House of the Dragon star Milly Alcock has a theory as to what dragons smell like in the series. Alcock plays Young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon. The older version of the princess is played by Emma D’Arcy. Alcock is a relatively new talent on the TV scene, playing roles in a few lesser-known shows such as Upright, The Gloaming, and Pine Life. Rhaenyra Targaryen is the first-born child of King Viserys (Paddy Considine).
Though House of the Dragon is just three episodes in, the series has already taken off with buzz. Episode 3 got attention for the daring and violent plans made by Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen, in the most action-packed episode yet of the series. The show has also received attention for its various connections to Game of Thrones. Rhaenyra, specifically, is an ancestor to Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys Targaryen. Viewers have already drawn parallels between Rhaenyra and Daenerys as portrayed in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones, respectively.
Actress Alcock now answers one the more whimsical questions viewers may have about the House of the Dragon universe: what exactly do dragons smell like? Of course, there is no definitive answer to this question, but Alcock provided her own theory in an interview with The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon. Alcock believes that a dragon odor most closely resembles the pungency of a “wet dog.” Alcock even went into specifics regarding precisely what kind of wet dog smell she is referring to. Check out the full quote from Alcock below:
“Want to get my theory? It’s wet dog. But in a salt lake, salt lake specifically. So this dog has been in a salty lake, and it’s like mulling out, it’s wet, it’s a bit acidic, you know, it’s a hot day, and it’s like leathery paws and nose. It’s that. Like that’s what a dragon would smell like.”
While the smell of a dragon may not be the most critical question on viewers’ minds during House of the Dragon, it is still fascinating to hear the response to this dragon-scent question. House of the Dragon mentions the smell of a dragon multiple times in episode 1. Unlike another smell, however, the audience has no reference point for a dragon smell. This leaves the scent of a dragon both to be a vague reference and open to the possibilities of one’s imagination. Here, Alcock has provided one interpretation of said smell in House of the Dragon, even though the actress herself has no greater access to this “actual” smell than anyone else.
As with sight and sound, the other sensory elements of House of the Dragon—smell, taste, and touch—are a fascinating part of its world building. The audience cannot themselves be immersed in the latter three elements. Instead, it is up to the imagination of the viewers to come up with reference points for the show’s olfactory elements such as the smell of the dragon. Alcock’s interview provides one further glimpse into precisely what this element of House of the Dragon might consist of. House of the Dragon continues its weekly run on Sundays at 9:00pm EST on HBO.
Source: The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon