‘House Of The Dragon’s’ Big Time Jump, Explained

HBO’s House of the Dragon leaped a decade into the future for episode 6, “The Princess and the Queen,” introducing the new Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy, previously played by Milly Alcock) and Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke, previously played by Emily Carey).

The time jump finds the two in a similar position to where we last left them, but both having grown more cynical, worn down by the unsolved succession crisis still simmering in the background, as King Viserys is still, somehow, alive.

Why were the two actors recast?

Alcock and Carey proved very popular with fans, and some seemed disappointed by their absence in episode 6, noting that most of the male characters are still played by the same actors, and some don’t appear to have aged much.

Both Princess Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent were teenagers during the first few episodes, hence the switch to older actors. Despite their popularity, Alcock and Carey won’t be returning for flashbacks; both D’Arcy and Cooke were cast in their roles before Alcock and Carey, as they will play Rhaenyra and Alicent for a greater length of time.

D’Arcy made a strong impression as the “new” Rhaenyra, her depiction coming across as harder, more resigned, and more cunning than her reckless teenage counterpart. Cooke imbued her character with a newfound fierceness, her naivety replaced by raw ambition.

What happened during the time skip?

Rhaenyra became a mother, giving birth to her third child in the opening of episode 6; at this point, her affair with Ser Criston Cole is old news, but the man is still nursing a bitter grudge. When they first married, Rhaenyra and her husband, Laenor Velaryon, had a solid plan to do their “duty” and produce legitimate heirs to the throne while indulging their true passions on the side.

As we can clearly see, both have neglected their “duty,” as Rhaenyra’s children all bear a strong resemblance to her current lover, Ser Harwin Strong – none have inherited Laenor’s dark skin or silvery hair. Everyone in the palace noticed, of course, but most pretended not to see.

Daemon never managed to secure his inheritance, despite taking the trouble to murder his ex-wife, and has since settled down with Laena Velaryon, who he seems to genuinely care for. They now have twin girls, and Laena has become a respected dragonrider, having tamed Vhagar, one of the biggest dragons there is, an elderly survivor from the golden age.

Despite spending the first few episodes of the show as an ambitious, almost superpowered warrior, Daemon has spent the past decade languishing in the library, reading stories about his conquering ancestors.

King Viserys is still festering on the throne, and making half-assed decisions that will one day explode his kingdom in flame, giving both Rhaenyra and Alicent seats on the small council, where their rivalry continues to grind.

Queen Alicent has three children with Viserys, who have since grown into teenagers. Unlike Rhaenyra, all of Alicent’s children make convincing Targaryens, with white-blonde hair and a penchant for sexual deviancy.

Alicent has very much done her “duty,” and seems keen on ensuring that her efforts are rewarded – she’s kept two loyal backstabbers close to her, Criston Cole and Larys Strong, and seems poised to protect her children’s claim to the throne, outright rejecting Rhaenyra’s offer of peace.

Viserys has grown older and weaker, while his children are reaching adulthood; the Seven Kingdoms seem on the verge of exploding under the strain of that slow-burning succession crisis.

When the “Dance of Dragons” finally arrives, the time skips should slow down, as the war lasted only two years, which sounds short in the context of this series, but is more than enough time to wreak destruction on Westeros.