Refreshingly Flawed and Complex Women Run House of the Dragon Season 2

By Gillian Bennett  |  July 19, 2024 | 12:15pm
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Refreshingly Flawed and Complex Women Run House of the Dragon Season 2
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Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) may be the official king. Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) may be the regent, ruling in Aegon’s stead after trying to kill his own brother, and scheming with the new Hand, Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). And Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) might be seeking revenge for his wife-slash-niece-slash-queen after what happened to Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) last season. But despite all this, it’s the women who hold the power this season. 

For starters, House of the Dragon’s second season is thankfully spending more time developing Daemon’s daughters from his marriage with Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell), the formidable Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell). So far, Rhaena has been more absent than her sister after the unfortunate death of her betrothed, but at least her new position protecting Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) youngest children leaves the door open for a much larger role in the future. 

But while her sister sits in near-exile, Baela is getting bolder. She’s escaping the restraints inadvertently placed on her by being solely Daemon’s child, and not that of the true queen’s. Although I loathe to relegate women to their husbands, it does help that Jace (Harry Collett) is so willing to let her fight alongside him. After all, the Game of Thrones universe is still rather archaic, and women will never fully escape the bounds set by the men in their lives. That said, Baela is now being granted more agency from Rhaenyra, like when she acts as a de-facto spy for House Black, perusing enemy moves from the sky above atop her dragon. 

Still, Baela struggles to fully convince Rhaenyra to let her roam free and fight for her. House Black may be very female-forward when it comes to its leadership, but Rhaenyra has already lost so much. The rightful heir has been hesitant to let any of the children turn themselves into soldiers, especially Jace; he is her last tie to a more peaceful time, her last tie to Lucerys, and her last tie to her secret(ish) lover, Harwin Strong. If Jace died fighting in Rhaenyra’s name, it would be difficult to see a way out of the suffering that would cause her. So instead, she sends Baela to carry their banner, not as one of her own daughters but as a fearless soldier and dragonrider. And it’s clear that Baela recognizes this dynamic as well, taking advantage of Rhaenyra’s easy trust and leniency to carry out actions otherwise forbidden for her own husband. They share a type of understanding, one that allows Rhaenyra to protect those closest to her heart while trusting Baela to honor her wishes as essentially her chosen sword. 

In fact, the relationship Rhaenyra shares with Baela rings similarly to the dynamic fostered between Rhaenyra and Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best)—the queen who should’ve been, and the queen who always will be in our hearts. In the end, both of these women are willing to carry out the wishes and dreams of the rightful heir, all in service of seating a woman on the Iron Throne. 

In Rhaenys’ dragon showdown against Aegon and Aemond, the blonde terror-brothers both avidly seek to have their dragons attack not only Rhaenys, but everyone in their path. Aegon and Aemond give the “Dracarys” command, meaning “Dragonfire,” bringing with them total destruction. But Rhaenys only tells Meleys to attack. As her fate loomed more and more certain, Rhaenys had ample opportunity to go for the kill, but in an eerie parallel to how she lived her life, she was diplomatic even in death. She knows the fear and terror of a war amongst dragons, and instead of burning thousands to death below Meleys’ wings, she refused to stoop to the Greens’ level. It was her diplomatic nature that allowed the crown to slip through her fingers, where her respect for Westerosi tradition and level-headed politicking is what led to her accepting her fate in silence as her cousin ruled the Seven Kingdoms. 

And how is she rewarded for her sacrifice, for her determination to not cause a stir? She’s slain at the whims of two children; as Viserys and Daemon did throughout her life, Aegon and Aemond took from her not just her rightful place on a throne or seated on a council, but her very life. She could not escape the fate of femininity, even in death. But it is Rhaenys’ sacrifice that makes Rhaenyra’s story so impactful throughout this second season, where so many of her relatives (both male and female, but particularly the women that surround her) are willing to sacrifice life and limb—to die—to see a woman ascend the throne. It’s that connective tissue that binds the female characters on Team Black, allowing them to put some semblance of hope into a future under Rhaenyra’s rule. 

But beyond the walls of Dragonstone that hold Team Black, Season 2 has introduced a newcomer in the magical-political landscape, the elusive witch of Harrenhal, Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin). She’s introduced to us before we ever see her on screen, through manifestations of pure nightmare fuel for Daemon. She’s creepy and she’s kooky and she knows how to get at the heart of someone’s greatest fears, without having ever met them. She’s downright terrifying and already incredibly powerful.

