House of the Dragon Season 2 Finale: Daemon Targaryen’s Dream, Explained

If you’re like me, you probably thought that you fell asleep and had a House of the Dragon–induced nightmare during the season 2 finale. But my eyes were wide open when Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) put his hand on a weirwood tree and experienced a dizzying vision of Game of Thrones’ biggest events. The Targaryen prince glimpsed Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) on the Iron Throne, a White Walker, and even Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) and her baby dragons. Where do we even begin?

One of the most confounding additions to House of the Dragon’s story is Aegon the Conqueror’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” prophecy. The former Targaryen king predicted a harbinger of doom long before the events of House of the Dragon. Since then, the knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. His prophecy eventually comes true at the end of Game of Thrones (and two hundred years after House of the Dragon), which any longtime fan will gladly remind you had one of the most controversial series finales of all time.

And yet Daemon’s vision may confirm a long-held belief that Daenerys is the true “Prince That Was Promised.” The title comes from a line in the prophecy that states the fated figure will save the world. After we learned that “Prince” is a gender-neutral term in the prophecy’s High Valyrian language, Game of Thrones season 7 alluded to the fact that Daenerys would become Westeros’ savior. Jon Snow (Kit Harington), her nephew and eventual lover, was another candidate.

It’s unclear if House of the Dragon’s season 2 finale confirms the theory or just includes Daenerys in Daemon’s vision. But as confusing as the event is for us, the decision to continually reference Thrones’ ending reportedly comes from creator George R.R. Martin. “I think the Game of Thrones nerds were very interested and intrigued and compelled by the secret that Viserys tells Rhaenyra, connecting Aegon with the prophecies that we know about the Long Night,” showrunner Ryan Condal told Vanity Fair. “A lot of them said I committed A Song of Ice and Fire heresy, but I did tell them: ‘That came from George.’ ” So when Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) tells Daemon, “It’s all a story and you’re but one part in it,” the idea stems from A Song of Ice and Fire’s wordsmith himself.

Hopefully, House of the Dragon season 3 will finally provide some answers to more of our most pressing questions from Game of Thrones. Namely, why did Drogon burn the Iron Throne? What happened to Laenor? And where is The Winds of Winter?

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