3 Things You Probably Didn’t Notice in ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 5
House of the Dragon Episode 5 turned up the flame in King’s Landing, with tensions boiling over during Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen’s (Milly Alcock) wedding to Laenor Velaryon (Theo Nate). And with so much action and suspense, viewers might have missed a few minor details during the latest installment. Read on to discover three things you might not have noticed during “We Light the Way.”
[Warning: Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon Episode 5, “We Light the Way.”]
1. We’ve met a member of House Royce before
House of the Dragon Episode 5 focuses primarily on Rhaenyra’s new marriage, but we also meet Daemon Targaryen’s (Matt Smith) wife during the latest installment.
We don’t get to spend much time with Lady Rhea Royce (Rachel Redford), as Daemon kills her during their reunion. But Lady Royce’s name may sound familiar to Game of Thrones fans. That’s because we’ve met a member of House Royce before!
As CNET points out, Lord Yahn Royce makes several appearances during the later seasons of Game of Thrones. He’s the very man who refuses to escort Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) back to the Vale after Sansa accuses him of treason. So, it seems the Royces remain a prominent family in the region, even if Rhea doesn’t make it very far into House of the Dragon.
2. ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 5 teases another love interest for Rhaenyra
Princess Rhaenyra has had her pick of suitors during House of the Dragon, but she tends to go for the forbidden romances. First, there’s the brothel tryst with her uncle Daemon, something the two get dangerously close to repeating during House of the Dragon Episode 5. And of course, Rhaenyra has also been with Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), whose offer to run away together she rejects during this week’s installment, leading to a messy brawl during her wedding festivities.
House of the Dragon‘s latest chapter just subtly teased another love interest for Rhaenyra: the man who carries her away from the fight that breaks out during her reception. That’s not the first time Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) shows up during House of the Dragon, and it won’t be the last time we see him. But his commitment to saving Rhaenyra — and their dance — teases at what’s to come for the pair.
HBO’s preview for House of the Dragon Episode 6 suggests Harwin is the reason Rhaenyra’s children don’t have silver Targaryen hair. And A Wiki of Ice and Fire confirms there are similar rumors present during George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. With that in mind, we’ll probably see much more of Ser Harwin Strong — and it seems he’ll play a pivotal role in the Dance of the Dragons.
3. Criston Cole wants to run away to a place with a connection to Daenerys Targaryen
As mentioned earlier, Criston Cole asks Rhaenyra to run away with him during House of the Dragon Episode 5 — and the destination he has in mind actually has a connection to Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke).
ScreenCrush notes that Criston plans to build a life with Rhaenyra in Essos, the very place Dany spends most of Game of Thrones before returning to the Seven Kingdoms. Had Rhaenyra agreed to accompany Criston there, it would have made an interesting parallel. While Dany is exiled to Essos and trying to return to King’s Landing, Rhaenyra almost finds herself in a reversed situation.
Of course, Rhaenyra has one huge thing in common with Daenerys, and it prevents her from setting sail for Essos: she wants the Iron Throne.
House of the Dragon Episode 5 is now streaming on HBO Max.
