New Seasmoke Scene Sets Key War Event In House of the Dragon

Summary

• Only a few casual viewers noticed a scene in the last episode of House of the Dragon showing a dragon hovering in the sky.
• However, this moment is a build-up to a significant event that promises to be the highlight of Season 2.
• If the plot unfolds as in the original book, we are in for some very exciting dragon action.

With numerous dragons depicted in House of the Dragon, it is easy to mistake one fire-breathing beast for another. That's why the scene in the latest episode, Rhaenyra the Cruel, where Addam of Hull took a long look at a silver-gray dragon hovering in the sky, was so forgettable to many casual viewers.

Heck, after the heart-wrenching twin battle no one will even think of this peaceful moment. At the same time, it has great significance in the impending war between the Blacks and the Greens, known as the Dance of the Dragons.

Build-Up to Big Event

The dragon we see in the scene in question is none other than Seasmoke, the beautiful creature once ridden by Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra's first husband. After his faked death, Laenor fled Westeros and the fate of the dragon remained unclear.

The latest episode, however, proves that Seasmoke remained riderless on the Driftmark, ready for the next major event in the war. We will now dive into that event, so beware of spoilers.

Trial & Error

If the series is to follow the events of George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, the Black Army will soon suffer another devastating loss, which we won't spoil here.

In the book, this defeat makes it clear that the real power lies with the side that has more dragons. So the Blacks organize a huge dragon-claiming event known as the Red Sowing or the Sowing of the Seeds, which promises to be the highlight of Season 2.

Since only people with Targaryen blood can bond with the flying beasts, the Blacks call on all so-called 'dragonseeds,' Targaryen bastards or their descendants, to come to Dragonstone and try to claim a dragon, promising titles, wealth, and lands to those who succeed.

This attracts numerous fortune hunters with and without Targaryen DNA. The event turns into a bloodbath as 16 potential riders are killed and 48 burned or maimed by dragons. Four, however, manage to bond with the beasts. And that's where Addam of Hull comes in.

New Dragonriders

As you've already guessed, the long look Addam gives Seasmoke in Episode 2 is for a reason. This is officially his first meeting with his future dragon. Blood & Fire reveals that Addam and his brother Alyn are the Velaryon bastards (some accounts say they are children of Laenor, others mention Corlys).

Alyn also attempts to tame a wild dragon named Sheepstealer, but is badly burned and narrowly escapes death. Instead, a poor girl, Nettles, of uncertain origin, manages to bond with the bloodthirsty beast by bringing him sheep every day for many days in a row.

The next two successful dragonriders are the ones we've already met in the series. Remember the blacksmith Hugh Hammer who asked King Aegon II for money? Yes, he is to become the rider of the third dragon, Vermithor, which Daemon failed to tame in the Season 1 finale. That's why he gets so much attention in the latest episodes.

The fourth and last, Ulf White, appeared on screen for only a few seconds. He is the guy who walks the streets of King's Landing, steals a potato, and then sees the hanged ratcatchers. His story promises to be a true underdog tale, as he goes from being a sot to a rider of Silverwing, the mount of Queen Alysanne, Rhaenys Targaryen's grandmother.

The arcs of these characters have been changed slightly in the show, so it is not clear if everything will unfold as it did in the book. But one thing is for sure - there's a lot of exciting dragon action in store for us in the coming episodes.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 3 is scheduled to air on HBO and Max on June 30, with five more episodes to follow every Sunday through August 4.