SPOILER ALERT: This story includes spoilers for HBO’s “House of the Dragon” Season 2, Episode 7, entitled “The Red Sowing,” now streaming on Max.
In the closing minutes of Sunday’s episode of “House of the Dragon,” Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) lastly got the upper hand on the Greens with the spectacular expose that she hasactually discovered 3 brand-new dragonriders to signupwith the Blacks’ trigger: Hugh (Kieran Bew), Ulf (Tom Bennett) and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) — one of the invalid kids of her Hand, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint).
The news was exposed (loudly) to Rhaenyra’s bro Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), the prince regent, while their bro King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) is in healing, when Aemond sees a dragon flying over King’s Landing — and then heads over to Dragonstone on his huge dragon, Vhagar. Upon showingup at Rhaenyra’s base, Aemond turns around, understanding that even his terrifying monster is no match for the approximated 6 dragons Rhaenyra now has under her control. (Or 7, if Matt Smith’s Daemon ever comes home.)
As we head into next week’s Season 2 ending, 2 of the individuals many crucial to Rhaenyra’s cause are Addam and his bro Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim). Addam is now the rider of Seasmoke, a dragon that formerly belonged to Rhaenyra’s initially spouse, Corlys’ kid Laenor Velayron. In Season 1, Laenor fabricated his death and ran off with his enthusiast, with Rhaenyra and Daemon’s assistance, leaving his dragon behind. Alyn was Corlys’ go-between to smuggle lots of Dragonseeds — individuals with declared Targaryen origins, who Rhaenyra has presumed have the finest possibility of bonding to a dragon — out of King’s Landing and onto Dragonstone.
Here, Liberty and Salim speak with Variety about the Hull siblings’ functions in the Dance of the Dragons as the end of “House of the Dragon” Season 2 methods.
By the end of the episode, what do you believe it takes to bond with a dragon — Targaryen blood, strength, or something else?
Clinton Liberty: I feel like it’s a mix of various things, since as we saw, Steffon Darklyn, he had the blood and the highborn sort of household. But Seasmoke might sense that the essence of the human wasn’t rather what Seasmoke was looking for, which made me comprehend, “Oh, it’s more than simply blood — it’s likewise the essence of who the human is.” Because if we see Laenor and Addam, yes, they both share the verysame blood and comparable blood, however when you appearance at them as individuals, they’re infact simply actually excellent, great, beautiful human beings.
And it’s amusing to state that in a world of hard-hearted individuals who are attempting to claim splendor, win whatever the expense is. I feel like that’s likewise an essential aspect for a dragon to pick a human to bond with, since dragons are really smart. They understand who the essence of the human is behind the exterior the human’s attempting to represent. So I believe it’s a mix of blood — however it’s likewise who this human being is.
How much do you believe is in part since Addam is covertly Laenor’s half-brother by Corlys?
Liberty: We’re both from technically the verysame household. And there’s a method that you are in the Hull/Velaryon family, and it simply leaks through. I feel like Seasmoke, havingactually been bonded with Laenor formerly, senses that in Addam. But he likewise senses this kind of individual who desires to attain these fantastic things in an truthful method, and not attempt and kill anybody. He senses the pureness in Addam.
Have you been informed whether Laenor is in reality dead — that passedaway off screen — and that’s how Seasmoke was able to bond to Addam as a brand-new rider? Or does Seasmoke simply believe he’s dead?
Liberty: Do you understand who that is a terrific concern for: [“House of the Dragon” showrunner] Ryan Condal. That’s the guy you requirement to talk to. To be truthful, when I was working on this, all I was actually focused on was the mind of the character, since Addam doesn’t understand.
Addam is simply cooling — attempting to live his finest life, attempting to go fishing, selecting up crabs, walking on the beach quietly. He doesn’t understand any of the politics behind what goes on. So this is an intro for him to the life of a dragonrider, to the life of what’s going on with Queen Rhaenyra and the rest of Westeros and King’s Landing.
Even in the scene with Addam and Rhaenyra, we see that he’s tiptoeing, he’s not sort of completely addressing concerns completely. He’s being unclear, since he understands that if he responses with the incorrect thing, he might actually be lit up in flames, you understand? So it’s a entire brand-new world for Addam. And I took that for myself — to not go too deep into the tradition of what was going on, and simply appearance at it from the eyes of Addam.
Can you break down what Addam is sensation when Corlys comes to him and praises him on bonding with Seasmoke? When he’s endedupbeing a dragonrider, and Corlys merely states, “Well done,” before leaving?
Liberty: Those 2 words, “Well done,” mean more to Addam than anyperson might ever state. Because at the core of Addam, he simply desires recognition from his daddy. His entire life, he aimed for that. He constantly desired that relationship with his momsanddads, and he’s neverever had that with his daddy. That’s one of the factors why he desires to attain so much, and attempted to get Alyn to take the throne of Driftmark and hav