The Most Important Things To Remember Before Watching House Of The Dragon Season 2

How've you spent the intervening year and a half since "House of the Dragon" last hit the airwaves? Practicing your sword-fighting and dragon-riding skills? Brushing up on the complex and disturbingly incestuous Targaryen family tree? Or, for those who are way too obsessive about these sorts of things, perhaps you've been revisiting the entire first season or even diving into all the most relevant chapters from author George R.R. Martin's "Fire & Blood" novel, which serves as the basis for HBO's "Game of Thrones" prequel series. It's certainly been a lengthy amount of time to keep invested viewers twisting in the wind since the season 1 finale bowed in October of 2022 (through no fault of the writers themselves, of course, as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes were a necessary disruption). But for all those waiting anxiously to see how would-be queen Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Dowager Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) would proceed after the first shot fired in the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, well, the wait is nearly over.

The days are flipping by faster than you can say "Dracarys!" as "House of the Dragon" flies towards its second season premiere this Sunday night, which means fans are running out of time to cram in their homework and prepare for everything that's to come. Even the most hardcore fans struggle to keep track of all the various events, locations, and characters that make up this sprawling world, so we've taken it upon ourselves to do that heavy-lifting for you. Take it from us: This is the only comprehensive recap you'll ever need before plopping down to catch the newest episode of everyone's favorite dragon-and-incest series.

There's a certain irony to the fact that the longest and most peaceful reign by any king in the history of Westeros came to an end by setting the stage for the bloodiest war that — prior to the events of "Game of Thrones," at least — would ever rage on that continent. "House of the Dragon" doesn't spend much time on the lengthy (and, frankly, kind of boring) rule of the Old King Jaehaerys Targaryen (Michael Carter), instead relegating his most notable action to a table-setting prologue sequence. After his two sons tragically die and leave him with no obvious heirs to take the Iron Throne after his own passing, Jaehaerys has little choice but to call a Great Council to settle the matter of succession for his awfully expansive family. Though condensed compared to the intricacies of the book, the basic gist remains the same: Jaehaerys' eldest descendant, his granddaughter Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), is predictably passed over by the lords of the realm (thereafter crowned "The Queen Who Never Was") in favor of the King's young (but, importantly, male) grandchild, Viserys (Paddy Considine).

Although the realm would go on to enjoy decades of further prosperity under Viserys, the animosity and contention established by this precedent would go on to haunt the Targaryen dynasty until, well, they were no longer a dynasty anymore. As we saw in the subsequent episodes of "House of the Dragon," there are several complicated reasons as to why the family ended up at each other's throats in a wild scramble for power ... but none loom quite so large as the chain of events unleashed by the fateful decision made during this one council. Never trust a monarchy, folks!

Of all the adaptation choices that "House of the Dragon" creator and showrunner Ryan Condal had to make, the idea of making the young Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) and Alicent (Emily Carey) childhood friends — or perhaps a hint of something more, depending on your interpretation — who grew up together in King's Landing was by far the best. In "Fire & Blood," a dry retelling of historical events put down in writing decades after the events of the war, Martin's unique storytelling approach means there's simply no room for the kind of details that would've humanized its many characters. As a result, there's not a single word spent on Alicent and Rhaenyra's personal relationship (if they even had one) before the two end up as rivals for the Throne. That's not an issue in the series, however, and the writing team took full advantage of that to enhance the drama considerably.

Many of the quiet and subtle moments between the two early on season 1 end up reverberating throughout the rest of the story, even as the passage of time eventually necessitates the recasting of both roles. One scene of Rhaenyra tearing out a page from one of their old history books and handing it to Alicent comes back years later when Alicent's father Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) delivers it to Rhaenyra, meant as a gesture of goodwill and a plea for peace following Team Green's usurping of the Iron Throne. Elsewhere, young Alicent urging Rhaenyra to accompany her to the Great Sept of Baelor and light candles for loved ones they've lost becomes a recurring callback as well.

In short, expect season 2 to use their once-close friendship as a jumping-off point, continuing to twist the knife even more deeply as enemies.

