Summary
- House of the Dragon smartly uses time jumps and casting changes to build up to the epic conflict between warring Targaryen factions.
- New actors like Phoebe Campbell, Bethany Antonia, and Phia Saban bring depth and nuance to their Targaryen characters.
- Harry Collett, Tom Glynn-Carney, and Olivia Cooke excel in their roles, adding layers and complexity to important characters.
Charting the savage civil war between warring factions of the Targaryen family, Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon has employed a vastly different approach to the show's narrative than that of its considerably more linear predecessor to great effect.
House Of The Dragon Time Jumps, Explained
Here is how HBO's House of the Dragon intelligently paces the story with time jumps.
In order to adequately set the scene for the epic conflict to come, House of the Dragon has utilized an array of time jumps and casting changes to flesh out the key events before the war begins. The show chronicles the reign of King Viserys and the early lives of Rhaenyra and Alicent's children all the way to the fateful battle between Vhagar and Arrax in the skies over Shipbreaker Bay that ignited "The Dance of the Dragons".
11 Eva Ossei-Gerning to Phoebe Campbell
Rhaena Targaryen
Barring the jaw-dropping sequence depicting the brawl that saw Aemond Targaryen relieved of an eye, Eva Ossei-Gerning only featured in a few sequences before the show's final time jump saw her replaced with Phoebe Campbell.
Campbell has flourished in a slightly more involved role for her character throughout Season 2, lending impressive legitimacy to her portrayal of Daemon's youngest daughter by Laena Velaryon. Her unique narrative thread as a Targaryen without a dragon appears poised to evolve into something more meaningful, following the recent revelation of a wild dragon roaming the Vale of Arryn.
10 Shani Smethurst to Bethany Antonia
Baela Targaryen
Much like her fictional sister Eva Ossei-Gerning, it's not that Shani Smethurst turned in a bad performance as Baela Targaryen; the actress simply didn't make enough appearances to form a particularly meaningful impression during her time on House of the Dragon.
With considerably more screen time to work with, Bethany Antonia's bow as a teenage version of Daemon's eldest daughter has been promising, to say the least. The scene depicting her scathing rebuke of her grandfather, Corlys Velaryon, along with her thrilling pursuit of Criston Cole and his lackeys on dragonback have proved to be particular highlights, offering a tantalizing glimpse into what a more involved role for Moondancer's rider will look like.
9 Evie Allen to Phia Saban
Helaena Targaryen
With a limited amount of onscreen appearances to work with, Evie Allen did just fine as a young Helaena Targaryen. However, the casting choice of Phia Saban as the adult Targaryen queen has proved to be a stroke of genius. The actress has effortlessly captured the endlessly eccentric nature of Aegon's prophetic sister-wife, providing several notable instances of dark comic relief to boot.
Saban has also sparkled in the more emotionally weighty scenes that her character has had to shoulder. Despite what was initially a low-key comedic role in proceedings, she's flourished in a much darker narrative arc for her character this season; the aftermath of the abhorrent murder of her young son Jaehaerys at the hands of Blood and Cheese.
8 Harvey Sadler to Elliot Grihault
Lucerys Velaryon
Given the extremely youthful nature of his character Lucerys Velaryon, Harvey Sadler's role didn't really extend beyond a piece of background scenery for the most part; with the notable exception of slicing out Aemond Targaryen's eye. Elliot Grihault took the reins as the elder version of "Luke", but anyone familiar with Fire and Blood's canon was painfully aware that his role in the story wouldn't last long.
Unfortunately for Grihault, his charge is devoured by Vhagar in Season 1's climactic episode before the young actor really had a chance to make a meaningful impression. His charge's brutal death is easily his most significant contribution throughout his entire time on the show.
7 Nova Foueillis-Mosé & Savannah Steyn to Nanna Blondell
Laena Velaryon
Savannah Steyn turned in an accomplished performance as a teenage Laena Velaryon, while special praise must also be reserved for Nova Foueillis-Mosé's excellent take on an even younger version of the character.