Judging by the way her arc plays out in Fire & Blood—the fictitious historical account by George R.R. Martin, on which this series is based—these visions are only the beginning of her reign of terror, especially upon those in House Black. Alys’ introduction alongside Daemon’s arrival to Harrenhal provides an incredibly interesting foil for one of the series’ most intriguing characters. Daemon has long been teetering on the edge of insanity, and the introduction of Alys allows the series to pull him apart at the seams, sure, but it also creates a female character that rivals him in strength and complexity, but not in the traditionally masculine ways. He can barely keep his anger issues in check, has a penchant for murdering people on a whim, and will do anything for the people he loves—to a fault. Alys might see herself in him, might recognize some of those darker, unchecked parts, and be able to worm her dark magic inside his head even more easily because of it. 

For all the ways that it is better than its predecessor when it comes to crafting more nuanced female characters (Dany was never even allowed to properly rule, in the end), House of the Dragon still does not often see a woman having such power over a man. Not even Rhaenyra, and especially not Alicent, after that scene in Episode 5. Yet, Alys has managed to break down this show’s most traditionally masculine and dominant man in just a few quick interactions. She has exerted true power over him, a kind that he is unable to battle with his famed Dark Sister sword and the usual brute strength he applies. A woman may be Daemon Targaryen’s downfall, and House of the Dragon will be all the better for it. 

But while characters like Baela and Rhaenys have been allowed to become more embedded and emboldened this season, Helaena Targaryen’s (Phia Saban) arc seems to be falling flat yet again. We began the season with a heavier focus on Helaena, framed as the palace’s unheard prophetess. Her son is brutally murdered in the season’s opener and she’s forced to bear witness. 

Unfortunately, Helaena’s setup to play a larger part in the political landscape fades significantly after the first two episodes. Even as the Greens parade her along the streets for the funeral procession, as she pants and panics at the overwhelming pull of her subjects below, she practically disappears in the episodes immediately following. Helaena has so much to offer, so much knowledge floating in her head; but like her mother, she is often blockaded by the men holding her back. 

But such is the unfortunate dissonance between the two warring factions. Team Black’s female characters are given space to thrive and rule and make complicated choices, while Team Green’s female characters are stifled and suffocated by both the men around them and the narrative itself. In fact, Alicent has spent the entirety of House of the Dragon, beginning in Season 1, being controlled by men. First her father, and then Vicerys; Larys Strong, too, and now even Criston Cole, with his ego and power plays. Season 2 only sees Alicent pushed more and more beneath the surface, drowning in her helplessness as she’s forced to watch the world she thought she built crumble.  

However, as the two factions continue to fight and claw at each other for any semblance of power, it’s become more and more clear that neither side would like to see a woman rule. Alicent and Rhaenyra are now more alike than either would like to admit. They each are disrespected and manipulated by the men around them, simply means to an end rather than women with agencies of their own, but that still doesn’t stop them from being the backbone of the series—complicated and conniving in their own right. Rhaenyra has a more keen sense of her place in the world, for better or worse, yet she still pushes back against those that challenge her, demanding to be taken seriously. Alicent has worked more along the sidelines, trying to press her way in, even when she is forcibly shut out in recent episodes. Both women are manipulative, regardless of their moral compasses. Ultimately, despite a fierce love for their families, both women seek power above all. They wish more than anything to just be recognized. And that will be their downfall. 

House of the Dragon’s female characters do genuinely stand on their own, not melting together into one big mess of personality traits but instead having distinct identities. They are complex, interesting, and none are simply “good” or “bad.” They all do what they can to survive. The men on this show may be physically stronger, but House of the Dragon has taken great care to showcase the plight of women in this society without relegating them to simply pawns in other characters’ complicated chess games. Compared to Game of Thrones, it is so damn refreshing to not see women taken advantage of in such egregious ways, and particularly to have more agency to take matters into their own hands. Despite the incredibly low bar (following that awful final season that undid almost all of the series’ good will, especially with its female characters), this series feels important and impactful in its examinations of femininity, power, misogyny, and how those elements interact to create a perfect storm of battles, bloodshed, and barbs. Whether the women are better off for it, it’s hard to say, because none will ever be free from the patriarchal society entirely. But even in their worst moments, House of the Dragon humanizes them, allowing them to suffer, sure, but not without recourse. 

Gillian Bennett is a writer and editor who has been featured in Strike Magazine, Her Campus, and now Paste Magazine. She enjoys watching copious reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and fantasizing about living in London. You can find more of her neverending inner monologue and online diary on her Twitter or her blog.

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