Full fiery spoilers follow

Does Rhaenyra make a play for the Iron Throne in season 2’s final episode? (Image credit: Theo Whiteman/HBO)

Full spoilers follow for House of the Dragon season 2’s final episode and ‘Fire and Blood’, the book it’s based on.

House of the Dragon season 2’s finale is out now – and, while it doesn’t have shock factor of its predecessor’s final episode, it’s an engrossing watch that sets up plenty of fascinating story beats heading into its third season.

With the dust settling on another season of suspense-filled politicking, familial backstabbing, fiery action, and the occasional spooky moment, we suspect you have many burning questions about House of the Dragon‘s latest chapter. Below, I’ll aim to answer them as best as I can, without spoiling any significant plot points for what’s to come in the Game of Thrones prequel show’s next outing.

This is your final warning: major spoilers follow for House of the Dragon season 2 episode 8 on Max (US), Sky/Now TV (UK), and Binge/Foxtel (Australia). Proceed at your own risk.

House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained: who is the current ruler of the Seven Kingdoms?

Aemond continues to temporarily reign supreme in House of the Dragon (Image credit: Theo Whiteman/HBO)

Currently, no-one. Well, technically Prince Regent Aemond Targaryen does. He’s ruled in his brother Aegon Targaryen II’s stead while the latter recovers from his life-altering injuries – ones inflicted by Aemond and his dragon Vhagar in season 2 episode 4, remember – so I suppose he’s still lauding it over the Seven Kingdoms as season 2 ends.

But the winds of change are approaching King’s Landing. In the season 2 finale, Alicent Hightower secretly travels to Dragonstone to seek an audience with Rhaenyra Targaryen to put an end to the growing Targaryen Civil War. It’s an enthralling role reversal of what happened in episode 3, which saw Rhaenyra infiltrate the Red Keep to convince Alicent to do likewise, only for the latter to rebuff the former’s pleas.

Anyway, after a lengthy tête-à-tête, it seems nailed on that Rhaenyra will finally become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms before season 2 ends. Not only does she have more dragons (and dragonriders) at her disposal to forcefully take the throne, but Alicent also tells her she won’t actually need to. The reason? Aemond and Vhagar are about to leave King’s Landing to join Ser Criston Cole’s army in the Riverlands, thereby leaving the Iron Throne unguarded. All Rhaenyra has to do is wait three days for Aemond to depart and then rock up to King’s Landing to take what is rightfully hers.

Alicent’s secret meeting with Rhaenyra in the season 2 finale mirrors this similarly covert encounter in episode 3 (Image credit: Ollie Upton/HBO)

Alicent won’t stand in her way, either, with the Queen Dowager – who’s tired of being a political prisoner with no authority – revealing she plans to leave King’s Landing, with her daughter Halaena and the latter’s youngest child Jaehaera in tow, for pastures unknown.

But there’s a slight wrinkle in Alicent’s seemingly sound plan. Her son Aegon II is still alive and, while he continues to breathe, he won’t relinquish control of the Iron Throne without a fight. Rhaenyra knows this, so she tells Alicent that the only way that she can assume the throne is if Aegon is unceremoniously bumped off. Reminding Alicent of Lucerys’ tragic death at Aemon and Vhagar’s hands in the season 1 finale, Rhaenyra convinces a reluctant and emotionally torn Alicent that Aegon must die if this plan is to succeed.

With a verbal agreement reached by Westeros’ two most powerful women, Alicent leaves her former bestie and, before departing Dragonstone, somberly looks out onto a sunset from one of the island’s many cliff faces. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra raises a wry smile to herself as she looks out of one of Dragonstone’s sunlit windows; her long-held ambition to finally (and rightfully) rule Westeros appearing to be in her grasp.

House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained: what happens to Alicent and Helaena?

Helaena, her mother, and her youngest child will have fled King’s Landing by the start of season 3 (Image credit: Ollie Upton/HBO)

As I mentioned above, the pair plan to discreetly flee the Red Keep after Aemond departs for the Riverlands. Whether they’ll succeed in that endeavor is up for debate.

