Fans of theHouse of the Dragonspotted a new mysterious character in Harrenhal played byGayle Rankin. The third episode saw Daemon (Matt Smith) taking over Harrenhal when he first laid eyes on the Alys Rivers. Later, when he hears strange voices and visions (and we get that unexpected cameo),Alys is the one who tells him “You will die in this place,” foreshadowing upcoming events of the series. In a new interview withEntertainment Weekly, Rankin discussed her character and the power she’ll hold on the men of the realm this season.
“OnHouse of the Dragon, we have dragons, obviously, but she’s the first entry point to that world of magic,” Rankin says of her character.Game of Thronesfans will remember theRed Priestess Melisandre (Carice van Houten) and woods witch Maggy the Frog (Jodhi May)changing the tides with their powers in the original show. But it seems like Alys Rivers is going to top them, as the actor reveals that Alys' nickname, “the Witch Queen of Harrenhal” from theFire and Bloodbooks, stuck with her. “That made me excited,” she says. “I was definitely carrying that energy with me.”
Alys and Daemon Will Share a “Slow Burn” Dynamic
Speaking of her character, Rankin says “This person can tell the future, basically.“Further elaborating that she’s someone who has all of this power and has been around for potentially 400 years. “How do we make her a person with a beating heart and wants and desires? I hope that’s felt inside of our exploration with her.” While Alys will share a dynamic with another Targaryen Prince too, her relationship with Daemon will be a transactional one, “She’s going to hold a lot of power for the men inside of this story, especially Daemon, which I think is a really interesting slow burn,” the actress teases.
With the visions and voices that Daemon gets in Harrenhal coupled withhis vulnerabilities back home, it looks like he’s going to take the Witch Queen’s counsel in the upcoming war, but at what cost? Rankin teases, “What’s interesting is, what does Alys want from Daemon and vice versa? What are they learning from each other?There’s clearly a match happening here.” One thing is certain about the show, the creators are continuously building on the existing books, giving fans a new insight into the characters and their circumstances, so it’ll be fun to watch howDaemon’s story unfolds and whether he’llactuallydie in Harrenhal.
House of the Dragondrops a new episode every Sunday. Check out previous episodes on Max.
House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
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