House of the Dragon star Emma D'Arcy reveals that they have demanded one change for Rhaenyra heading into season 3. Serving as a spinoff of Game of Thrones and based on George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the HBO fantasy show premiered in 2022, chronicling the onset of the Targaryen civil war as the friendship between Rhaenyra and Alicent (Olivia Cooke) disintegrates. After returning for season 2 earlier this year, House of the Dragon season 3 was confirmed to be in development, with Rhaenyra and her allies poised to take the war to the Red Keep.
During a recent interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, D'Arcy, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, addresses what they hope to see from Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon season 3. According to the actor, their request is actually a pretty straightforward one: they want a weapon. Check out D'Arcy's full comment below in which they express jealousy that the male characters in the show all have swords to hold onto as they film scenes:
The petition I’ve put in is I want a weapon. Like it’s getting ridiculous. I don’t even mind if it’s like a little dagger, a short sword. I don’t really care. All the men in the show don’t have to worry about where they put their hands because they’re constantly holding the pommel of their sword. That obviously sounds like innuendo and you can do with that what you will but that is true. And all the rest of us are going, “Where do we put our f--king hands?”
Anyway, next year one hand is going to be taken care of. That’s what I want. I want a sword and I’ve been really clear about that with Ryan and I think that’s happening.
How Season 2 Sets Up Rhaenyra's Season 3 Story
Image via Max Considering where the House of the Dragon season 2 finale leaves most of the main characters, it would certainly make sense to see Rhaenyra with a sword in season 3. The season ends with Alicent and Rhaenyra having a secret meeting and agreeing that, when Rhaenyra takes the Red Keep, she will spare Alicent's children, except for Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney). The season ends with Rhaenyra and her allies, including a resolved Prince Daemon (Matt Smith), preparing to fly off to war.
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If Rhaenyra and her forces will be flying to King's Landing to wage war in season 3, it would be in-character for her to carry a sword. Even though much of Rhaenyra's fighting will be done on the back of her dragon, Syrax, a sword is still standard battle gear. As seen in the chart below, the House of the Dragon season 2 reviews were largely positive, but the show has been dragging out its central conflict. That is seemingly set to change in season 3 as two opposing forces collide in open combat.
Season | Rotten Tomatoes Critics' Score | Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score |
1 | 90% | 83% |
2 | 83% | 73% |
House Of The Dragon's Future Explained
What The Release Timeline Looks Like For The Show's Final Seasons
Game of Thrones ran for a total of eight seasons, adapting the events of five novels. House of the Dragon, on the other hand, is adapting the events of only one novel. In contrast to the Game of Thrones series, Fire & Blood reads more as a history text that provides a more macro view of the Targaryen civil war and its general timeline, with showrunner Ryan Condal having thus far broken this larger conflict into more manageable chunks.
Game of Thrones surpassed Martin's novels sometime around season 5. The author is currently still working on the anticipated sixth book, The Winds of Winter .
It is now confirmed that Condal will take four seasons to cover the entirety of Fire & Blood. Season 3 doesn't yet have an official release date, but it is expected to start filming in the first half of 2025, meaning it will very likely not premiere until 2026. If season 4 follows this same pattern, audiences can expect House of the Dragon to conclude in 2028, though it could well be 2029 if any delays are encountered.
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As far as how many episodes each remaining House of the Dragon season will have, it's expected that season 3 will feature only eight episodes, just as season 2 did. This is down from the 10 episodes of season 1, the same number that most Game of Thrones seasons had up until season 7. It's currently unknown whether season 4 will also feature eight episodes or if the number will drop further still due to budgetary restraints as the conflicts become bigger.
Our Take On D'Arcy's Rhaenyra Request In House Of The Dragon Season 3
Rhaenyra Should Get In On The Action
D'Arcy continues to be one of the best parts of the House of the Dragon cast, but Rhaenyra did feel somewhat restrained and contained in season 2. It would be great to see this character become more active in season 3, especially in a physical sense, as she takes her fight to King's Landing. D'Arcy has shown great range as a performer, but season 2 takes limited advantage of this, with the character stuck in something of a holding pattern as chess pieces move around her.
But Rhaenyra also seems poised for more moments of violence moving forward as characters like Aemond and Aegon push her beyond her limits.
The scenes between Rhaenyra and Alicent in season 2 were highlights of the entire sophomore outing, and seeing how the dynamic evolves between these two characters will hopefully remain a major part of season 3 and beyond. But Rhaenyra also seems poised for more moments of violence moving forward as characters like Aemond and Aegon push her beyond her limits. Many questions remain about what's next for Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon season 3, but it certainly looks like D'Arcy could end up getting a new prop.
Source: Josh Horowitz
Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.
Release Date August 21, 2022
Main Genre Adventure
Network HBO Max
Seasons 4
Directors Miguel Sapochnik , Clare Kilner , Alan Taylor , Greg Yaitanes , Geeta Vasant Patel , Andrij Parekh
English (US) ·