House of the Dragon
Warning : Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2 , instalment 5 .
Summary
Could Alys Rivers be a trace inHouse of the Dragon ? Is the crone of Harrenhal even really there , frustrate Daemon Targaryen , or is she a expression of his own subconscious ? After several episode ofDaemon ’s imaginativeness at Harrenhal , these are now apposite questions the show will eventually need to address .
Things are much more straight in George R.R. Martin ’s Holy Scripture , Fire & Blood . There , whileAlys Rivers is labeled a witch , there ’s no question about her being real and/or alive . However , the show is make up some key change , and Daemon ’s dreams and encounter with her are total invention , which means just about anything is on the table . That has even included some clue of Alys being some form of supernatural specteror just gross imagination , and it ’s not that far - fetched a possibility .
In the Dance of the Dragons , Targaryens fought Targaryens in a ancestry feud that consumed Westeros . But who really won that “ game of thrones ? ”
Evidence Alys Rivers Is A Ghost Or Doesn’t Exist In House Of The Dragon
It Would Explain A Few Mysterious Moments
There ’s no doubt Alys Rivers is mysterious , powerful , and more than she seems- indeed , it ’s possible she is even century of years old - but there ’s also direct evidence she ’s either a ghost or in Daemon ’s fountainhead . That ’s in part because of what ’s materialize to him : he is throw very unknown dreams and visions , so it ’s not unacceptable she is a by - product of that ; a symptom , not the cause . Importantly , no one else at Harrenhal directly interacts with her , with Daemon the only person who talks to her and that she speaks to in twist .
… It has been note that Alys ostensibly disappears when Simon Strong comes to speak with Daemon . "
The hypothesis really gained traction , though , inHouse of the Dragonseason 2 , episode 5 . Already a strange episode givenDaemon ’s visual sense of his female parent , it has been take note [ viaThrones_Factson X ] thatAlys apparently disappears when Simon Strong comes to utter with Daemon . This is shown in the snip below :
Custom image by James Hunt
It ’s entirely possible this is just a trick of camera angles , and there ’s nothing more to her vanish than that . But notice how she ’s almost floating even before she disappears , and the fact she ’s not visible after it . It could be nothing , but it could also be the show giving a major hint that she is , indeed , a ghost .
House of the Dragon season 2 , instalment 5 makes a big variety to Daemon and Rhaenyra ’s story , and it will have a much grownup impact on the show ’s future .
Do Ghosts Exist In Westeros?
There’s No Confirmation, But Is Some Evidence
There is no conclusive proof that shade exist in Westeros , but there ’s also nothing to wholly rein it out , either . Much like our own mankind , there are people who conceive in ghosts … the difference in Westeros , though , is that we at least know death is n’t lasting . Beric Dondarrion and Jon Snow are both brought back from the dead inGame of Thrones , and Catelyn Stark is resurrected in theA Song of Ice and Firebooks . Given that and so much other magic , such as greensight and skinchanging , it is not a stretch to cerebrate ghosts are literal .
InA Storm of Swords , Jaime Lannister asks Qyburn if he believes in touch . This is the former Maester ’s reply :
" Once , at the Citadel , I came into an empty room and learn an empty chair . Yet I knew a char had been there , only a moment before . The shock was indent where she ’d sat , the textile was still quick , and her scent lingered in the air . If we leave our smells behind us when we leave a elbow room , surely something of our souls must remain when we leave this life-time ? "
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Qyburn hump a matter or two about defeating death . After all , he is the one who turn Gregor Clegane into what is , essentially , a form of zombi . He has dabbled in the dark arts and learned a lot about conjuring trick and Christ’s Resurrection that the Citadel reject of , and so if any Maester was going to love - or at least issue forth near to knowing - the the true about ghosts , it belike would be him .
The lords of the Riverlands are fairly upturned with Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon . Here ’s what he did , and what the broader deduction means .
What Alys Rivers Being A Ghost Or Hallucination Would Mean
This Would Be A Radical Change For House Of The Dragon
Alys Rivers being a wraith , or a delusion of Daemon ’s , would change the story in a couple of ways . Plot wise , things would be get on similarly , butit would mean Daemon ’s mental state has been altered even more than previously thoughtif she ’s a hallucination . That would then make the idea ofHarrenhal being cursedeven more apt , because she could be a ghost that haunts the berth .
Game of Thronesseason 2 did have an episode title " The Ghost of Harrenhal , " wherein Jaqen H’ghar kills the Tickler at the petition of Arya Stark , leading masses to believe there is a " spectre . " That obviously has a clear explanation , but does lay the foundation for the idea of Harrenhal being a genuinely haunted space that does have a ghost , perhaps watch over over it or essay to ward off outsiders .
Game of Thrones always tried to keep its fantasy a little more grounded , even with tartar , White Walkers , and resurrections …
This would also be significant in term of representing a further departure into the fantastical . Game of Thronesalways tried to keep its illusion a small more grounded , even with dragons , White Walkers , and Christ’s Resurrection - they were used when necessary for the plot , and it rarely went too deep into the magical side of things . A ghost inHouse of the Dragonwould change that , making it a much more supernatural storey .
As warfare erupts in Westeros , tartar will be charge to engagement . Here ’s a description of every dragon in HBO ’s House of the Dragon , head into season 2 .
