House of the Dragon star Matt Smith reveals that, following episode 6, there are no more big time jumps. Taking place nearly 200 years before the birth Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon chronicles the onset of the Targaryen civil war. HBO's newest fantasy series has been a hit with audiences and critics alike, who have praised the show's writing, performances, and impressive production values. Although similar to Game of Thrones in many ways, House of the Dragon's first season differs significantly in terms of story structure because it features several time jumps.
House of the Dragon's first few episodes featured smaller jumps in time to accelerate the deterioration of the relationship between Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) and Alicent (Emily Carey), with the latter having married King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and given birth to a child within the span of only several episodes. After the shocking events of episode 5, however, the series is set to undergo its biggest change yet, with the story jumping forward by 10 full years. The time jump will see the roles of Rhaenyra and Alicent taken over by new actors, Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke, respectively, with the trailer for House of the Dragon episode 6 teasing that the rift between the two former friends has only grown wider in the intervening years.
In a new interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Smith, who plays Daemon Targaryen, reveals that House of the Dragon's big time jumps are essentially over after episode 6, as far as he knows. While not giving too much away, the actor teases that, following the jump forward by 10 years, audiences will be sticking with that timeline for seasons 2 and 3, and potentially beyond. Check out Smith's full comment below:
“Once we make the jump, we’re in. I’m pretty sure from then on there’s not any big huge time jumps, particularly next season and the one after.”
Although House of the Dragon has been a hit with audiences, many are disappointed that the time jump will see Alcock and Carey no longer playing the roles of Rhaenyra and Alicent. The two actors won fans over in the first few House of the Dragon episodes with their strong performances and the tragic nature of their relationship, but episode 6 is set to make some major changes. Alcock previously hinted that there's a chance she could return to the show in season 2, but Smith's comment suggests D'Arcy's Rhaenyra and Cooke's Alicent will be the characters that audiences are primarily following for the foreseeable future.
Smith's confirmation that there are no more sizable time jumps is ultimately a good thing for the show. While House of the Dragon has earned glowing reviews thus far, bouncing around the timeline too much could disorient viewers, especially when jumps in time mean new actors are brought on for existing roles. With the first five episodes establishing backstory and setting the stage for events to come, House of the Dragon can now fully commit to its timeline and really dig into the dynamics between the older versions of these complex characters.
Source: Happy Sad Confused