This article covers the following: Failed for “House of the Dragon”.
The first season of “House of the Dragon” portrayed the bond between dragon and rider as something special that could even threaten Westeros with the equivalent of medieval nuclear war, but it’s Season 2 that has really made it a central element of the show. The current season has really sold the idea that dragons are fearsome god-level weapons that are also giant curious cats that like to play around.
The rules and legends of dragon and human relationships have always been vague in the “Game of Thrones” universe. The book “House of the Dragon” is based on, “Fire and Blood,” was written by masters who didn’t have the full story, leaving a lot of room for its adaptation to explore and experiment with its legends and narrative. Still, for as many cool changes “House of the Dragon” has made to its source material, some fans were left wondering after the latest episode if the show had created a major plot hole in its story. It all hinges on Seasmoke chasing the dragon and then forcing Hal’s Adam to accept his role as the new dragonrider.
The problem is that Seasmoke was already linked with Laenor Velaryon, who is said to be dead in “Fire and Blood” but previously appeared to get a happy ending in “House of the Dragon.” Last season, we saw Laenor fake her death and secretly leave Westeros by crossing the Narrow Sea with her lover, Sir Carl Cory. However, it is believed that dragons can only bond with one person at a time, and as long as that rider is alive, the dragon cannot bond with anyone else. This certainly hints that Laenor’s death happened off-screen.
What happened to Laenor Velaryon?
We haven’t seen or heard from Lenore since she fled in “House of the Dragon” season 1, seven years before the events of season 2, but there are reasonable reasons to believe she is dead. Throughout season 2, Seasmoke has shown more restlessness than he did in season 1, and even Rhaenyra noticed at the beginning of the season that Seasmoke seemed upset while flying around. This could be interpreted as the dragon acting out in grief over Lenore’s death.
After all, we know that dragons can have very strong and visceral reactions to their rider’s death or even their pain and emotions. We saw this when Vhagar, the old blind witch, appeared sad after burning Laena Velaryon to death at her rider’s request. We also saw this when Sirax screamed in pain during Rhaenyra’s labor pains last season. Of course, it seems unnecessarily cruel for “House of the Dragon” to go out of its way to give her a happy ending in Season 1 and then kill Laenor off-screen.
So, is this a hole in the story? Not necessarily. The idea that a dragon can only have one rider comes from the Master Narrator, who doesn’t own a dragon himself. It’s not actually known if any dragon has ever had two riders before, especially when one has been absent for as long as Lenore. It’s very possible that Lenore is still alive, but Seasmoke was so sad and lonely without his human that he decided he wanted to adopt a new rider. As told by actor Clinton Liberty DiversityIt could be that Lenore and Adam are alike: “They’re just really nice, good, lovely people.”
How this could change everything about dragons
If “House of the Dragon” Season 2 has taught us anything, it’s that no one knows anything about dragons – not the Targaryens who have paraded them as symbols of their power, nor the historians or cultists who care for the dragons at Dragonstone. By choosing a Targaryen bastard as his new rider, Seasmoke has poked a hole in the Targaryen claims that only pure-blooded Targaryen dragonlords can ride dragons and that that gives them the divine right to rule.
If we assume Laenor is still alive, “House of the Dragon” has added another huge hole in the dragon story that changes everything for the Targaryens. So far, Rhaenyra apparently hasn’t thought about this, but in addition to any Targaryen bastard having the right to try to become a dragonrider, it’s entirely possible that dragons will go out and choose whoever they want, even if their previous rider is still alive. Push this idea a little further, and who’s to say that dragons can’t choose someone without Targaryen blood?
This might be how “House of the Dragon” fixes its Nettles problem. Nettles is a relatively small but very important supporting character in “Fire and Blood” — a young, common-born nobody who claims the wild dragon Sheepstealer and becomes the first non-Targaryen dragonrider. It’s a huge development that calls into question the whole deal of Targaryen rule, democratizing the powerful dragons that the Targaryens have used to subjugate Westeros for centuries. Nettles is a lot like the Broom Boy in “The Last Jedi,” and just like “Rise of Skywalker” ignored that character, Nettles is being erased from history by “House of the Dragon.” Hopefully, this Lenore situation means that Nettles’ role isn’t being completely eliminated.
“House of the Dragon” Season 2 finale will air August 4, 2024, on HBO and Max.
