Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for HBO's “House of the Dragon” Season 2, Episode 7, “The Red Sowing,” now streaming on Max.
In the closing moments of Sunday's episode of “House of the Dragon,” Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) finally asserted her authority over the Greens with the stunning revelation that she had found three new dragon riders to join the Black cause: Hugh (Kieran Pugh), Ulf (Tom Bennett), and Adam of Hal (Clinton Liberty) — one of the illegitimate sons of her father, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint).
The news is revealed (loudly) to Rhaenyra’s brother, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), the Prince Regent, while their brother, King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), is convalescing, when Aemond sees a dragon soaring over King’s Landing—and then heading to Dragonstone aboard his massive dragon, Vagar. Arriving at Rhaenyra’s base, Aemond turns around, realizing that even his fearsome beast is no match for the six dragons Rhaenyra now commands. (Or seven, if Matt Smith’s demon ever comes home.)
Courtesy of Theo Whitman/HBO
As we approach next week’s Season 2 finale, two of the most important people in Rhaenyra’s case are Adam and his brother Alynn of Hal (Abu Bakr Salim). Adam is now the rider of Sessmoke, a dragon formerly owned by Rhaenyra’s first husband, Corlys’ son Laenor Velaeron. In Season 1, Laenor faked his death and fled with his lover, with the help of Rhaenyra and Daemon, leaving his dragon behind. Alynn was Corlys’ go-between in smuggling dozens of dragonseeds—people with alleged Targaryen ancestry, who Rhaenyra assumed had the best chance of bonding with a dragon—from King’s Landing to Dragonstone.
Here, Liberty and Slim are talking to diverse About the Hal brothers' roles in a dance of dragons as the second season of “Peace of the Dragon” comes to a close.
By the end of the episode, what do you think is necessary to bond with a dragon – Targaryen blood, the Force, or something else?
Clinton freedom: I feel like it's a combination of different things, because as we saw, Stefon Darklyn had the blood and the noble family. But Sizmuk was able to sense that the essence of being human wasn't quite what Sizmuk was looking for, which made me understand, “Oh, it's more than just blood – it's also the essence of who a human is.” Because if we look at Lenore and Adam, yes, they share the same blood and similar blood, but when you look at them as people, they're actually just really good, kind, lovable human beings.
It's funny to say that in a world full of heartless people trying to claim glory, they win at all costs. I feel that this is also an important factor in why dragons choose humans to bond with, because dragons are very intelligent. They know who the essence of a human is behind the facade that humans try to portray. So I think it's a mix of blood – but it's also who that human is.
Theo Whitman
To what extent do you think it's partly because Adam is Lenore's half-brother from Corlys?
freedom: We're both technically part of the same family. And there's a way that you feel like you're part of the Hal/Velarion family, and that seeps into you. I feel like Sizmuk, having been involved with Laynor before, feels that in Adam. But he also feels that kind of person who wants to do these amazing things in an honest way, and not try to kill anybody. He feels that purity in Adam.
Were you told whether Lenore was actually dead – who died off-screen – and that this was how Sizmuk was able to bond with Adam as a new passenger? Or did Sizmuk just think he was dead?
freedom: Do you know who this great question is for: [“House of the Dragon” showrunner] Ryan Condal. This is the guy you have to talk to. To be honest, when I was working on this, literally all I focused on was the character's mind, because Adam doesn't know.
Adam is just relaxing – trying to live his best life, trying to go fishing, catch crabs, walk on the beach in peace. He doesn't know anything about the politics behind what's going on. So this is his introduction to the life of a dragon rider, and the life of what's going on with Queen Rhaenyra and the rest of Westeros and King's Landing.
Even in the scene with Adam and Rhaenyra, we see that he's very cautious, and he doesn't answer questions fully. He's mysterious, because he knows that if he answers wrong, he could literally burn, right? So it's a whole new world for Adam. And I took that into myself – so that I wouldn't go too deep into the story of what was happening, and just look at it through Adam's eyes.
Theo Whitman
Can you explain Adam's feelings when Corliss comes up to him and congratulates him on his engagement to Seismook? When he becomes a Dragon Knight, and Corliss simply says “Well done” before leaving?
freedom: Those two words, “well done,” mean more to Adam than anyone could ever say. Because at his core, Adam just wants validation from his father. His whole life, he’s been striving for that. He’s always wanted that relationship with his parents, and he never had that with his father. That’s one of the reasons he wanted to achieve so much, and he tried to convince Allen to take the throne of Driftmark and have a better life—so that he could one day be closer to his father. In that scene, it was the first time he had a real conversation with his father, and it was also the first time his father, Corliss, praised him in any way. In the future, he tries to prove himself even more, so that he can have more of that—because he longs for that relationship.
He just wants his family to be proud of him. He wants his people to be proud of him, whether it's the Queen, his father, his brother. I think his desire to achieve great things – riches, thrones, servants – is all to show his father or his Queen, “I'm somebody. Please see me as a person.”
This is all he has ever wanted, and the only person who has ever seen it is his brother. But now he wants this appreciation from the world, and more importantly, from his father and the Queen as well.
When Adam meets Sismuk, Corlys comes to Allen and asks if he wants to try his luck as a dragon seed as well. Allen rejects the idea, choosing to help in another way by bringing dragon seeds from King's Landing. Why does he do this?
Abu Bakr Salim : For Allen, we see his life turned upside down, basically. Everything he wanted—the attention, the energy from Corliss, which he's been craving for a while—is coming, and his brother is getting what he wants. It feels like, in Allen's eyes, too much. And what Allen does is focus on what he's good at—working in the shipyard, working on ships, dealing with salt and sea. And that's where my character's thinking goes.
He's very protective of his brother, and he loves him very much. So, hearing that his brother is not only participating in the war, to some extent, but also at a high level as a dragon rider, is very difficult. And I think that's why he thought, “I have to be in this more than ever, because I simply don't want my brother to fail.”
Do you think Allen could have bonded with a dragon if he tried? In “Fire and Blood”, he did try – but to no avail.
Salim : You know what? Yeah, whatever I put my head on, man! I got this.
But the truth is, it’s Abu who’s saying that. I think that doesn’t occur to Allen at all. Especially with this portrayal that we give him in the show — I feel like it’s not in my mind, it’s not a thing, because it’s not something that interests Allen. His mindset, the way he was raised, is that dragons are for kings, and this kind of lifestyle is for kings. And he makes it very clear to him, he no He's a king, and he doesn't deserve a place there. So he says, “I'm going to hell. I know where I belong, and I'm good where I belong.”
Where do things go for Allen now that he's been separated from his brother ahead of the final? They're both actively working for Team Black at this point.
Allen put so much love and strength into his brother Adam, because he's the only person he has. Every time I have a scene with Clinton, we always talk about – how long has it been since [Addam and Alyn] When did we last meet? Where do we go from here? What do we need to catch up and talk about?
This is precious time. Now that there's a dragon in the mix, you're like, “Well, what's the timing going to be now? Our lives are going in very interesting and different ways.”
I think that's what's going to make everything more tense in the end.
These interviews have been edited and condensed.
