Ryan Condal compares Daemon in Harrenhal to Jack Torrance of The Shining

In a stark difference from his season 1 suave and power, Daemon Targaryen has been in a tough spot in House of the Dragon season 2. His past keeps chasing him as his sins confront his soul. Showrunner Ryan Condal has repeatedly touched upon the Rogue Prince’s dilemmas and struggles that hinder his success.

The visions of people he loved and those who loved him back plague him consistently. Rhaenyra’s constant doubt and suspicion over his motives don’t help either. In essence, he feels completely alone in the overarching quest for power and the Iron Throne.

Daemon is not functioning at full capacity and wit since his mind seems to be elsewhere all the time. Whether it’s the Harrenhal curse or something evil lurking beneath the surface, we don’t know yet. With only one episode of House of the Dragon season 2 remaining, fans can only wonder what action and intrigue showrunners will pack in that ultimate episode.

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09/17/2024 11:42 pm GMT

Daemon is behaving like Jack Torrance

Photograph by Theo Whiteman/HBO

No true cinephile can be a stranger to the iconic horror thriller flick The Shining. Based on Stephen King’s masterpiece story, the movie delves into Jack’s trajectory in the quicksand of his worsening sanity. Day by day, the loneliness and the grandeur of the hotel drive him crazy until he loses his grip on reality and goes on a murderous spree.

Condal has rightly compared House of the Dragon season 2 Daemon with Jack Torrance from The Shining. They mirror the descent into madness as they both cannot differentiate between illusion and reality. Condal said in the Game of Thrones podcast,

“And what the interesting thing about this was, you take a Daemon, who kind of is, in many ways, like Jack Torrance at the end of The Shining, when he checks into the hotel, and whereas most of these places tend to drive people to madness, we were trying to use this story of Harrenhal to drive Daemon to some kind of clarity. We’ll have to see how that– how that all comes together for him. But on a very basic sort of storytelling level, the idea was to put Daemon through an external problem and he has an internal problem. So he’s working through his internal issues, and he’s literally being faced with the ghosts of his past.”

Also Read: A rotting Viserys shares a moment with Daemon in new House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7 stills

Dragonseeds served dual purpose in House of the Dragon season 2

Photograph by Ollie Upton/HBO

One of the major aspects of House of the Dragon season 2 was to showcase the impact of the civil war on the smallfolk. The people of King’s Landing get squished under the powerful toe as the royals fight for power. In doing so, we got a glimpse of the regular life of a commoner at King’s Landing.

However, the showrunners cleverly weaved the dragonseeds as common folk and killed two birds with one stone. Not only did they familiarise viewers with the mundane life of King’s Landing, but also introduced the subtle concept of dragonseeds aka Valyrian Bastards. This ties well with the story ahead as Hugh and Ulf claim to have dragons and join the Black Queen in her battle.

Rhaenyra has totally undone that, says Ryan Condal about the Black Queen’s Army of Bastards

Photograph by Theo Whiteman/HBO

Aemond might be a fitter ruler than Aegon II, but Rhaenyra once again proves why she deserves the Iron Throne. Her ability to solve problems, albeit with a little guidance, is astounding. She is open to hearing her council’s suggestion but not at the cost of being disrespected. Condal shares how Rhaenyra really broke the wheel with her Army of Bastards.

“What she has done is anarchic, transgressive, and revolutionary in the literal sense of the word meaning… she really has broken the wheel. She’s changed the order of things. You know, when Rhaenyra said to Rhaenys in episode two of season one, “Well, when I’m queen, there will be a new order.” And it’s like, well, nobody’s ever done this before. And putting people without at least the Targaryen last name on dragons is a pretty big, like– that wasn’t done in the history of Old Valyria. This has always been a very strictly controlled process, and Rhaenyra has totally undone that. And look, it might lead to victory for her in the war, but it also might have unintended consequences.”

The ultimate consequence of the war will be revealed perhaps in the finale episode of House of the Dragon season 2. The fandom is waiting with bated breath to see how this massive season comes to and end and how it paves the way for season 3.

Also Read: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 8 trailer breakdown: What to expect from the finale

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