*Spoilers ahead for House Of The Dragon Season 2, up through episode 7: “Smallfolk.”
The wide world of Westeros hasn’t always been the most queer-friendly. A smash-hit adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series, HBO’s Games Of Thrones had a nasty habit of punishing its LGBTQ+ characters.
For a while there, it seemed like the currently airing House Of The Dragon was fine with following suit, “burying its gays” and all. And that was especially surprising when you consider the prequel has a pretty queer-inclusive cast, including nonbinary actor Emma D’Arcy as its headlining star.
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But things just took a big gay turn in the second season’s most recent episode, when *gasp* Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (D’Arcy) shared a kiss with her longtime confidante Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno)!
And, in an even bigger twist, both of them were still alive at episode’s end!
The moment came amid the heated “Dance Of Dragons”, a.k.a. the war of succession among dueling factions of House Targaryen, led by Rhaenyra and her childhood friend-turned-frenemy step-mother Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). Despite mounting pressures, Mysaria proved herself once again to be an invaluable ally and, after confiding in the Queen, the two shared a warm embrace that quickly turned into a fiery makeout sesh.
The sapphic lip-lock has left even the most fervent Thrones fans shook—mostly because the kiss wasn’t in Martin’s original source novel. Hell, it wasn’t even in the actual episode script!
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In an interview with Vulture, Mizuno reveals it was actually scripted as a vague “intimate moment,” with no specific directives on how far things would go between Rhaenyra and Mysaria—just that their passionate connection would be interrupted.
“The hug was really the enlightened moment between them… [it] was so arresting because we realized that people don’t really hug in this show,” the actress shares. “And the kiss came so organically from that. It was very vulnerable and very tender, and then it was really nice. And then you stop thinking and it gets really passionate. It was very considered. We rehearsed it but it was also totally organic.”
Mizuno says that she and D’arcy were very conscious of the fact that it not feel “queer-baity,” so they were very intentional in their approach, rehearsing the moment while keeping it “totally organic.”
While official queen business whisks Rhaenyra away and keeps the pair from exploring things further, it’s clear their smooch will have some major implications on the remaining episodes of House Of The Dragon Season 2.
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Is House Of The Dragon‘s Rhaenyra queer?
Of course, there’s the question of Rhaenyra’s sexuality. Is she a late-in-life lesbian? Or perhaps bi?
Previously on the series, she’s had an ill-fated fling with Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), an arranged marriage with the secretly gay Laenor Velaryon (John MacMillan), and then got married to her own uncle, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), who just so happens to be Mysaria’s former lover.
So, yes, these *ahem* family relations are just another way House Of The Dragon follows in Game Of Thrones‘ footsteps…
Meanwhile, there’s her fraught, lifelong relationship with Alicent Hightower, childhood bestie turned enemy of circumstance. Before Westeros politics found them on opposite sides of a civil war, there was an undeniable kinship—and even a bit of a homoerotic charge—between the two, something that even the HBO marketing team’s been leaning into by putting stars D’arcy and Cooke in flirty promotional situations (lest you forget: “Negroni Sbagliatto.”)
And though queen fans have been ‘shipping Rhaenyra and Alicent since Day One, that couple’s got some serious competition now that we’ve seen the heat between Rhaenyra and Mysaria.
“I think what you see initially is intimacy, and an intimacy that Rhaenyra shares so rarely,” D’arcy tellsVariety. “With Mysaria, in this growing relationship—it’s remarkably honest.”
Wow, wait a minute… is House Of The Dragon actually laying the groundwork for a healthy, stable queer relationship here? We’re hesitant to get our hopes too much here because, after all, this is a Game Of Thrones show. But is it too much to ask for a few episodes of sapphic bliss?
We’re certainly not put at ease by the brief teaser for the next episode, which flashes a shot of Mizuno’s Mysaria just as Rhaenyra’s voiceover says, “thousands will die.” Um…. *gulp*
The show’s queer fans are celebrating regardless, especially over on Gay Twitter X™ where viewers are flooding our timeline with praise for House Of The Dragon newest ‘ship… Rhaensaria? Mysyra? Whatever, their names are confusing to begin with—here, enjoy these ecstatic, hilarious tweets:
New episodes of House Of The Dragon are every Sunday on HBO and stream simultaneously on Max.
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JAWIWA
Homoerotic refers to men. Use sapphic to refer to women.
nm4047
Homoeroticism is sexual attraction between members of the same sex, including both male–male and female–female attraction. The concept differs from the concept of homosexuality: it refers specifically to the desire itself, which can be temporary, whereas “homosexuality” implies a more permanent state of identity or sexual orientation
SumSay
Loved it. Surprised it didn’t happen sooner.
inbama
Best character on the show was Rhaenys, and she’s dragon toast.
Herman75
Awesome. Women smooching. But what I really am curious about is why the dragon burned those 2 guys to a crisp.