‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 May Be Erasing a Crucial Character from Original Lore as Episode 6 Teases a Major Plot Twist in the Future
- Fans believe that show runner might not introduce Nettles in House of the Dragon.
- Nettles' absence wil give Lady Rhaena Targaryen a chance to claim the dragon, Sheepstealer.
- Fan wonder about Daemon and Rhaenyra's fate on the show.
Based on the parts of George R. R. Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood, the fantasy action-adventure drama House of the Dragon was created by the author along with Ryan Condal. Set nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, the show follows the events that eventually led to the decline of House Targaryen.
The ensemble cast of the show includes Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Ewan Mitchell, Olivia Cooke, and more. Right from its season one premiere, the show has been appreciated by the audience and critics for various reasons, including character development, storylines, visual effects, writing, and, of course, the beautiful score by Ramin Djawadi. A recent episode hints that maybe the series is deviating a little from the original storyline.
House of the Dragon Season 2: cutting off Nettles’ storyline?
Season 2 of House of the Dragon has received a positive response from the audience and critics, especially with mind-blowing performances by Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, and more. Ardent fans of George R.R. Martin’s books are aware that apart from Team Green and Team Black, few characters are equally important to drive the story.
Dragon seeds, illegitimate children of Targaryens and Velaryons, have been introduced in the series. The dragonseeds can potentially claim and ride dragons of their own. Ulf White, played by Tom Bennett; Hugh Hammer, played by Kieran Bwe; and Addam of Hull, played by Clinton Liberty, have already been introduced on the show. But fans are waiting for one crucial character: Nettles.
In the book, Nettles is also a dragon seed of unknown Valyrian descent who tames and becomes Sheepstealer’s rider after providing him with freshly slaughtered sheep daily. She is one of the crucial characters in the story, but fans believe that she might never appear on the show, as her absence will give the makers a chance to explore Rhaena Targaryen’s story.
According to The Wrap, in Episode 6, the young princess was informed of a dragon [Sheepstealer] roaming the Vale and killing the livestock for food. The idea of a dragon without a dragon rider makes Rhaena wonder about what it would take for her to climb at the back of the dragon. Viewers have already seen her frustration with being the one not having a dragon, in episode 5 almost died trying to claim the dragon. So fans believe that there is a great chance that Nettles’ storyline might never be introduced on the show while giving Rhaena a chance to shine.
CBR also pointed out that a couple of months ago a reliable source shared that Rhaena would be the one claiming Sheeepstealer at the Vale, deviating from the book. Although it has been acknowledged that fans might not like how the storyline changed, this is going to allow Rhaena’s story to be explored and developed. Nothing can be confirmed as of now, but all the factors do point to the fact that the show-runner might have decided to cut Nettles off House of the Dragon storyline.
Nettles’ connection to Daemon Targaryen could have been a surprise to House of the Dragon viewers
Even though it has not been confirmed if Nettles has been cut off the storyline or not, the fact that Sheepstealer has been introduced and not Nettles hints that she might have been off the storyline. Interestingly, her claiming a dragon despite not being a Targaryen is not the only interesting thing about her character.
According to CBR, the young girl who is the rider of Sheepstealer in the books is also connected to Daemon Targaryen played by Matt Smith, and he takes her under his wing, teaching her how to dress and behave in high society. The Wrap mentioned about the rumors that Nettles was romantically involved with Daemon, increasing the tension between Daemon and Rhaenyra.
Lady Mysaria implies to Rhaenyra that Daemon and Nettles might be romantically involved, which enrages the Queen. She calls Nettles a traitor and wants her executed. Daemon learns of this, and the next day Nettles leaves, leaving a deeper wedge between Daemon and Rhaenyra. The two of them never see each other again but what exactly has Ryan Condal planned for the duo on House of the Dragon is not known.
Others noted that Nettles and Daemon were like father-daughter, and he seemed very affectionate towards her. The young girl’s character in Fire & Blood is almost like a resilient underdog who is slowly paving her way to the top. Losing her character from the show does seem like a loss of a crucial character but also beneficial for Rhaena’s character. It is as of now unclear if her character has been moved to Season 3 or simply cut off the script.
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO MAX.
