Contrary to expectations, the final two episodes of the second season of House of the Dragon did not feature any war scenes. Instead, they focused on setting the stage for the epic battles to come in season 3. While some fans who appreciate the show’s intrigue and political maneuverings may not be disappointed, others who were eagerly anticipating more action, particularly involving dragons, may feel let down. This season is based on the first book in George R. R. Martin’s two-volume Targaryen history, Fire & Blood.
In comparison to the book, the events in House of the Dragon: Season 2 Episode 8 are portrayed differently.
The Imprisonment of Otto Hightower
In the Season 2 finale, Otto Hightower, who had previously been dismissed from his role as Aegon II’s Hand of the King in the second episode of the season, made his on-screen debut. However, instead of engaging in his usual political schemes, he was shown to be imprisoned in a dungeon cell. While his exact location in the finale is unclear, it is clear that he is being held captive by someone.
Just as depicted in the show, Otto was relieved of his duties by Aegon in the book. However, he chose to stay in King’s Landing even after Rhaenyra and Daemon fled and looted the city, ultimately leading to the Fall of King’s Landing and Rhaenyra’s eventual rise to the Iron Throne.
At this point, Rhaenyra set an example with Otto Hightower. Instead of showing him sympathy, she commanded for his beheading, which was carried out, although the identity of the executioner remained unclear.
Despite being imprisoned and not at King’s Landing, Otto’s fate in the show will diverge greatly from what it was originally.
Alicent’s Journey to Dragonstone
In House of the Dragon, the relationship between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower was a significant departure from the one portrayed in Fire & Blood, which had been the most significant change since the series premiered in 2022. In the novel and the show, there was a notable age difference between the two women and they were never particularly close. However, it was evident from the start in House of the Dragon that Rhaenyra and Alicent shared a deep bond, before their families’ feud ultimately tore them apart.
Despite being caught secretly meeting with Alicent in King’s Landing, it was evident to the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms that Rhaenyra desired to bring an end to the war without any loss of life.
To make it clear, the book does not mention any instance of Alicent visiting Dragonstone or reciprocating Rhaenyra’s favor. There were no secret meetings or attempts to stop the war between Rhaenyra and Alicent, not even once. Moreover, it is evident that Alicent never approached Rhaenyra to plead for mercy from her and Helaena’s retribution.
Additionally, Rhaenyra remained unaware of Aemond’s plan to desert King’s Landing and head towards the Riverlands, which ultimately led to her devising a strategy to conquer the city and claim the throne.
Despite the highly improbable nature of the event, there is a slight possibility that the events unfolded in the same manner in the book’s canon.
Daemon’s Vision in Harrenhal
Daemon’s transformation in the second season of House of the Dragon was largely influenced by his visions and hallucinations during his time at Harrenhal.
In the show, Alys Rivers was portrayed as the cause of Daemon’s visions. However, the book reveals that Daemon was not affected by her powers and was not troubled by visions. In fact, many believed that he was immune to her abilities as they had no effect on him.
As a result, Daemon’s continuous struggle with being at Harrenhal may have been quite unappealing to certain viewers.
Despite the lack of visions in the book, Daemon has never heard of or seen the White Walkers, Bloodraven, or Daenerys Targaryen. He had no visions of the future, but this did not change the fact that he was unfamiliar with these figures.
Rhaena and Sheepstealer
Rhaena was exhilarated by the sight of the dragon rampaging through the Vale, setting fire to and consuming every sheep in its path during the Season 2 finale of House of the Dragon.
There are two additional wild dragons in Westeros, the Cannibal and the Grey Ghost. The dragon known as Sheepstealer is also among them.
Following the Sowing of the Seeds, Sheepstealer is immediately claimed in the book, making it impossible to witness him flying riderless around the Vale.
Jacaerys’s Disdain for the New Dragonriders
The Season 2 finale of House of the Dragon saw Jacaerys visibly enraged by Rhaenyra’s new Dragonriders. Being a bastard himself, he viewed them in the same light and felt that their skill in riding dragons diminished his own worth.
Contrary to what some may believe, it was not Rhaenyra and Mysaria who came up with the plan for bastards to claim the dragons on Dragonstone in the book. In fact, it was Jace himself who devised the strategy, and he was far from upset when they ultimately succeeded. On the contrary, he was quite pleased with the outcome.
In the novel, Jace took great pride in leading the group in the name of Rhaenyra when Hugh, Addam, Ulf, and Nettles acquired their dragons. For example, he courageously led the newly formed group of Dragonriders into the Battle of the Gullet, which was one of the earliest significant events after the Sowing of the Seeds. However, in the show, Jace’s attitude towards the group is not reflective of his behavior in the book, making his disdain towards them a bit unsettling.
House Of The Dragon is a title and proper name so everything will be left unchanged.
The upcoming HBO series House of the Dragon serves as a prequel to the popular show Game of Thrones and is adapted from George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.
Three hundred years prior to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will depict the Targaryen family’s reign over Westeros before the extinction of dragons. The show will chronicle the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, in which siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra fought for the throne following the passing of their father, Viserys I.
The television series is led by Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Craney as Aegon II Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, and Graham McTavish, with Ryan Condall and Miguel Sapochnik as directors.
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