House of the Dragon will chronicle the slow collapse of House Targaryen, with the first episode guiding us through a tragedy in the Royal family, a succession crisis, and dropping some strong hints at betrayals and backstabbing to come. As this story is set 170 years before the events of Game of Thrones we won’t see any familiar faces, but it seems that the great houses of Westeros will all play a role.
One particularly welcome appearance came at the end of the episode, as the nobles gathered to acknowledge Milly Alcock’s Princess Rhaenyra as the successor to Paddy Considine’s King Viserys I. At one point a gloomy-looking and disheveled warrior in black armor stood up, introducing himself as Rickon Stark and pledging fealty to the future Queen.
Replies are loving Rickon’s brief but memorable appearance, with the top-voted reply noting that actor David Hounslow is entirely believable as a Stark ancestor (more specifically Ned Stark’s great great great great great grandfather), and that he looks appropriately grumpy as he’ll have been called down from the North simply for a ceremonial appearance.
It’s also noted that Starks don’t usually make it much past 50, so Rickon’s age is a sign that the show begins at the end of a long age of peace. As we’re about to head into a war of succession known as the “Dance of the Dragons”, though, we should expect to see a lot of blood spilled very soon.
Maybe it’s unlikely that this story will take us to the frosty North and Winterfell, so let’s hope Rickon gets to enjoy his old age rather than being roasted by a dragon, beheaded by the King, or stabbed in the back in a brothel.
House of the Dragon airs on HBO on Sunday nights.
