Is this the Daemon Targaryen we read about in George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire & Blood?’ Doesn’t seem so…

Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen is not okay and this is quite evident from the latest episode of House of the Dragon. His mental state has been deteriorating and in episode 4 he is driven mad by the visions of all the people he failed in the past and is taunted by a young Rhaenyra Targaryen, with Milly Alcock returning to the role.
Milly Alcock and Matt Smith

Milly Alcock and Matt Smith in House of the Dragon season 2 | HBO
Thanks to this scene, it is once again implied that Daemon has been after the throne and the power that comes with it all along, which is quite different from his book counterpart. Now, a fan has rightly pointed out that Daemon doesn’t really care for the throne and is only looking for chaos.

Does Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen Even Want the Throne?

Daemon's vision in HotDDeamon slices off Rhaenerys’ head in his vision | HBO
Sure, Matt Smith’s Daemon wants all the power and respect he can get but it doesn’t look like he wants those things through becoming the king, at least, that’s what the books implied.

Even in Ryan Condal’s House of the Dragon, Daemon can be seen smiling when his brother Viserys tells the council that Daemon has no intention of ruling. While many interpreted his smile as a scoff, others believe that he was simply acknowledging his brother as being right.

In one scene, Daemon is seen sitting on the throne but his disregard for the rules is pretty evident. He wants glory, chaos, and excitement. He wants people to recognize his worth but couldn’t care less about winning the throne.

However, in episode four, he sees Milly Alcock’s Rhaenyra in a dream/vision where she tells him, “You created me, Daemon. Yet you are set on destroying me. All because your brother loved me more than he did you.” A furious Daemon slices off young Rhaenyra’s head but that doesn’t stop her. She continues, “This is what you’ve always wanted, is it not?”

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Condal opened up about why Daemon saw a young Rhaenyra in his vision instead of Emma D’Arcy’s version of the character. Condal stated that it was because young Rhaenyra was the one who took away Daemon’s claim to the throne from him.

That’s the girl who took his claim, not elder Rhaenyra, played by Emma D’Arcy. It’s that version of Rhaenyra that removed him as the heir to the throne, and then was named heir and took his claim.

Does this mean that Daemon, deep inside his heart, was actually striving for the throne all this time? If yes, then this might not sit right with fans of the show who don’t believe that he could ever want to rule as king.

Fans Believe the Show Failed Daemon Targaryen

A still from House of the DragonA still from House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4 | HBO
Episode four left fans with a ton of notes for them to ponder after the jaw-dropping end. Viewers had something or the other to point out and have long discussions about on social media including the moment where Daemon sees a vision of Aemond Targaryen.

 

He follows a man who is supposedly Aemond with long blonde hair as well as an eyepatch. However, when he finally gets to see the mystery man’s face, it turns out to be none other than Daemon himself. When a fan replied to the post stating that it was “because they are parallel” and that “both want the throne,” another user pointed out how Condal failed the fans by portraying Daemon to be someone that he is not.

 

They added that in the books, Daemon never made moves “that were for himself” and called out Condal for his lack of understanding of the source material. Many other fans are of the same opinion as you can clearly see below:

 

 

 

 

Smith himself told Digital Spy, “People often ask me, ‘Is Daemon after power?’ and I’ve never thought he is.” He went on to add that instead of the throne, Daemon is “addicted to being sort of agent of chaos” and we couldn’t agree more.

Stream House of the Dragon on Max.