The Problems With The Theory That Alys Rivers Is A Ghost
It’s A Very Fun Theory, But Doesn’t Fully Work
One of the problems with Alys Rivers being a ghost is that , while no one talk to her , people do seem to look at her . There have been a couple of moments where she ’s entered a room and someone has looked up , and even in the clip above , Simon Strong turns his head and appear to look directly at her . However , this does n’t disprove anything , as they could be sensing her presence , and Simon may even be seem to try and distinguish who or what Daemon was speak to if he can not see Alys .
[ Alys is ] a person there is a clear historical track record of , which think there ’s no actual probability of her being a ghostwriter in Fire & Blood .
It ’s also worth aim out thatAlys is at Harrenhal when Daemon first make it at the castle . She is understandably standing in the room with Simon and others , and this is before he ’s protrude sleeping in a weirwood layer and drink strange potion . That technically does n’t intend she ca n’t be a trace , but would appear to reign out her being a hallucination , unless Daemon was instantly affect by Harrenhal .
Alys ' story in the book does n’t help the theme of her being a ghost either . She ’s a individual there is a clear diachronic criminal record of , which mean there ’s no real chance of her being a touch in Fire & Blood . Again , that does n’t mean it ca n’t happen in the show , but it would be a surprising variety given a meaning part of her account involves Aemond Targaryen , meaning he ’d also have to be hallucinate her or capable to see her despite her being a spook .
demon woolgather about Aemond but date his own face instead tells a muckle about both characters and sets up their futures in House of the Dragon .
It’s More Likely Alys Rivers Is A Powerful Greenseer
Alys Has Connections To The Weirwood Trees
The fact that Alys Rivers on the face of it knows the table of contents of Daemon ’s dreams , and may even be implanting and charm them directly , very much suggests she ’s a greenseer , since that ’s an power those with greensight possess . This would also make more sense of her previously saying she ’s a " b hooter , " as all greenseers are skinchangers .
This would not only explain how she can like a shot impact and see Daemon ’s pipe dream , such as knowing he had a imagination of his mother ( we ’ve seen the Three - Eyed Raven , or Crow in the books , do like to Bran ) , but how she knows much of what ’s going on in the Riverlands . Alys tells Daemon:“What I hear , I get wind in the winding . "
This could check with her literally becoming a b bird of night , but also echoes multiple phone line from Bran ’s point - of - view in theA Song of Ice and Firebooks . They make multiple citation to whispers on the wind , and at once connect them to his greensight and visions . For lesson , inA Dance with Dragons , when Jojen is describing how only very few people are greenseers , he tells Bran :
" It is given to a few to drink of that unripened fountain whilst still in mortal build , to discover the whisperings of the leaves and see as the trees see , as the God see . "
There are severl such passage in the Word . Take this one , where Bran has a sight of his father , Ned Stark :
" ' Father . ‘Bran ’s interpreter was a whisper in the hint , a rustle in the folio . ' Father , it ’s me . It ’s Bran . Brandon . '
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" Eddard Stark lift his question and look long at the weirwood , glower , but he did not talk . He can not see me , Bran realize , despairing . He want to make out and touch him , but all that he could do was watch and listen . I am in the tree . I am inside the heart tree , look out of its flushed eyes , but the weirwood can not speak , so I ca n’t . "
What ’s also far-famed in these instances is thatthe rustling of the malarky are often correlated with Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and the whispering of leafage , most typically weirwood Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Alys herself is very understandably connected to the weirwood trees too : it ’s next to one she sees Daemon after a visual modality , she is the one who point out his bed is made of a heart tree , and the potion she gives him seems to be , potentially , a kind of weirwood paste .
Alys and Daemon ’s scenes in House of the Dragon have been quite mysterious , and their late fundamental interaction may link into an onetime Bran Stark book theory .
Rather than a ghost , it wee-wee even more sense that Alys is a powerful greenseer . It can also be explained , quite simply , why others in the castle ignore her : she ’s consider to be a bastard , hence the surname Rivers , so it would n’t be uncommon for nobles to just ignore her and act like she does n’t exist . Daemon interacts with her because she stay fresh appear when he has his visions , but that does n’t mean she ’s not actual , even though it is a compelling idea .
What Does Alys Rivers Want With Daemon?
Why Is She Making Him Have These Visions?
Real or false , alive or a ghost , there ’s one question above all regarding Alys Rivers : what , precisely , does she want with Daemon ? As it fend , there ’s not really a clean reply . Is she render to destabilize Team Black and create chaos to suit her own end ? Note that , in the book , Alys is say to have been the wetnurse of Larys Strong , who is doing something similar in King ’s landing place ( and there are also hypothesis he is a greenseer ) .
remain House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episodes
Air Date
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sequence 6
July 21
Episode 7
July 28
Episode 8
August 4
Does she want power for herself ? Is he only strain to ward off an outsider from Harrenhal ? Is she an agent of the Old Gods themselves , imbued with a spirit from one of the weirwood trees that was cut down down at Harrenhal many year ago , out to take retaliation ? Has she visualise visions of her and Aemond ’s future together , and need to do these things to Daemon to assure that happens ? Is she strictly a plot of land machine to make Daemon come to various point of recognition about himself ? There are various opening , and hopefullyHouse of the Dragonhas an answer .
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 going Sundays at 9 pm ET on HBO and Max .
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Cast
pick out place about 172 age before the event ofGame of Thrones , House of the Dragontells the story of the wage hike of the Targaryens , the only household of dragonlords to live the Doom of Valyria . The democratic HBO spinoff show first star Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke , who act the older versions of the characters . Also starring in the series is Matt Smith ( Prince Daemon Targaryen ) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra ’s father , King Viserys Targaryen .
