Relayed by Crave in Quebec, the new episodes of House of the Dragon, in French version, which takes place approximately 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, are deployed on two fronts. Since the death of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), the conflict that divides his family has only gotten worse. The Dark Council, led by his daughter, Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), has taken up residence in Dragonstone. Her husband Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan) having faked his death, she remarried her uncle Daemon (Matt Smith). The capital, King’s Landing, is occupied by the Green clan, with Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), first son of Viserys with his second wife, Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), on the Iron Throne. At the end of the first season, the forces of each group disperse across Westeros to secure the support of their allies. The death of young Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault), second son of Rhaenyra, devoured in mid-flight by Vhagar, the dragon of Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), officially triggers hostilities.
Season two begins in Winterfell, as Jace, Jacaerys Velaryon, tries to convince Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) to support his mother by giving him soldiers for his army. “Walking on The Wall was surreal,” says Collett. “Of course, the snow is fake and there are blue screens, but the sets are really immersive. This season, they’re ten times bigger.” It’s on the massive ice structure that Jace learns of his little brother’s death. “He probably rode his dragon back to Dragonstone crying the whole way,” the 20-year-old Brit imagines. The scene where he tells his mother he’s got the support of two houses before bursting into tears in her arms is one of the most touching of the series so far. “I have to project myself to a particular place to feel his emotions,” says Collett. I have a little sister, who was Lucerys’ age when we were filming… I put myself in a very dark state of mind while listening to music to do the scene. […] Their embrace is precious and feels good, because it comes after a series of tragedies. Those beautiful mother-son moments were rare in the first season. There are more of them in this one.”
The Sea Serpent’s ship, Corlys Velaryon, is still bloodstained and in need of major repairs when it is seen in the opening minutes of the new season. The man is in a similar state. “He is physically and emotionally damaged,” confirms Steve Toussaint. He lost his daughter. He believes his son is dead, because he does not know that he is on the run. His brother was killed. His grandson, whom he adored, too. The only place he feels good, besides in the arms of Rhaenys (Eve Best), is at sea and he can’t go there. His past also comes to the surface. Corlys must face many obstacles in her quest to regain her powers. » Steve Toussaint, who considers himself “lucky” to revisit his character and deepen it, is also aware that life in the universe of George R. R. Martin can end abruptly. “That’s the price you pay for being on this show. One of its attractions is that you can become attached to a character and the following week he disappears. Each interaction therefore has more value. But, as an actor, we dread the day when our character doesn’t make it to the end. »
After an uneven initial season, disrupted by time jumps which gave the impression of starting from the beginning, the first two episodes of the new season of House of the Dragon seen by La Presse are among the strongest of the series. The intensity continues to increase and gives rise to moments of raw emotion. The magnificent locations are varied and allow you to feel the impact of the conflict on the whole of Westeros. The issues are becoming clearer and more complex at the same time. The same goes for the main characters. The action – and the dragons – is more timid to begin with, but everything suggests it will pick up.
