The season finale of House of the Dragon aired last night, and the episode certainly left fans of HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series with a lot to discuss.
In "The Black Queen," Rhaenyra attempts to secure as many allies as possible upon learning of her half-brother Aegon's coronation, and agrees to allow her sons to fly out on dragon-back, with Lucerys making his way to Storm's End to treat with Lord Boros Baratheon. Unfortunately, he finds Aemond Targaryen has beaten him to it, and their encounter does not end well for young Luke.
After first demanding that Luke cut out one of his own eyes as recompense for blinding him when they were kids, Aemond chases the lad down on Vhagar and ultimately takes his nephew's life when the massive dragon disobeys his commands and tears Lucerys and his own dragon, Arrax, to pieces in mid-air.
This marks a significant departure from the book, which suggests that Aemond killed Luke in cold blood. While speaking to Vanity Fair, showrunner Ryan Condol addresses the tragic event and the perception that it deviates entirely from Fire and Blood.
"Historians have told us that Aemond intended to kill Luke, but I don’t think any of them could purport to know what was going on in Aemond’s head the time. And I would also dispute the word “accident” a bit. I mean, Aemond got on his giant dragon and chased his nephew on his much smaller dragon through the clouds screaming and yelling at him, incensing his dragon and starting a fight. He didn’t know how Arrax or Luke were going to respond, and it ended in tragedy."
"I don’t think that was what Aemond intended when he threw his leg over the saddle," he continued. "But he did a horrible, dangerous thing. That is the point: This is a war of many cuts that lead to a really, really bloody wound. It adds complexity and nuance to the character that’s potentially interesting. There’s lots of runway to go on with Aemond as a character and the story of the Dance. This is his first act as a dragon rider and a warrior and it’s gone very wrong. Now what happens as a result, and how does he respond? Those are the questions I’m interested in as dramatist."
Well, we have a pretty good idea of how Rhaenyra is going to respond after he death of her beloved so: The Dance of the Dragons is coming.
What did you guys make of the season finale of House of the Dragon? How do you feel about the slight character alterations we've seen in the show?