After the season premiere brought the long-awaited Battle of the Gullet, House of the Dragon kept the momentum going with this week’s “Queen’s Landing.” We saw some major reunions—and some striking displays of grief. At a recent House of the Dragon press day attended by io9 and other journalists, cast members Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Steve Toussaint (Lord Corlys Velaryon), and Abubakar Salim (Alyn of Hull) talked about the monumental moments facing their characters in episode two. Maybe the one truly uplifting moment in the entire episode was when Corlys—who managed to survive the Battle of the Gullet, though his castle, High Tide, did not—cemented his relationship with Alyn and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), his illegitimate sons that he’s finally now embracing. His granddaughter, Baela (Bethany Antonia), who lost her fiancé—Rhaenyra’s oldest son, Jace—in the battle, is also part of this newly formed family unit.
“I think in a sober moment … Corlys would be pleased,” Toussaint said of the Sea Snake forging relationships with his formerly estranged relatives. “I don’t know that he’s there yet when we have that scene. I think he’s still grieving his loss, not just of his wife and so forth, but also of [High Tide],” Toussaint said.
