House of the Dragon spoilers for the season 1 finale follow.
Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon has wrapped up its first season, and as you’d expect, the show couldn’t have a finale without someone dying.
In the episode, Lucerys Velaryon – aka Luke – met his end at the hands of Aemond Targaryen’s dragon Vhagar. Luke’s own dragon, Arrax, sadly died as well.
Although Luke and Aemond were clashing heads, it was the lack of control over their dragons that caused the situation to escalate and turn fatal.
Despite the accidental nature of Luke’s death, this is indeed the inciting incident for the war known as the Dance of Dragons, and what the show has been building to all season.
Speaking in a behind-the-scenes featurette for the episode, Rhaenyra actor Emma D’Arcy talked about why their character’s mindset goes from not wanting to fight, to seeking revenge.
“Somehow, I think this moves the goalposts of suffering,” they said. “Once you’ve lost both your parents and you’ve lost a lover, you think you know grief. And I think what’s so awful is that losing Luke tells her she knows nothing about grief, and it changes her outlook on the world going forward.”
One of the showrunners, Miguel Sapochnik, reiterated that Luke’s death was definitely an accident, saying: “Maybe he was trying to scare Luke, but I don’t think ultimately he intended to kill him.
“But now he’s done it, and he has to decide whether or not he’s going to own it in his travel back to King’s Landing. Because obviously, if usurping the throne and their crowning Aegon in the dragon pit wasn’t the start of the war, killing one of the queen’s sons is.”
Thankfully, a second season has already been confirmed, so we will get to see that war come to pass.
Source: digitalspy.com