House of the Dragon actor Elliot Grihault has shared a touching message with his co-star Harry Collett after the dramatic finale.
On Sunday (23 October), the Game of Thrones prequel’s debut season drew to a close with a finale that, among other things, featured a “harrowing” birth scene and the show’s biggest dragon yet.
But, it was the final sequence that will endure as the show’s most crucial.
*Spoilers follow – you have been warned*
In the hopes of recruiting allies and maintaining support for her claim to the throne, Rhaneyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) sends her son Lucerys Velaryon (Grihault) to Storm’s End with his dragon Arrax.
Rhaenyra urges him to act as a diplomat. When he arrives, however, something is amiss and he notices Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) is already there doing the bidding for his newly crowned brother.
Aemond has long been seeking revenge on Lucerys, who blinded him in a fight years years ago. When he loses his cool and goes for Lucerys, demanding that he should lose his eye as well, Borros Baratheon (Roger Evans) tells him not to fight on his land.
Lucerys hurriedly leaves and flies away in the middle of a storm. Aemond chases him on Vhagar. But, in the last moment, Aemond indicates he just wanted to scare Lucerys, but Vhagar has other plans and rips Arrax to shreds, sending Lucerys falling from the sky and killing him.
It’s this act that sees Rhaenyra turn from diplomat to a vengeful queen, and will no doubt lead to the start of the civil war, named the Dance of the Dragons in George RR Martin’s source material, Fire & Blood.
Following the episode’s broadcast, Grihault shared a behind-the-scenes photo alongside Collett, who plays his brother Jacaerys, writing: “The kindest, funniest and most talented person I have ever met. Thank you for all the memories which will live on for the rest of my life. I love you dude.”
House of the Dragon, which is available to watch on NOW, has been renewed for a secnd season. Find the biggest talking points from the episode here.
