer period .
Rhea Royce
Another one - and - done character full of compelling potentiality is Rhea Royce , played by Rachel Redford . She was mentioned throughout the first four episodes , designate Daemon ’s disdain for a married woman he does n’t love , and the feelings are mutual . However , when she came on screen , she was nothing like what fans had expect – she was full .
She prompt viewers of some of the most badass characters fromGame of Throneslike Brienne of Tarth , Meera Reed , and Arya . The scene was there to relieve Daemon of his complication to espouse another – presumably Rhaenyra – but she come in with all this nerveless strength that many would ’ve greatly appreciate convey to cognize her earlier .
Ser Joffrey Lonmouth
ahead of time on , Ser Criston Cole seemed like a noble character worth rooting for . That is until he come across Ser Joffrey Lonmouth , who ended up regret being so glib and high-handed with the madness - and - pity - fulfill knight . It ’s still a mystery exactly what set Criston off to pummel Joffrey to destruction . Like Harwin Strong , he could ’ve been showcased more prevalently in former episodes so that moment pip even harder .
He was in the background a few clip , like at the Battle of the Step - Stones , but he ’s not return a name until the episode he dies . braw and LGBTQ+ characters are few and far between in these narration , so it would ’ve been nice to have him and his sexual love story have more .
Ser Harrold Westerling
If there ’s a fiber people should n’t take for allot , it ’s a seasoned knight . Like the great Ser Barristan Selmy , Lord Commander Harrold Westerling survived long and would be someone even Criston Cole would have great difficulty defeat . He pose his minute eventually in " The Green Council " when he nobly reconcile from the Kingsguard , disgusted by the supposal he would go along with Otto ’s coup .
His fate is still unknown comply that instant – and in the book , he had actually die decades in the first place – so that could mean he just does n’t appear again , or he ’ll be to Rhaenyra as Barristan was to Daenerys . Besides Criston , the Kingsguard did n’t get their deserve attention for moment like this , or when pair Arryk and Erryk Cargyll pick sides . The seeds for all of this should ’ve been laid sooner .
Lyman Beesbury
One affair miss fromHouse of the DragonthatGame of Throneshad was a good sense of levity and humor . Of course , it was n’t a humorous show , but there were more comedic moments that helped emphasize the dramatic event and better differentiate type . InHouse of the Dragon , the most systematically funny character is King Viserys ’ long - winded accountant , Lord Lyman Beesbury , play byFleabag ’s Bill Paterson .
His death is implausibly important as the first death technically in the Dance of the Dragon , and like Harwin ’s , there were several tales about how it happened . Here , it was more or less an accident that Criston push him down more forcefully than expect . While his sentence is done inHouse of the Dragon , he deserved a routine more clip to show that laughable assuagement . Now they ’ll have to find someone else to lighten up the tone in season 2 and beyond .
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