‘House of the Dragon‘ has been full of surprises so far — both pleasant and unpleasant. While its inherent to the nature of the show, some surprises have left a more lasting impact on the viewers as well as the stories as compared to the others. In the last episode of the show released this Sunday, the grand surprise was Daemon Targaryen’s chilling vision that featured a familiar face from Season 1.
In the latest episode of the show, Daemon is seen going to the eerie remains of Harrenhal, as he continues his mission to raise an army in the Riverlands and march on King’s Landing. His stay at the Strong castle, however, proves more challenging than expected, with Rhaenyra Targaryen paying him a visit in his haunting vision. Here’s what the showmakers have to say about the unexpected, surprising cameo by the actress.
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Young Rhaenyra Returns In Daemon Targaryen’s Harrowing Vision
As the story of ‘House of the Dragon‘ continues to unfold, the viewers are seemingly in for way more surprises than they were expecting. One such totally unexpected surprise that came in the last season was Daemon’s encounter with Rhaenyra in his vision.
The chilling vision shows Rhaenyra rocking in a chair and sewing the head of the deceased young prince Jaehaerys back onto his body. However, this Rhaenyra was not the one viewers are used to seeing. ‘House of the Dragon‘ Season 1 star Milly Alcock made a surprise return, reprising her role as young Rhaenyra for this eerie cameo.
Show’s co-creator opened up about how they came up with the prospect of Alcock’s return and their motive behind it. “It was very easy in terms of will,” co-creator Ryan Condal told EW about reuniting with Alcock. “We were excited about the prospect. Milly was eager to come back and everybody was excited to have her back,” he said.
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‘House Of The Dragon’ Co-Creator Explains What Young Rhaenyra’s Return In Daemon’s Vision Means
Though it was a welcome move from both sides, it wasn’t exactly a cakewalk for the production team and the actors to get their schedules aligned. The production team faced several scheduling challenges because of Alcock’s busy agenda.
“She’s very busy, so it was tricky to navigate around her schedule, but we had her in for a couple of days right at the start of production,” Condal continued. “One of our greatest feats was keeping that a secret all the way through.”
However, as things aligned eventually, it proved to be a great decision to ring her back on the show. The inclusion of young Rhaenyra added a “haunted house” vibe to Harrenhal, forcing Daemon to confront his past. “Instead of warfare or dragons or images of horror, it was really more of him being haunted by people he had wronged, particularly young Rhaenyra. That’s the girl who took his throne,” Condal explained.
Based on George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire & Blood‘, ‘House of the Dragon‘ is set 200 years before ‘Game of Thrones‘. As Season 2 of the show continues to air, Westeros is teetering on the brink of civil war with the Green and Black Councils vying for power. It airs every Sunday on HBO at 9 p.m. ET.
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