There are some key revelations and scenarios in the Season 1 Finale of House of the Dragon Episode 1 that will not only have ramifications for this story but will also have a ripple effect throughout the Game of Dragons story. The first of many spin-offs that HBO hopes will be set in Westeros, House of the Dragon debuted three years after the end of Game of Thrones and distinguished itself not only as a successor but as a show that will also forge her own legacy. Making something unique out of isn’t easy, but the spin-off pulls it off. House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 1 instantly transports viewers into a Westeros that feels at once familiar and different.

The landmarks are recognizable, but they’re not exactly the same either: King’s Landing, for example, has a polish worn off in the Game of Thrones timeline. The gap between the two years is explained in the first moments on screen, with the text referring to the Mad King, Aerys II Targaryen, and Daenerys Targaryen, but it’s not really revealed until the rest of the episode.

The journeys and rivalries that will define the story of the prequel are outlined in the first installment, with King Viserys I Targaryen choosing Rhaenyra as his heir over Daemon, and the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower, choosing his daughter sends to comfort the king. in a time of need. These are seeds that will grow over the years, both in-universe and, as the show goes on, in the real world as well. Dragon Season 1 Episode1 ends, the pieces are very strong on the chess board which is King’s Landing.

Why did Viserys Choose Rhaenyra As His Heir?

Image Credit: HBO Max

In the finale of House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 1, King Viserys shakes the kingdom by naming his only living child, Rhaenyra, as heir to his brother Prince Daemon. One of the main reasons for this is explained in detail in the episode, as Viserys does this in response to Daemon mocking the death of his son Baelon and making him “heir for a day”. Viserys’ anger is one of the reasons he prefers Rhaenyra to Daemon, but it also runs deeper. Within the King’s Council, not least in Otto, there have long been concerns about what would happen if Daemon became king.

Viserys ignored these comments because he genuinely believed he would have a child; When Aemma dies in childbirth and her child not long after, he is forced to act decisively (something he doesn’t take for granted). One might even graciously suggest that he preferred his daughter to Daemon because he himself became king; As revealed in the opening of the Season 1 premiere of House of the Dragon, Viserys was elected king before Rhaenys Targaryen in the Great Council of AD 101, despite his strong claim to.

Though perhaps he’s a bit of a stretch Let’s say this was an attempt to rectify that, Viserys is a decent man-pleasing man and with that knowledge and the need to keep Rhaenys and her husband Corlys Velaryon on the side, it’s a close one at this point smart decision: Corlys has a penchant for Daemon in the pilot, but that will work for Viserys for much longer.

How did Aegon Conquer Westeros?

Image Credit: HBO Max

The defining moment of House of the Dragon Season 1, the end of Episode 1, is a quiet moment between father and daughter, king and heir, as Viserys tells Rhaenyra a family secret of House Targaryen. That while Aegon conquered Westeros through might, he also did so because of a prophetic dream: of a coming darkness, a winter that would spread across the world and destroy the lands of the living, and that only with a Targaryen could they defeat Westeros, the Westeros rules him. Aegon called it a song of ice and fire is of course a White Walker prophecy, a variation on similar prophecies foretold in Westeros and beyond (such as The Prince That Was Promised)? Aegon Targaryen comes to Westeros because of a prophecy about the White Walkers. a new addition to the canon – it wasn’t on the show and hasn’t been in the books yet, but it’s not entirely unexpected.

The Targaryens have long been obsessed with dreams and prophecies, and even Viserys was influenced by one of them earlier in the episode. In fact, House Targaryen came to Dragonstone because of a dream from Aegon’s ancestor Daenys that showed fire destroying Valyria. Father Aenys heeded the warning and moved the family, a wise decision as it was eventually destroyed in a cataclysmic event known as the Fate of Valyria. It’s an interesting fold for the Targaryen dynasty that gives them a greater

purpose in Westeros. Seven kingdoms and the rulership over them (whether all the kings believed in it is another question). Certainly, adds more weight to the White Walkers and Night King.

And Aegon’s prophecy came true in a way: one Targaryen was not on the Iron Throne, but one proclaimed himself Queen, and the other had a strong claim; Together, Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow played a key role in repelling the threat, even if it was Arya who killed the Night King in Season 8 of Game of Thrones. This may well play out differently in the books; There’s a good chance a Targaryen will be on the Iron Throne when the threat of the Others must be fully met, and that might also confirm the truth behind Aegon’s conquest of Westeros.

What is Otto’s Plan?

Image Credit: HBO Max

Otto Hightower immediately becomes one of the most intriguing characters in House of the Dragon: The Hand of the King. He clearly sees himself as Tywin Lannister, but he’s perhaps more like Littlefinger, someone who makes all the necessary plans. advance.

That’s true of House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 1 as he sends his daughter Alicent into the chamber of a grieving king. Viserys hasn’t lost his wife long, but this is Westeros, and he’s still relatively young: as Otto knows, he’s about to remarry. So, who is a better match for Otto than his daughter? his putative grandson takes his place on the Iron Throne.

Alicent is much younger than Viserys but was brought up at court with the expectation that she would marry for power and status; Otto may not have envisioned becoming king, but it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him that shows how willing some fathers are to use their daughters.

Where Is Daemon Targaryen Going?

Image Credit: HBO Max

King Viserys may want Daemon to return to his wife Rhea Royce, but the prince does not want it. Instead, he will likely return to Dragonstone, the ancestral home of the Targaryens. There is more about Daemon’s journey that can be gleaned from the books, much of which would make sense afterward (without losing too many spoilers, it will involve some battles and working with Corlys Velaryon), but the main thing will be what happens to him below in relation to the story of King’s Landing.

He has neither the status nor the favor of the king he once had, but he is nonetheless a prince to whom many are loyal. The bitterness here should only increase in Daemon’s absence, making his eventual return an even bigger problem as House of the Dragon continues.

Read More: House of the Dragon Episode 2 Release Date and Spoilers