Everything to know before watching ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2

Dracarys!

The “Game of Thrones” spinoff “House of the Dragon” returns for Season 2 on Sunday, June 16 (9 p.m. on HBO and streaming on Max).

The show was a smash hit, with around 29 million viewers tuning in weekly. But Season 1 aired in 2022, so you may have forgotten exactly what this show is about, who everyone is, and what’s going on. It doesn’t help that there are approximately 10,000 characters, often with similar names (Rhaenyra and Rhaenys, Aemond and Daemon) or even the same name (multiple Aegons).

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know.

What’s “House of the Dragon” about? 

“House of the Dragon” follows Daenerys Targaryen’s (Emilia Clarke) ancestors, roughly 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones.” Members of the Targaryen family have silver hair, ride dragons and often engage in incest. They ruled Westeros for hundreds of years.

But, by the time “GoT” came around, dragons died out and Daenerys was the last Targaryen (until Jon Snow was later revealed to be a secret Targaryen). So, what caused the family’s downfall? A brutal civil war. This show tells that story.

What happened in Season 1? 

Season 1 of “House of the Dragon” followed the reign of King Viserys (Paddy Considine). He named his daughter, Rhaenrya (played by Milly Alcock as a teen and Emma D’Arcy as an adult), as his heir. He also married Rhaenyra’s best friend, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and had children with her – including sons Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell).

Many people in Westeros assumed that King Viserys would name Aegon as his successor to replace Rhaenyra (since the oldest son is traditionally the heir). But, Viserys stuck to his guns.

Unfortunately, Aegon is a common family name. On his deathbed, Viserys mumbled about a different Targaryen ancestor, Aegon the Conqueror. Alicent thought he was expressing his wish for their son Aegon to succeed him. Alicent’s scheming father, Otto (Rhys Ifans), ran with this – and together with their allies (known as “the Greens”), they staged a coup that usurped Rhaenyra and installed Aegon on the Iron Throne.

To make matters worse, Season 1 also ended with Aegon’s fierce brother, Aemond, killing Rhaenyra’s son.

So, with two different siblings claiming that they’re the rightful monarch – and one side having drawn first blood – now it’s war.

What are the key relationships? 

Rhaenyra and Alicent were best friends in their youth (until Alicent became her stepmother – awkward). Now they’re on opposite sides of a war with years of resentment, grudges and now murder between their kids.

Rhaenyra also married a gay man for her first marriage, and they agreed to have an open relationship. So it’s an open secret that some of her kids such as Jace (Harry Collett) are “bastards.” This is a big deal in Westeros, and it weakens her claim to the throne that her heirs aren’t seen as “legitimate” by everyone.

Towards the end of Season 1, Rhaenyra remarried, to her uncle, Daemon (Matt Smith), a formidable warrior who never cares what anyone thinks, and is always ready to make heads roll.

Rhaenyra’s in-laws from her first marriage are Corlys Velaryon (Steve Touissaint) and his wife, Rhaenys (Eve Best). They’re the most “normal” couple on the show, and they’re Rhaenyra’s most powerful allies. Just to make everything even more incestuous, they’re also the grandparents of Daemon’s daughters from his previous marriage. His daughter, Baela (Bethany Antonia), is an asset to Rhaenyra’s side of the war effort.

Rhaenyra’s half-brother, Aegon, who usurped her throne, is also married to his sister, Helena (Phia Saban), and the two have kids (continuing the incest theme for Targaryens).

Is it based on books like “Game of Thrones?” 

Yes, it’s based on “Fire & Blood” by George R. R Martin. However, unlike the books on which “GoT” is based, “Fire & Blood” isn’t a novel. It’s written like a fictional history textbook, with conflicting accounts of “what happened.”

What’s the conflict for Season 2? 

Who should sit on the Iron Throne: Queen Rhaenyra or her half-brother, King Aegon?

Both sides have supporters and detractors. Choosing whether to side with Rhaenyra or Aegon is dividing Westeros — literally, since there are twins in the Kingsguard named Arryk and Erryk (played by Luke and Elliott Tittensor) and one twin sided with Aegon while his brother is with Rhaenyra.

Both sides of the conflict have a psycho enforcer who could kill anyone at any moment (Daemon for Rhaenyra’s team, and Aemond for Aegon’s team). And, both sides have dragons.

What’s up with the eye patch guy? 

Aemond has the most dramatic aesthetic on the show. He wears an eye patch because he lost his eye in his youth, in a fight with Rhaenyra’s sons – contributing to the bad blood in their family. He also wears a sapphire in his empty eye socket under it, just to be more dramatic. Aemond rides Vhagar, the biggest and baddest dragon.

Why is Criston Cole the worst? 

Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) is a member of the Kingsguard. They’re supposed to be celibate, but he broke his vows when Rhaenyra lost her virginity to him in Season 1. After she rejected a relationship with him, he then turned against her, frequently calling her a “bitch” and a “whore” in the ensuing years. He also committed a hate crime – murdering a gay man (Rhaenyra’s first husband’s lover, at their wedding) in Season 1. So, he’s an unpopular character among fans.

“House of the Dragon” Season 2 premieres June 16 (9 p.m.) on HBO.