When embarking on HBO Max’s House of the Dragon, the Targaryen practice of incest is something viewers have to get used to. But in Season 2, Episode 5, “Regent,” Daemon’s (Matt Smith) eerie dream sequence featuring his mother was something that even the director struggled with. In an interview with The Wrap, Clare Kilner opened up about the challenges of filming the scene. The biggest issue was ensuring a love scene between Daemon and his never-before-seen mother, Alyssa Targaryen (Emeline Lambert) wasn’t just for shock value.
“I struggled at the beginning. I just didn’t want it to feel voyeuristic, and I wanted there to be some deep connection with this woman. I started thinking about it like an artsy poem and that came because [Emeline] Lambert, the actress, was just very intelligent and deep-thinking young woman and there was a lot of chemistry. We all were thinking about how we wanted to present this so that it’s not just a gag — there’s something happening to him deep inside.”
Midway through Season 2, fans of the series are used to watching Daemon’s hallucinations at Harrenhal. He becomes frequently plagued by the women in his life, but Alyssa’s appearance takes this a step further. The graphic sex scene between the two is representative of Daemon’s feelings of inadequacy. While Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) is named heir to the Iron Throne, he ultimately believes he is the rightful ruler.
The vision of Alyssa further presses the situation. She calls him her favorite son, though she died in childbirth within the first few years of his life. Had he been born first, this war and issues of succession would not be at issue. There is undoubtedly some truth to this theory. Viserys (Paddy Considine) was not a king bred for war and his struggles to conceive an heir brought doubt into his reign. Even so, Daemon’s vision isn’t reinventing the wheel in the sophomore season.
Daemon’s Visions Have Lost Their Luster In ‘House of the Dragon’
For too long, Daemon has struggled in a feedback loop with himself. However real his visions seem to him, they are just a reflection of what he feels. His mother comforts him in the only way he responds to, telling him he should have been king because that is how he feels. But this isn’t news to the audience. These feelings were confirmed in the first dreams that Daemon had, and now, five episodes into the second season, Daemon has done little else.
He has been wasted in a season only interacting with himself when, in the source material, Fire & Blood, he was a loyal force to be reckoned with in the Dance of the Dragons. Wasting more time on Daemon’s psyche is old news and wasting Smith’s talent. House of the Dragon should advance his plot sooner rather than later. Viewers can catch the remainder of the season when new episodes air on Max Sundays at 9 pm EST.