The second season of the fantasy series launches next week

It’s one of the most highly-anticipated series of the year - and Season 2 of ‘House of the Dragon’ is almost upon us.

The ‘Game of Thrones’ spin-off was a huge hit, as it delved into the history of the Targaryen dynasty; set 200 years before the events in ‘Game of Thrones’ and 172 years before the birth of ‘Mother of Dragons’ Daenerys Targaryen, it was the second series in George R.R. Martin’s ‘A Song of Fire and Ice’.

Season 1 ended on a major cliffhanger in 2022 and it’s safe to say that a lot happened over the course of its ten episodes - so here’s a recap to refresh your memory on who’s who and the major plot points.

Season 2 will debut on Sky Atlantic and NOW on June 17th, and the eight-episode series will run weekly until August 4th.

WHAT HAPPENED IN SEASON 1?

As you might remember, the big storyline throughout the series was the tussle for power within the Targaryen dynasty both before and after the death of King Viserys (Paddy Considine). The main factions vying for power included Viserys’s daughter Rhaenyra, his brother Daemon (Matt Smith) and his cousin Rhaenys (who had years earlier been passed over for the throne, despite being the eldest family member).

Having failed to sire a male heir, Viserys eventually married Rhaenys’s childhood friend Alicent (whose father Otto Hightower, played by Rhys Ifans, is the power-hungry Hand of the King) and she had given birth to three children - sons Aegon II and Aemond, and daughter Helaena.

Rhaenyra married Ser Laenor Velaryon solely to strengthen the alliance between the Targaryen and Velaryon households; she later gives birth to three sons who she claims are the rightful heirs, although their legitimacy is publicly questioned, given Laenor’s known homosexuality.

SO WHO IS ACTUALLY SITTING ON THE IRON THRONE NOW?

In Episode 8, Aegon II is crowned King, despite his coronation being stormed by an irate Rhaeyns and her dragon. His grandfather Otto Hightower demands that the kingdom’s families swear allegiance to Aegon - including demanding that Rhaenyra renounce her claim to the throne - but declines to do so. Instead, she herself has been declared queen after receiving her father’s crown, and goes about drumming up support for herself - preparing to go to war, at Daemon’s insistence, to stake her claim.

WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED AT THE END OF SEASON 1?

The tumultuous season was brought to an end with a dramatic dragon flight which sees the bloodthirsty bully Aemond on a revenge mission after Lucerys had years earlier slashed his eye. Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys meets Aemond as they both petition Lord Borros Baratheon for House Baratheon’s support as they prepare for war; Lucerys for his mother, Aemond for his brother. They both depart on their dragons, with Aemond taunting and chasing Lucerys - but he is shocked when his dragon Vhagar defies his orders and kills both Lucerys and his dragon, Arrax.

Needless to say, Rhaenyra will not be happy to hear this news…

WHICH ONE IS AEMOND AGAIN?

Aemond is the son of King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and Alicent Hightower. He lost his eye as a child, after his nephew Lucerys (of of Rhaenyra’s sons) slashes it with a dagger. Lucerys was not happy that Aemond had bonded with the dragon Vhagar, and taunted him and his brother Jacaerys over their alleged paternity. 

His elder brother Aegon II has been installed as King after Viserys’s death, but it seems like that may not necessarily remain the case throughout Season 2… 

WHO DOES MATT SMITH PLAY AGAIN?

He plays Daemon Targaryen, the exiled brother of Viserys. He is a dragonrider and skilled swordsman.

Although he is her uncle, he becomes the second husband of Princess Rhaenyra following the supposed ‘death’ of her first husband, Ser Laenor Valeryon (who really fakes his death in order to escape with his lover.)

Rhaenyra was pregnant with Daemon’s child, but suffered a premature stillbirth after the shock of hearing about the death of her father Viserys. 

WHICH CHARACTERS DIED IN SEASON 1?

King Viserys’s death sparks chaos as his wife Alicent rushes to install their son Aegon as King before his daughter Rhaenyra or anyone else gets there.

Ser Vaemond Velaryon (younger brother of Lord Corlys, husband of Rhaenys) is beheaded by Daemon in Episode 8 after publicly questioning the legitimacy of her children - who are supposedly his grandchildren, but bear no resemblance to his son Laenor (and have supposedly been fathered by Rhaenyra’s lover, Ser Harwin Strong.

Laenor is supposedly killed and burned in a fire, but really fakes his death and escapes to Pentos with his lover (and supposed murdered) Ser Qarl Correy.

Lucerys Targaryen, son of Rhaenyra, is killed when his uncle Aemond’s dragon devours both him and his dragon, Arrax.

SO WHO ARE THE MAIN PLAYERS IN SEASON 2?

It looks like it’s going to be an ongoing battle between Rhaenyra and Daemon Targaryen vs. Otto and Alicent Hightower, who are fighting to keep Aegon II on the throne. Rhaenyra is battling to secure the title for her own bloodline, including eldest living son Jacaerys, despite questions about his parentage.

And it looks as though Rhaenys may yet have a part to play, too - will she continue to support Rhaenyra’s ‘Black’ faction, or pursue the title that she was passed over for many years ago?