In a press conference (via TVLine), Condal discussed Helaena and her visions. The showrunner first praised Saban’s iteration of the character before alluding to how Helaena’s visions “have forced [Aemond] to look inward” going forward. Read Condal’s full comment below:
Helaena was always fascinating to us because she was a bit of a tabula rasa, as described in the book. And we cast this fantastic actor, Phia Saban, and we just loved her performance and we became fascinated with who this person is.
Helaena, [Viserys’] daughter, right under his very nose, had this power that everybody kinda ignored because they view her as different or odd or just ‘Oh, that’s just Helaena.’ But now people are starting to take a little bit more care and notice of her. And she, herself, is evolving. Whatever this ability is that she has, she’s learning to wield it or to pay more heed to it or she’s learning how to interpret it better.
We were interested in seeing how a spooked Aemond is going to react from this point forward in the story.
How Helaena’s Powers Culminate Her Season 2 Arc
What Was Helaena Doing In Daemon’s Vision?
From the very first episode, Helaena had a difficult season. Though she sensed that something awful was about to happen, she was unable to prevent the brutal murder of her young son, Prince Jaehaerys, at the hands of assassins Blood and Cheese. From that moment on, Helaena experienced immense grief, yet she also seemed to become more accustomed to her prophetic gifts. Throughout House of the Dragon season 2, she seemingly possessed knowledge of things few others knew.
With her trauma from the beginning of season 2, it seems like her prophetic powers have evolved just as much as she has, pointing towards a Helaena who has learned to harness her supernatural abilities.
At the same time, Daemon was at Harrenhal and often experiencing surreal visions involving kinslaying, incest, and soul-searching. His final vision in the finale is the last step in a process that was more or less meant to change who he is for the better. After being led to the godswood of Harrenhal and touching the weirwood tree, Daemon sees many things in this vision, including a younger version of Brynden Rivers (aka the Three-Eyed Raven), white walkers, and even Daenerys Targaryen.
Another shocking moment in Daemon’s vision is when Helaena appears and talks to him. With her trauma from the beginning of season 2, it seems like her prophetic powers have evolved just as much as she has, pointing towards a Helaena who has learned to harness her supernatural abilities. So far, she has used them to nudge characters in certain directions, such as Daemon toward accepting his place in the war and Aemond toward reconsidering his next moves. Going into House of the Dragon season 3, it seems Helaena will be a character to watch.
