House of the Dragon Season 2 ending explained: Alicent and Daemon choose their sides

Major decisions are made in the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale. Alicent and Daemon need to make a choice. Will they pick themselves, Rhaenyra, or Aegon?

Caution: This post contains major spoilers for the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale.

Everything has changed as House of the Dragon Season 2 comes to an end. The tides are shifting, and people need to make their choices. For some, it means sacrificing their own claims. For others, it means turning against the people they originally supported.

Rhaenyra has to train her dragonriders in House of the Dragon

The end of the previous episode saw two new dragonriders join Rhaenyra’s team. Ulf and Hugh claimed Silverwing and Vermithor, respectively. While Addam and Hugh held themselves well with the queen, Ulf made it clear he was still around his drinking buddies. That was despite Jacaerys and Rhaenyra calling him out on things.

She sends Hugh and Ulf off to learn the ways of being a dragonrider while asking Addam to join her on a mission. Ser Simon Strong sends a warning that Daemon seems to be gaining an Army of his own. She needs to find out who he will bend the knee to, and showing off a new dragonrider will help to gain some sort of following.

Daemon sees Aegon’s dream in the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale

Daemon continues with the opinion that he is the king at the start of the episode. Alys Rivers goes to see him and takes him to the Godswood. She wants him to see something.

Daemon touches the tree and is pulled into what is hopefully his last vision. This is a big one, though. He sees Aegon the Conqueror, a white walker, Daenerys with her three baby dragons, and more. It’s clear to him that they are all there for a bigger reason.

When Rhaenyra shows up, he tells her what he has seen. He bends the knee to her. The Army he has rise is hers. The ending of the episode sees him step out to the encampment, ready for war.

Rhaena finds the dragon she’s been looking for

If you thought Rhaena was dumb for going off into the wilderness of the Vale alone, you weren’t alone. We see just how ill-prepared she is throughout the episode.

However, there is hope at the end of the episode. She sees a dragon flying overhead and runs in that direction. At the end of the finale, the dragon and Rhaena come face to face. Will she tame this wild dragon?

Alyn calls Corlys out on the past

Corlys has a chance to give Rhaenyra some words of advice. Rhaenyra needs to attack now that she has three dragons. It doesn’t matter if there are two other dragons for the Greens.

There is a beautiful moment as Rhaenyra asks about the Sea Snake. That is no longer the name of the ship. Corlys shares that the ship’s new name is The Queen Who Never Was to honor Rhaenys.

Later on, we see Corlys pulls Alyn up on his attitude. Alyn has been given an excellent opportunity, and he is being short. Even the men are seeing it. Alyn apologizes for the way he comes across, but he makes it clear that he didn’t want this. When Corlys had a legitimate heir, Alyn and Addam were nothing to him. Alyn still holds resentment for that. This man allowed his two illegitimate sons to starve and freeze until Laenor died.

Alyn makes it clear that he will never forget where he came from. He is still that boy, and there is nothing Corlys can really say against that.

Alicent makes a shock decision in the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale

As Aemond burns Sharp Point out of anger and then demands Helaena joins him in the fight on her dragon Dreamfyre, Alicent realizes that she needs to right the wrong. Her jealousy of Rhaenyra all these years and her decision to put duty above all else has led them all to this.

So, she sneaks to Dragonstone to see Rhaenyra. Alicent makes it clear that none of this should have happened, and she is part of the reason for that. So, she makes Rhaenyra an offer. With Aemond and Vhagar gone on the march with Ser Criston Cole and that army, Alicent will order for the gates be opened. All she asks is for herself and Helaena to remain unharmed.

Rhaenyra makes it clear someone needs to be made an example of. It’s all about Aegon. Alicent doesn’t want anything to happen to her son, but Rhaenyra makes it clear that Aegon needs to die. That is the only way this war can stop.

Helaena shares her vision of what’s to come in House of the Dragon Season 3

Larys is already one step ahead of Alicent and Rhaenyra. Realizing that Rhaenyra has a chance to take King’s Landing, he decides that he needs to get Aegon out of the city. Aegon doesn’t want to at first, believing that everything has been for nothing. However, Larys talks him into running away for now.

As Aemond continues to push Helaena to ride Dreamfyre and join the war, Helaena points out that everything he is doing is for nothing. Aemond will be king again, but he’ll sit on a wooden throne. Aemond will die. Even Helaena’s death, which Aemond threatens, won’t change that.

With that, we can see how House of the Dragon Season 3 will go. Rhaenyra may take King’s Landing but she won’t remain on the Iron Throne.