This Is ‘House of the Dragon’s Biggest Plot Hole in Season 1

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.

House of the Dragon‘s story is established in Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin, meaning that the detailed task of world-building is largely not the show’s responsibility. Yet in the first season, House of the Dragon did not shy away from making changes, some of which disrupted the carefully thought-out world. With the unreliable structure of Fire & Blood, the series was free to make the story its own as it reveals the truth hidden in the book’s more ambiguous version. Some such changes made the show better than its source material, but others were not universally accepted among fans. Though these changes may not be bad, they raise questions that need to be addressed at some point.

The biggest plot hole caused by the show’s changes goes back to the rules of dragons within the world. Perhaps because these creatures were almost extinct by Game of Thrones, the lore of dragons is still somewhat mysterious, even to dedicated fans. But one thing is clear: the dragons have a magical bond with their riders. When Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) help her husband and dragonrider Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan) fake his death, his bond with Seasmoke is ignored, complicating the dragon’s future contributions to the story. Fire & Blood gives no indication that Laenor’s death was false, so this is a departure from the source material. Though Laenor’s survival may seem innocent, it will have lingering consequences that are yet unknown.

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‘House of the Dragon’ Let Laenor Live

As Rhaenyra’s first husband and, at least in name, the father of her oldest three sons, Laenor is important to the story. As a direct descendant of King Jaehaerys, Laenor rides the dragon Seasmoke, making him one of the few individuals permitted that kind of power. The show also made no secret that Laenor is gay, letting him provide rare representation in the world. Yet he is written out in Episode 7, “Driftmark,” when he, Rhaenyra, and Daemon conspire to fake Laenor’s death. This frees him of the responsibilities he dreads and allows him to chase adventure elsewhere in the world while letting Rhaenyra and Daemon get married.

This change gave Laenor a happy ending, or as close to one as anyone in Westeros can get. And it makes sense why the showrunners wouldn’t want to utilize the problematic trope of “burying your gays“. At that point in the story, it made sense, considering Rhaenyra’s amicable relationship with Laenor, who she viewed as a rare good man in their world. Yet Laenor’s survival isn’t without complication. The truth of the situation is a closely guarded secret that not even Laenor’s parents, Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and Rhaenys (Eve Best), know. This causes rumors that Rhaenyra and Daemon killed him, which Rhaenys believes. While Rhaenyra is able to win the Velaryons to her side, the biggest issue Laenor’s survival causes is still up in the air. Though Laenor is gone, Seasmoke is still important to the story, and Laenor being alive could mess with that. Certainly, it will require House of the Dragon to explore the bond between dragons and their riders more thoroughly.

Laenor’s Survival Could Be an Issue for ‘House of the Dragon’ Later

With Laenor giving up his name and title, it would have been too obvious to bring the dragon along. But the supernatural bond between dragon and dragonrider makes this a difficult plot hole to overcome. Can Seasmoke get a new rider since Laenor abandoned him? Or will the series need to write out this powerful weapon? All the dragons are important in the impending Targaryen civil war, as a dragon can only be beaten by another dragon. But so many of the dragons are young, hatched from eggs as the Targaryen children were born, meaning they are small and skittish, most of them with no battle experience. After the conflict with the Crabfeeder (Daniel Scott-Smith), Seasmoke is a dragon that has experience war, much like Daemon’s dragon Caraxes, making him a massive asset in the war to come.

Yet the unique bond between rider and dragon may not permit Seasmoke to participate in the war. Riders and dragons must choose each other, as seen when Aemond (Leo Ashton) claims Vhagar, and Seasmoke has already chosen Laenor. Dragons live longer than people and often choose a second rider after one dies, yet Laenor is not dead. The supernatural bond allows them to feel what their rider feels, so Seasmoke should sense that Laenor is alive. This situation has never been explored directly, so perhaps there are other ways to break the bond. Yet Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) hatched three dragons and only rode (and therefore fully bonded with) one, so it would make sense for that limitation to go both ways. If Seasmoke cannot have a new rider, Season 2 will need to make significant changes.

What Role Does Seasmoke Have in ‘Fire & Blood’?

In Fire & Blood, Seasmoke gets a new rider, Addam of Hull. Claiming to be the bastard son of Laenor (though widely rumored to be Corlys bastard instead), Addam claims Seasmoke in the Sowing of the Seeds, becoming one of four “dragonseeds” who fight for Rhaenyra. Addam and his brother, Alyn, are later accepted into the Velaryon family as Laenor’s sons, partly because Addam managed to claim Laenor’s former dragon.

Like the other unclaimed dragons, Seasmoke plays an important part in the war after getting a new rider. Of the dragonseeds, two betray Rhaenyra, and the third runs from the queen’s jealousy. But Seasmoke and Addam alone remain her allies until their death in the Second Battle of Tumbleton. Addam and Seasmoke fight several battles beside Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Rhaenyra’s forces. Yet if Seasmoke cannot bond Addam of Hull, this will need to change.

Could ‘House of the Dragon’ Fix This Issue?

Since Laenor’s survival, fans have offered theories on how to fix the issue, yet many do not make sense. One suggests that Laenor will return, using the name Addam. Yet this would involve claiming to be his own son (which would clearly be a lie based on age alone), and it raised the issue of Addam’s brother Alyn. It would also require no one to recognize Laenor despite the many people who knew him as Rhaenyra’s husband. Potentially, the series could show or imply Laenor’s death, but this would rewrite the positive ending he received.

As the bond between dragon and rider is mysterious. We see in the final episode of Season 1 that Daemon visits the dragon Vermithor, which is yet another deviation from the books, so there might be further changes to dragon lore in the future. There are a few ways things could go for Seasmoke, but the show will need to offer some explanation if they go in this direction. Finally, Addam could claim a different dragon leaving Seasmoke riderless. This would be a resource wasted on Rhaenyra’s part and wouldn’t help Addam’s claim of being Laenor’s son, yet he could still fulfill all the important plot points. No solution is perfect, yet the show can likely make it work if they choose not to ignore it.