However, Nana Blondell absolutely dazzled in her short spell as Corlys and Rhaenys' daughter; the only reason that the Swedish actress doesn't find herself higher on this list is the limited screen time given to her character. Blondell's scenes are among the more evocative sequences on House of the Dragon to date, with her heartbreaking death by dragonfire tugging on the heartstrings of even the most hardened of viewers.
6 Matthew Carver & Theo Nate to John Macmillan
Laenor Velaryon
Following an exceedingly minor turn from Matthew Carver as a child version of Laenor Velaryon, Theo Nate produced an admirable turn as the teenage iteration of the character, lending notable legitimacy to the formative events in Rhaenyra's former husband's early life.
However, John Macmillan's casting as an adult version of Seasmoke's former rider proved to be yet another exemplary choice from House of the Dragon's production team. Be it his closeted homosexuality or the obvious compassion for his "family" with Rhaenyra despite the lack of blood ties between them, Laenor was one of the more complex characters on House of the Dragon; Macmillan's layered performance did him justice, and then some.
5 Leo Hart to Harry Collett
Jacaerys Velaryon
In a similar vein to his fictional younger sibling Harvey Sadler, Leo Hart was reduced to a fairly insignificant role on House of the Dragon during his time as an adolescent Jacaerys Velaryon. That changed in short order with the introduction of Harry Collett, stepping into the older boots of the purported heir to the Iron Throne.
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Despite a shaky start with some particularly cringe-worthy pieces of dialogue in his first few scenes, Collett is settling into his part as Rhaenyra's eldest son nicely. The actor has flourished in a more involved role in the show's storyline, enjoying considerably more screen time and making the most of it as Jace and Vermax attempt to win Westerosi houses to his mother's cause.
4 Ty Tennant to Tom Glynn-Carney
Aegon Targaryen
The adopted son of legendary Doctor Who actor David Tennant, Ty Tennant was responsible for a magnificent turn as a young Aegon Targaryen . The Englishman's loathsome depiction of an adolescent Aegon as a despicably cruel brat was so convincing that he arguably seemed poised to become the show's version of Joffrey Baratheon.
However, Tom Glynn-Carney has produced a far more nuanced and compelling character as an adult Aegon than Jack Gleeson's charge could ever hope to be. The Dunkirk star has been one of Season 2's standout performers, bringing the various sides of Aegon's complex personality to life in absorbing fashion. The appalling injuries his character has sustained at Rook's Rest have also opened up further avenues for Glynn-Carney to build upon what is an already impressively layered take on Viserys' eldest son.
3 Milly Alcock to Emma D'Arcy
Rhaenyra Targaryen
The arrival of the captivating Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen proved to be a double-edged sword in some respects. While they have produced an impressive performance in their time as the adult version of the "Black Queen", losing the incredible Milly Alcock from the show's cast proved to be a devastating blow to many fans.
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Rhaenyra is the only living heir of her parents' marriage, but her relationships produced many more progenies.
D'Arcy may have proved that they are undoubtedly the correct choice to take an adult version of Rhaenyra forward, but Alcock's turn as "The Realm's Delight" was arguably one of the finest performances on the show to date. While losing the Australian actress was inevitable as a result of the show's choice to implement time jumps in the narrative, it still proved a bitter pill to swallow when it came around.
2 Emily Carey to Olivia Cooke
Alicent Hightower
Producing a layered performance for the ages that seamlessly captured every emotion associated with the tumultuous events of her charge's youth, Emily Carey dazzled in their role as a young Alicent Hightower. Capturing Alicent's emotionally arduous transition from a naive young girl to a ruthlessly calculating Dowager Queen was a daunting task, but the Tomb Raider and Wonder Woman star made it look easy.
However, while Carey's performance deserves all the praise in the world, the actor has still somehow found themselves upstaged by their successor. Olivia Campbell has breathed life into one of the most complex characters on television to date, producing an utterly riveting performance that captures every nuance of Alicent's enigmatic personality in Emmy-worthy fashion.