Although set over the course of several decades, "House of the Dragon" can't help but feel like an exercise in, "Well, that escalated quickly." The big time-jump between episodes 5 and 6 of season 1 contributes to that, plunging viewers in a very different status quo now that Alicent and Rhaenyra have grown up and allowed a decade of unresolved anger between them to fester. (To be fair to Rhaenyra, her bestie marrying her own father Viserys, giving him sons, and thus becoming a constant threat to her claim to the Throne will inevitably have that effect.) But in no time at all, it becomes inescapably apparent that House Targaryen has a second dilemma of succession on its hands.

It all begins when Viserys and his wife Aemma (Sian Brooke) are unable to conceive of a son, giving the king a patriarchal successor. When Aemma tragically dies in childbirth and the baby along with her, Viserys finally smooths things over with his estranged daughter by naming her his official heir. Though the pair would continue to have their fair share of personal issues over the years, the king never once reneges on his royal decree. Of course, this is further complicated when Alicent gives birth to a number of strapping boys (firstborn Aegon and the vicious Aemond among them) who, in the eyes of the Seven Kingdom, make a much more obvious fit for the Throne than a woman like Rhaenyra or her own heirs, Jacaerys and Lucerys — both of whom fuel rumors of their mother's extramarital affair, owing to their noticeably un-Targaryen-like appearances.

When the long-held grudge between Alicent and Rhaenyra spills over to their children in a brutal act of violence that costs Aemond his eye, the fuse has been officially lit.

As grounded as "Game of Thrones" may have been, it always kept one eye squarely on issues of myth and prophecy. "House of the Dragon" is no different in that regard, though it took a little while to finally build up to one of its biggest reveals yet in season 1. When Viserys decides to name his daughter as heir, the king also divulges one other important bit of information to Rhaenyra: the legendary Aegon the Conqueror and his Song of Ice and Fire. In the most overt connection to the original series yet, Viserys explains that the famous Targaryen military man wasn't driven to unite the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule by ambition for power alone — he had also foreseen a coming "darkness" from the north in the form of the White Walkers, an icy threat of existential proportions that could only be defeated by a unified Westeros. Of course, he also threw in a bit of manifest destiny in there, too, by including a reference to "The Prince That Was Promised." This would go on to convince many a Targaryen over the centuries that they were chosen by fate to sit upon the Iron Throne.

It's this very same phrase that inadvertently forms the basis of the civil war to come. On his deathbed, King Viserys half-remembers a prior conversation he had with Rhaenyra about the prophecy and her role as the new Targaryen ruler in his place. But while mistaking his wife Alicent for his daughter, he vaguely mentions Aegon (meaning the Conqueror, which Alicent misinterprets as their firstborn son Aegon) while attempting to reaffirm Rhaenyra as the Prince(ss) That Was Promised ... but Team Green uses this supposed change of heart to justify their takeover of the Throne. Awkward!

This ain't our first rodeo in Westeros, so everyone knows that this universe contains a lot of supporting characters that take on roles of varying degrees of importance throughout the plot. That's bad news for those of us who were already struggling to keep all of Alicent's and Rhaenyra's respective children straight, to say nothing of Rhaenyra's uncle/future husband Daemon (Matt Smith) and his own children born of the Velaryon line, shady conspirators like Larys "Clubfoot" Strong (Matthew Needham), and the twin Kingsguard knights Arryk and Erryk Cargyll (Luke and Elliott Tittensor, respectively) who land on opposing sides of the war.

But let's not forget arguably the most significant of them all: the common-born Lady Mysaria, also known as the White Worm and portrayed by Sonoya Mizuno. Initially introduced as a sex worker paramour of Daemon's, the ambitious and largely unknown figure takes on greater and greater prominence over the years. When Viserys exiles his troublesome brother Daemon from court for his improprieties with Rhaenyra and his own hard feelings over being passed over as the king's heir, Daemon takes the nearby castle of Dragonstone for himself and announces that he's due to wed the mysterious Mysaria. When this (predictably) blows up in their faces, Mysaria elects to travel her own path and establish herself in a proto-Littlefinger role — essentially, a conniving power broker who does all the dirty work on behalf of the royal family to further their interests ... for a price, of course.