It’s highly likely that Alicent, Helaena, and Jaehaera will escape, though, despite what happens in ‘Fire and Blood’. In acclaimed author George R.R. Martin’s source material, Helaena is actually taken captive by Rhaenyra after she storms the Red Keep and seizes the Iron Throne. Alicent, meanwhile, is allowed to live as she was Rhaenyra’s former best friend, not to mention she’s also the second wife of Rhaenyra’s father King Viserys I and, by virtue of Alicent’s marriage to Rhaenyra’s dad, Rhaenyra’s stepmother. Man, talk about a tricky relationship to navigate before the duo’s proper falling out.

But I digress. It appears that House of the Dragon, aka one of the best Max shows, will deviate somewhat from what happens in ‘Fire and Blood’, then, if Alicent and Helaena are allowed to vanish into the night. Martin’s literary works doesn’t explicitly say where Alicent goes after Rhaenyra takes King’s Landing by force, either, so I can’t comment on where she and Helaena will find their next place to call home. If I had to guess, I imagine they’ll head for Oldtown, the seat of House Hightower.

House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained: where are Aegon and Larys going?

Rhaenyra won’t find Aegon II and Larys at the Red Keep in season 3 (Image credit: Liam Daniel/HBO)

Unfortunately for Alicent, her plan may not be wholly successful after all. Indeed, while she agrees to let Rhaenyra take Aegon II’s life before ascending the Iron Throne, Alicent doesn’t know that Aegon II has also fled the Red Keep. He’s coaxed into leaving for Essos by Larys Strong; the latter telling the disfigured Aegon II that, while he lives, he’s a threat to his spiteful brother Aemond’s reign as Prince Regent – and Aemond won’t think twice about finishing the job and killin Aegon II if he presents a danger to Aemond’s own desire to rule.

Manipulating the situation further, Larys strokes Aegon II’s ego by suggesting that the pair leave for Essos and, once Rhaenyra and Aemond’s bloody way is over, Aegon II can triumphantly return to unite the small folk, overthrow whoever the victor is, and take back his position as Westeros’ ruler. It’s the planting of this ambition-laced seed that convinces Aegon II to flee with Larys; the duo being seen covertly riding in a horse-drawn carriage in season 2 episode 8’s final montage.

House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained: what does Daemon see in his Harrenhal Godswood vision?

It looks like Daemon is finally prepared to play second fiddle to Rhaenyra (Image credit: Ollie Upton/HBO)

Before Alicent privately meets with Rhaenyra, the latter has another headache to contend with as she tries to fulfil her ambition of sitting on the Iron Throne. Daemon Targaryen, her hot-headed uncle and husband who she banished after the blood-curling events seen in season 2 episode 1, has earned the trust of many of the Riverlands’ Houses. With a substantial army at his beck and call, not to mention his own dragon Caraxes, Daemon has the strength to make a play for the throne himself. When word reaches Rhaenyra through Ser Simon Strong, she and Addam of Hull ride to Harrenhal (where Daemon is based) to find out if he’s still on her side, or if he’ll become the third, unpredictable player in the Targaryen Civil War.

As it happens, Rhaenyra has nothing to worry about. Daemon recommits his fealty to Weesteros’ one true Queen, with his thousands-strong army doing likewise. Well, apart form Ser Alfred Broome, one of Rhaenyra’s council members, who skulks off to whereabouts unknown after failing to convince Daemon to usurp Rhaenyra and lead the assault on King’s Landing instead.

Alys helps Daemon to see that *ahem* “winter is coming” (Image credit: Liam Daniel/HBO)

So, what brought about Daemon’s change of heart? It’s all down to the Weirwood tree vision he had after he was taken to Harrenhal’s Godswood by the Seer known as Alys Rivers. Placing his hand on the tree’s bloody trunk, Daemon has sizzle reel-like visions of events yet to play out in Westeros, some of which are clear references to what happens in Game of Thrones‘ eight seasons (see if you agree with our best Game of Thrones seasons ranked piece while you’re here). Here’s a quick rundown of everything he sees:

A young Targaryen person, complete with a big birthmark on their left-hand cheek, sitting on a white wooden throne whose arm-rests are wrapped around theirs. This might be a reference to Brynden Rivers, who is believed to be the Three-Eyed Raven that passes this mantle onto Bran Stark in Game of Thrones season 6
The Three-Eyed Raven. A clear nod to the aforementioned duo
The Night King and his undead army of White Walkers, as seen through the eyes of a Dire wolf
Numerous dead dragons and countless deceased soldiers on a battlefield. A reference to the Dance of the Dragons and/or the White Walker-based events seen in Game of Thrones seasons 7 and 8
Daemon drowning, which is an obvious nod to his death in ‘Fire and Blood’
Three dragon eggs surrounded by fire, and then a naked woman sitting on a scorched patch of earth with three baby dragons on her shoulders. A clear reference to Daenerys Targaryen and her dragon children Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal
Rhaenyra sitting on the Iron Throne
Helaena, a Seer like Alys, suddenly appearing and telling Daemon: “It’s all a story, and you are but one part of it. You know your part”

Clearly, all of the above is enough to prove to Daemon that he’ll never sit on the throne himself, and his role is to be Rhaenyra’s staunchest ally. Let’s hope he doesn’t deviate from his mission in season 3 and beyond.

House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained: which dragon does Rhaena find in the Vale?

Rhaena should have tamed Sheepstealer by the time we see her again in season 3 (Image credit: HBO)

That’ll be Sheepstealer, one of two dragons that, until the season 2 finale, we were yet to see in House of the Dragon. The only one who hasn’t been brought to life on the screen now is Dreamfyre, Helaena’s fire-breathing, winged beast.

Incidentally, Rhaena’s successful quest to find Sheepstealer retcons a fan-favorite character’s story from ‘Fire and Blood’. In the source material, a girl who simply goes by the nickname ‘Nettles’, a lowborn individual like Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White, tames Sheepstealer and becomes another of Rhaenyra’s new dragonriders.

With Rhaena locating Sheepstealer and potentially forming a bond with it – season 2 episode 8 ends without a resolution to this subplot – we won’t see ‘Nettles’ make her debut in House of the Dragon on Max, aka one of the world’s best streaming services. It appears, then, that either the character of ‘Nettles’ has been folded into Rhaena’s character arc, or Martin and fellow co-showrunner Ryan Condal are now suggesting that Rhaena is ‘Nettles’, which would alter a big part of House of the Dragon‘s literary lore.

House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained: is there a mid- or post-credits scene?

We didn’t have Ser Criston turning into a nihilist on our season 2 bingo card (Image credit: Theo Whiteman/HBO)

Nope. House of the Dragon season 2 ends without a mid-credits scene or post-credits stinger. That was the case in season 1, too, and all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, so I wasn’t expecting a mid- or post-credits sequence – and neither should you.

House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained: is a third season in development?

I wonder if Corlys will continue to be awarded the ‘worst father of the year’ award in future seasons… (Image credit: Ollie Upton/HBO)

Yes. As I alluded to in the early parts of this piece, a third season is already in development. House of the Dragon season 3 was confirmed by HBO on June 13, just three days before season 2 premiered worldwide.

How long we’ll have to wait for season 3 to arrive is unclear. Speaking to TechRadar ahead of House of the Dragon season 2’s release in early June, Condal told me that he and his fellow scribes were “writing season three right now”, but wouldn’t elaborate on how much script work had been completed.

My prediction is that season 3’s screenplays will be penned before 2024 ends ahead of a 2025 production start date. If all goes well – and it should, providing there are no issue that shut down production, such as the 2023 Hollywood strikes – I firmly believe that we’ll see House of the Dragon‘s third chapter sometime in 2026.

House of the Dragon season 2 ending explained: what happens now?

There’s some tension between Rhaenyra and some of her dragonriders already heading into season 3 (Image credit: Ollie Upton/HBO)

That would be spoiling way too much, dear reader! If you really want to know, you can read ‘Fire and Blood’ and/or look for spoiler-filled details online.

For now, all I’ll say is that Rhaenyra seems primed to finally sit on the Iron Throne and that there should be some large-scale battles (much bigger than The Battle of Rook’s Rest that formed part of season 2 episode 4, FYI) to look forward to. Hey, episode 8’s pre-credits montage didn’t comprise so much armies-on-the-move footage if it wasn’t leading to something significant. Oh, and let’s not forget that there’ll be plenty more uneasy alliances, betrayals, shockingly gruesome incidents, and other high fantasy melodrama to enjoy in season 3. And now the long wait for its arrival begins…

For more Max-based coverage, read our guides on The Last of Us season 2, Euphoria season 3, the best Max movies, and all of the new Max movies for the month of August.