House of the Dragon star John Macmillan breaks down a key scene in episode 7 between his character, Laenor, and Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra. Based on source material from acclaimed fantasy author George R.R. Martin, House of the Dragon chronicles the onset of the Targaryen civil war almost 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. The show has been a hit with critics and audiences alike thus far, with its writing, performances, and production value earning strong praise. Game of Thrones was known for its brutality and twists and House of the Dragon season 1 has delivered plenty of both so far, with episode 7 being a standout.
After the mid-season time jump, which saw D’Arcy take over as Rhaenyra from Milly Alcock and Olivia Cooke take over as Alicent from Emily Carey, the tension between the two characters has only intensified. Much of Alicent’s frustration comes from the fact that Rhaenyra’s children, those who will claim the throne after her death, are clearly not born from her marriage with Laenor Velaryon, but from her illicit affair with the late Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr). Rhaenyra and Laenor are essentially only married for political purposes with both characters agreeing to pursue extramarital relationships. Although Laenor is gay and engaged in an affair with Ser Qarl (Arty Froushan), House of the Dragon episode 7 sees him honorably double down on his commitment to Rhaenyra and his position as her husband.
In a new interview with Vulture, Laenor actor John Macmillan breaks down the House of the Dragon episode 7 scene between his character and Rhaenyra. Macmillan explains that, although they have no interest in each other romantically, there is a very real bond between Laenor and Rhaenyra. The actor says that Laenor’s decision to recommit to Rhaenyra, despite his desire to go off to fight in the Stepstones with his real love, shows how devoted he really is to his wife and his duty as husband. Check out Macmillan’s full comment below:
“I found the writing of that scene really moving. Perhaps there isn’t romantic love between Laenor and Rheanyra, but they do have compassion for each other, and they’re friends in many ways. They’ve been married for ten years, and they’ve known each other since they were children. It’s a relationship that’s lasted most of their lives. They do like each other, and they’ve been there for each other as best they can.
That’s what makes his recommitment to Rhaenyra so compelling. He says something like, ‘We made a commitment to do our duty and explore happiness.’ Rhaenyra starts laughing, and they both laugh at the absurdity of their naïveté. But then he says, ‘Ser Qarl’s returning to the fighting in the Stepstones, but I’m not going to go.’ He’s foregoing the two avenues of his life that are extremely important to him: (a) a chance to return to the battlefield and (b) a chance to do it with Qarl, who was the first meaningful relationship he’d had since Joffrey. He decides to let both go in order to do his duty.”
Will Laenor Return On House Of The Dragon?
In true Game of Thrones fashion, Laenor’s honorable recommitment to Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon‘s latest episode is followed by the character’s apparent death. After Daemon (Matt Smith) seemingly has him killed so that he can marry Rhaenyra, a twist ending reveals that Laenor faked his death, with the character shown rowing out to sea with Ser Qarl to start a new life. It’s unclear if Laenor will return in future episodes of House of the Dragon but, if Alicent were to find out that he is still alive, it could cause major problems for Daemon and Rhaenyra.
With tensions between Rhaenyra and Alicent only growing, it seems likely that Daemon’s decision to let Laenor live will come back to haunt him in later episodes of House of the Dragon. Alicent is clearly committed to undermining Rhaenyra’s place as heir to the Iron Throne and the discovery of their Laenor plot could be a significant blow. It remains to be seen what ripple effect Laenor’s “death” will have on the remaining episodes of House of the Dragon season 1, but Macmillan’s character could become even more significant moving forward.
