Spoiler alert! Do not read if you haven’t yet watched the season 2 finale of House of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon wrapped its second season on Sunday, with a finale episode that left fans with plenty of questions about what’s to come.
While many fans assumed that the finale would feature Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Team Black taking back King’s Landing in an epic battle to reclaim her throne, the episode actually ended just before the battle began, meaning it will likely open the show’s upcoming third season.
After assembling her team of dragonriders — including newly-claimed smallfolk Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) and Ulf White (Tom Bennett) — to take on Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and the Greens, Rhaenyra also prepared her attacks on land and by sea, with the help of her Hand, Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint).
It will be a formidable force for Aemond to fight back against, especially without the support of his mother, Dowager Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke), who fled King’s Landing to secretly give Rhaenyra her support, and his sister, Helaena (Phia Saban), who fortold his upcoming demise after warning him that she knows the truth about his violent attack on his brother and king, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney).
Elsewhere, the still-grievously injured Aegon fled the city in disguise alongside Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) — hoping to stay alive long enough to take back the throne. Meanwhile, Daemon (Matt Smith) finally gave up on his delusions of grandeur, agreeing to bend the knee to Rhaenyra.
The episode ends with Rhaenyra and Alicent in parallel, staring down the looming battle to come. And fans of the franchise — who have some to expect season enders loaded with epic battles and shocking deaths — had plenty to say on social media about the events of the finale.
Earlier in the episode, fans also lost it when Daemon’s visions showed him a flash-foward to Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and her three dragons — perhaps hinting that she was the true fulfillment of their house’s prophecy.
House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Max. The series will return for season 3.
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