Having an intimate knowledge of King's Landing, Mysaria lends her expertise to Queen Alicent and the Hightowers, until they decide to part company with such a wildcard and burn her establishment to the ground late in season 1. Time will tell where her loyalties will lie moving forward.

There's just something about being a Targaryen and having an uncanny knack for seeing the future. Aegon the Conqueror is by far the most famous example of this, but don't overlook the oddly prescient abilities of Alicent's daughter, Helaena (Evie Allen as a child, Phia Saban as an adult). Depicted as withdrawn, distant, and quirky, her nonsensical vagaries and whispered mutterings go unnoticed by all those around her, but viewers soon figured out that Helaena's words held all sorts of secrets and double meanings hinting at future events. From predicting that her brother Aemond would lose his eye to the eventual divide between Team Green and Team Black, Helaena's half-formed observations could've averted much of what happens in "House of the Dragon" ... if only anyone bothered to listen to her. But even when her brother Aegon marries her and makes her Queen, nobody seems to pay much attention beyond her ability to produce more heirs.

Though we're avoiding any and all mention of potential spoilers here, readers of "Fire & Blood" know full well that Helaena continues to play a factor in the bloodshed and scheming to come. If season 2 adapts the book as faithfully as it already has, viewers can expect even more of a focus on the oft-overlooked daughter of Alicent and Viserys. Just remember to keep an extra sharp ear out for whatever stray thought comes out of her mouth — somehow, they might hold the key for whatever else is to come.

Who doesn't love a little pomp and circumstance? Of all the various things Targaryens are known for — instability, dragons, and, yes, plenty of incest — one of their most under-appreciated qualities might be their talent for throwing special events from time to time. Never mind that this particular one comes after Alicent and her followers make a bold play for the Iron Throne and snatch it right out from under Rhaenyra's nose. After Viserys' death, Alicent's supporters waste little time setting everything in order for her surly son Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) to ascend the Throne as King and Protector of the Realm. Every king needs a coronation in order to establish their legitimacy in the eyes of the smallfolk, of course, and so Team Green goes out of their way to find the best possible locale: the majestic Dragonpit.

Naturally, there's just one little problem. Despite Alicent's entreaties to join them, Princess Rhaenys doesn't offer her support and remains under lock and key in the Red Keep of King's Landing ... or so Alicent thinks. Secretly rescued by one of the Cargyll twins, Rhaenys prepares to sneak out of the capital city before coming up with a more dramatic plan. Just as Aegon is sworn into his new station and charms the commoners into accepting him as their new ruler, Rhaenys literally bursts in on her fearsome dragon Meleys and upends the celebration. Though she has every chance to end the war before it ever even started by burning every last one of these usurpers, however, she opts for restraint and mercy. Many viewers cried foul at this and chalked it up to "bad writing," but this momentous choice will likely have ripple effects into season 2 as well.

When did the war known as the Dance of Dragons officially begin? Was it back when Jaehaerys acquiesced to the votes of his Great Council? When Viserys named Rhaenyra as his heir? Or was it when Rhaenyra's young son Lucerys got into a squabble with Aemond, slashed his eye as kids, and inspired a furious Alicent to make a similar attempt on Rhaenyra in the heat of the moment? That last one definitely lingers for years and years afterward, causing the grudge to rear its ugly head at the worst possible moment down the line.

It all goes sour when Alicent and Rhaenyra make their plans for possible war, drawing together their respective lists of allies and making overtures to various lords of import spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms. It falls to Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) to fly atop his dragon to Storm's End and win the Baratheon lord to their side. Unfortunately for him, Alicent had the same idea and dispatches the formidable one-eyed Aemond to do the same. The two princes meet again for the first time in years and, though the wound of their last violent encounter might not be so fresh, their memories of it certainly are. Goading his younger relative into a long-overdue fight, Lucerys braves the storm surrounding them and attempts to flee on his small dragon, but the vengeful Aemond proves too much to handle with the monstrous dragon Vhagar. Though he's clearly only trying to scare Lucerys, Vhagar kills Lucerys in a nightmarish sequence during the season 1 finale. When word reaches Rhaenyra, her stony expression that the season ends on can only foreshadow even more violence — if not all-out war — to come.

"House of the Dragon" season 2 premieres on HBO Sunday, June 16, 2024.