‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2: Damon’s Harrenhal Visions Explored and Why He Can’t See a Key Character
Contains spoilers and speculation
Los Angeles, California: ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Episode 5 premiered on July 14, 2024 on HBO. The engrossing episode continued Daemon Targaryen’s (Matt Smith) gruesome struggle at the cursed castle of Harrenhal.
Daemon came to Harrenhal to build an army that could march on King’s Landing and seize the throne. His motives remain unclear to the audience though, and he seems to be conflicted about whether to become king himself or help his wife Rhaeny Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) take the throne.
His vague ambition and guilt for all his previous cruel deeds seem to manifest in the castle in the form of hallucinations. Here’s a look at his hallucinations.
Decoding Demon’s Hallucinations in ‘House of the Dragon’
Daemon Targaryen encounters ghostly visions at Harrenhal (@hbo).
Daemon Targaryen has been convicted of some of the most heinous acts in the past. He sees a smaller version of Rhaenyra Targaryen, played by Millie Alcock, at Harrenhal as she holds and sews up the head of Prince Jaerys. Daemon is being blamed for the death of Prince Xhaerys and that guilt manifests itself in the form of these hallucinations.
He also sees his ex-wife Layna Valerione (Nanna Blondell) who died giving birth to their third child. Daemon subconsciously blames himself for the death. In this episode, he sees his mother Alyssa Targaryen with whom he becomes sexually intimate. His mother tells him that he is the rightful heir to the throne.
After falling out with his wife, he may be harboring thoughts of becoming king himself and sitting on the Iron Throne. She no longer likes to be called King Consort and prefers to be addressed as King.
Damon has yet to see Lady Rhea Royce
A still from the series ‘House of the Dragon’ (@hbo)
In one of his most heinous acts yet, Damon kills his wife Lady Rhea Royce (Rachel Redford) but he still hasn’t had his vision. He may feature in one of the later episodes of the season.
It could also be that he pleaded not guilty to killing Rhea Royce because he was not in a happy marriage with her but it seems, the haunted castle of Harrenhall will play tricks on him and Rhea Royce should be addressed by the makers in some form on the show.
What will happen to Daemon Targaryen in ‘House of the Dragon’?
A still from the series ‘House of the Dragon’ (@hbo)
It has been repeated multiple times in the show that Harrenhal and the Riverlands hold the key to the war and that Amond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) who is now the Prince Regent is keen to take over Harrenhal.
When Prince Amond tries to take Harrenhal, he leaves King’s Landing open to the Rahenira and daemons. The Battle of Harrenhall was not over, however.
Alice Rivers (Gail Rankin) predicts that Daemon will die at Harrenhal and the prediction comes true as Daemon and Amond kill each other in battle.
How to Stream ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2?
A still from ‘House of the Dragon’ (@hbo)
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 premiered on HBO Max on Sunday, June 16, 2024, with new episodes dropping every Sunday.
To watch the series, you need a maximum subscription. The streaming platform usually offers three packages that you can choose from depending on your budget. Low-cost plans that support ads cost $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually The second package, which does not support ads, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99 annually. Meanwhile, a third package titled Ultimate Ad-Free costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually.
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Trailer
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Episodes 1-5 are streaming on HBO