The Big Picture

As war begins in
House of the Dragon
, House Targaryen is divided into two sides: The Greens for Aegon II and The Blacks for Rhaenyra.
Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, and Fabien Frankel discuss their influential characters and the complex relationships they have this season.
Smith, Cooke, and Frankel tease some of the coming arcs for Season 2 and what might be in store.

With just hours until the House of the Dragon Season 2 premiere, it’s nearly time to jump back into the world of Westeros. From incestuous, dragon-riding blondes to courtly politics and war-making, the Game of Thrones’ prequel series promises a dramatic sophomore season. After the tragic death of Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) last season, the realm is now plunged into a state of war. Those who support Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) call themselves the Greens, while those who support his older half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) call themselves the Blacks. Family members who grew up side-by-side are now facing off on the battlefield.

While Rhaenyra and Aegon take to their thrones, at their side are the people helping them guide this war. At Aegon II’s side is not only his loyal commander of his Kingsguard, Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), but also his mother, the dowager Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke). While Criston and Alicent might have different ideas from Aegon on how to rule, their influence on the king is clear. On the other side, at Rhaenyra’s side is her uncle/husband Daemon (Matt Smith). Daemon is a far more complicated figure; though his loyalties seem to be with Rhaenyra, his fickle and chaotic nature might do more harm than good for the newly minted queen.

We spoke with Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Fabien Frankel about the new season and previous season of House of the Dragon. The trio joked about the new season and the time jumps from the first season. Frankel discussed Criston’s new relationship with Alicent this season and how it’s different from his relationship with Rhaenyra. Cooke spoke about being the Dowager Queen and her shift in power now that Aegon is on the throne. And Smith hints at a deep fracture between Daemon and Rhaenyra this season that will test Daemon’s loyalties. Watch the video interview with Cooke, Smith, and Frankel above, or read the full transcript of the interview below.

House of the Dragon The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.Release Date August 21, 2022 Creator Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin Main Genre Drama Seasons 4 Distributor HBO Expand

The Cast Joke About the Time Jumps of ‘House of the Dragon’
Image via HBO

COLLIDER: I love this show. This has been my obsession for the last, I don’t even know how many years, so I’m very excited to talk to you guys. My first question is actually for Matt and Fabien. As two of the actors who were in all of Season 1, and having worked with all the actors in Season 1 during time jumps, how has Season 2 been different from that now that you guys have settled on the entire cast?

FABIEN FRANKEL: We miss the old cast. [Laughs] No, no, no, no. It’s been great.

OLIVIA COOKE: To my defense, we were there the whole time!

FRANKEL: Yeah, you were. It feels like you came sort of late, but I guess not.

COOKE: We didn’t. We were there. We got to cast first! We were there the whole time. It pisses me off! [Laughs] We didn’t just suddenly arrive midway through.

FRANKEL: Some of the others did. Phia [Saban] arrived quite late, didn’t she?

COOKE: True.

MATT SMITH: Season 2 has been a triumph from start to finish. We’ve all had an absolute blast. I’ve lost my mind. I don’t know why I’m laughing.

COOKE: I’m so sorry I got so angry. [Laughs]

SMITH: I do look back on those younger days with great fondness, though. We were laughing about it earlier. We were all meant to age, like, 20 years.

Image via HBO

COOKE: I know!

SMITH: Tom [Glynn-Carney] wasn’t even born.

COOKE: No. I’ve got a different head!

FRANKEL: We’re so old!

Fabien Frankel Compares Criston’s Relationship With Rhaenyra to Alicent
Image via HBO

Fabien, for Criston, I’m sensing some bitterness that he still had for Rhaenyra, but it’s interesting that his relationship with Alicent is quite similar this season. What has changed and why there’s not as much of that resentment being held?

FRANKEL: I think they’re really different, and I think it’s a really different relationship. Like we said, it’s been so long. That relationship with Rhaenyra was so long ago, and they were so young. Everything was so new at that point, like living in the castle was so new, and being a member of the Kingsguard was so new. At this point, they’ve been there for so long, it’s a really different thing. Also, Rhaenyra and Cole were kids when they got together. They were just really young and inexperienced, and it’s a very different relationship. Certainly, I don’t draw comparisons — a lot of people seem to — between his relationship with Rhaenyra and his relationship with Alicent at all, really.

Related Which Side Does Each Great House Choose in ‘House of the Dragon’? Will they bend the knee to Team Green or Team Black?

Olivia Cooke Discusses Alicent’s Unexpected Loss of Power in Season 2
Image via HBO

Olivia, I feel like Alicent, after Viserys’ death, has come into a little bit more of herself. I’m curious what you think her influence is, if at all, on her sons this season, especially with Aegon being king and with her father also at her side.

COOKE: It’s interesting. She’s put her son on the throne, but within that, there’s been a transaction of power. I don’t think she really realized how detrimental that would be for her. She’s, all of a sudden, minimized in the room of men even more so, whereas before, she was ruling in Viserys’ stead. And just by having this word attached to her name now — she’s the Dowager Queen — she’s all of a sudden sort of made redundant in this room of men, and I think she’s sort of reeling and wondering what her purpose now is.

Matt Smith Reveals Problems Ahead for Daemon and Rhaenyra’s Relationship
Image via HBO

Matt, I feel like there is some tension between Rhaenyra and Daemon this season, and I don’t think that Daemon wants the throne. I’m wondering if you think there’s some judgment, some questions that Daemon has about Rhaenyra’s judgment in this season, and if we should be worried about where his loyalties lie.

SMITH: It’s a very good question. I think where his loyalties lie is probably a question that the series poses this year for Daemon. Look, there’s a deep fraction between their relationship. Without any spoilers, with the events that happened at the end of Episode 1, it seems almost irreparable, and I think that sort of sets him off. He’s riding towards a very dark, stormy place of self-reflection and deep abyss.

Grim! I’m not looking forward to that, but we’ll see how it goes.

SMITH: Oh, it’s a hoot!

Who Would Smith, Cooke, and Frankel Pick To Play on the Opposite Team?

Wrapping up, I’m really curious, if you guys could play a character on the other team, who would you pick?

COOKE: Rhaenys. She’s baller.

SMITH: She is baller, isn’t she? I do love Rhaenys. She’s so good, as well, isn’t she?

COOKE: Oh, fucking hell! So good.

FRANKEL: In that first scene, she’s so good. I probably would play Daemon, to be honest. It’s so much fun to play someone with that much irreverence.

SMITH: It’s been interesting. Today we’ve done a lot of press together, and actually, they seem similar in lots of ways. You know what I mean? They’re all quite similar sort of paths, even this year. It’s weird.

FRANKEL: Yeah, mine would be Daemon.

SMITH: I don’t know, really. I’m trying to think.

FRANKEL: You’d be quite good at Otto.

SMITH: Oh, Otto’s great.

FRANKEL: He’s always kind of…

COOKE: Conniving.

SMITH: Yeah, Otto. Or Larys.

FRANKEL: Or Larys.

SMITH: I hate them all! I don’t want to play any of them.

House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres today on Max in the U.S.

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