The Seven Kingdoms are on the verge of civil war when HBO’s House of the Dragon season two premieres on June 16, 2024. Queen Alicent misinterpreted King Viserys’ dying wish, resulting in the crown being stolen from his rightful heir, Princess Rhaenyra, and Aegon named the new king. That, followed by the murder of Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys, has Houses in the realm forced to take sides in what promises to be a very bloody war.
Even if you’re Team Black … which is where my allegiance clearly lies … it’s hard to root against Team Green. Well, it’s not difficult to dislike Ser Otto Hightower, but Aegon and Aemond aren’t responsible for the political machinations of the Hand of the King.
And speaking of choosing sides, Olivia Cooke (Alicent), Ewan Mitchell (Aemond), Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon), and Fabien Frankel (Criston Cole) were part of a three-part press conference hosted by HBO. The following are highlights from the Q&A which includes a question about the possibility fans might switch sides – even more than once – this season.
On Alicent’s growth from naïve young woman to a fierce power player:
Olivia Cooke: “I don’t know, it’s hard because I don’t see her as vicious. I sort of think she’s got a point a lot of the time. And she’s got to manipulate in order to get her point across, in order to steer these men away from chaos and implosion.
But yeah, in season one you definitely saw her as the naïve girl, and that indoctrination from her father has set in and she becomes this mini-Otto Hightower in a way. I think at the top of season two, she’s coming into her own power. She’s the most powerful she’s ever been as her son sits on the Iron Throne, and I think is sort of navigating her two full-grown sons, who are beginning to dismiss her more and more.”
On Aegon’s journey from reluctant eldest son to King of the Seven Kingdoms:
Tom Glynn-Carney: “It has been kind of exciting to sort of work it out with Aegon as he’s been working out. I think it was important to me to find somewhere to go with Aegon. And we’d see him at the start of season two with a little bit more of a spring in his step. He’s sort of walking two inches higher than he would have usually been. He’s stepped into these kingly shoes with – well, with enthusiasm, I think. We see a little shift in him at the end of season one. And with a small minor hiccup with Rhaenys, but we’ll ignore that. Yeah, we’re on to greener pastures.
[…] We’re just sort of seeing where that goes. And, I mean, the guy’s riddled with insecurities and vulnerabilities and everything that kind of fractures a person. We’ll see how long he holds together.”
On how Aemond’s insecurities and struggle to find his place within his own family influence his actions in season two:
Ewan Mitchell: “I think, yeah, it’s that drive that he possesses. He was the only kid in the family who wasn’t given a dragon egg growing up. He was on the back foot and there’s this dynamic that as the person grows, so does the hatchling and they’re very much extensions of each other. Aemond was different and he didn’t get an egg, and he was bullied for being different.
You’ve got the oldest, baddest, hardened dragon in the known world in Vhagar. She’s like so enormous she can’t fit within the confines of any castle wall. And that’s similar to Aemond. He can’t fit in anywhere either. And so, they’re able to identify with each other.
That idea of standing in the face of adversity, a 10-year-old claiming this behemoth, it’s a tremendous feat of courage. And this drive is very evident in that. Going into season two you’re going to see that drive continue, and it’s going to be scary.”
On Criston Cole’s darkness coming to the forefront in season two:
Fabien Frankel: “ You know, I can’t remember who it was, someone said to me at the end of last year – I think it was Sara – she was like, ‘I hope you’re looking forward to being the most hated character on television.’ So, let’s see. But I do think… – I’m not gonna speak anymore. I’m not saying anything else. I won’t. For me, that’s all.”
On the possibility of fans switching sides between Team Green and Team Black in season two:
Tom Glynn-Carney: “Well, yeah, you’d hope so. You’d hope that the narrative is still malleable, and people can swap and change. The idea is that, well, for me anyway, the idea is that you could watch one episode and be Team Black and then watch a different episode and be Team Green. But that’s the excitement of it, the unpredictability of it.”
Olivia Cooke: “I mean, we’re so biased at this point. We sort of bleed green and we have loads of fun.”
On why George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world continues to captivate audiences:
Ewan Mitchell: “I think the first season was shot over a long period of time during circumstances that the whole world felt. We were kind of plunged into the unknown with the pandemic. And so, I think it’s brilliant that HBO was able to give back a world to the audience that they did know. Instead of being surrounded in this world of unknown, you know a Targaryen is going to be a Targaryen; you know a Baratheon is going to be a Baratheon. And I think it is that familiarity that during uncertain times it was certainly something our audience members could hold onto.”
On keeping track of their places in the story as the season goes along:
Fabien Frankel: “[It’s] very good continuity people who tell us pretty much where we are at each point. […] You can always go to the monitor and you’ll find Tessa (Kimbell) there, who’s our script supervisor, chewing gum. She’ll tell us exactly what’s just happened, what’s about to happen. Because you know you shoot it completely out of order. So, it’s very useful. And then just hope that you’ve not like completely forgotten that you’re supposed to be out of breath, which I didn’t do in episode three.”
Tom Glynn-Carney: “I think it’s useful, in terms of knowing your whole character arc, it’s always useful for me to have some form of timeline. So, to read the scripts and take out those sort of landmark moments that you know are gearshifts in your character’s progress. And yeah, just to kind of remember where those are and how they shift you and what decisions, how that informs your decisions as you play the character. But also, it’s just […] rolling with the scenes, just being present in the scenes. It kind of does its own job, if you just let it happen.
Yeah, without the help of Tess and our script supervisors, that continuity team and all, we’d be lost in the woods somewhere.”
- House of the Dragon Season 2 Character Descriptions
- Showrunner Ryan Condal Talks Dragons and George R.R. Martin’s Fantasy World
- House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 10: “The Black Queen” Finale
- House of the Dragon Season 2: Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith and Harry Collett Interview
- House of the Dragon Season 2: Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, and Bethany Antonia Interview
- Season 2 Episode 1 “A Son for a Son” Recap
