In House of the Dragon season 1, episode 8, actor Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen had few lines, and the fans on social media certainly noticed.
Daemon Targaryen delivered few lines in the latest House of the Dragon episode, but fans are still lauding actor Matt Smith’s performance as the series’ anti-hero. Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is an exploratory look at the chaos within one of Westeros’ most notorious families, the Targaryens. House of the Dragon features Smith as Daemon, the devious and wily younger brother of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine). When Daemon was taken out of the line of succession to the Iron Throne, the match that would ignite the Targaryen civil war was lit.
House of the Dragon season 1 has featured several significant time jumps, and after a period of bitter exile, Daemon has come back around to the family. He bent the knee to King Viserys, and later married his niece and replacement as heir, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy). When Smith was first cast as Daemon, there was skepticism among the fanbase due to his appearance and lack of experience playing darker characters. Now, he’s proven to be a highlight of the impressive House of the Dragon ensemble.
Over the course of House of the Dragon season 1, viewers have noticed a reduction in Daemon’s lines. While this might be a negative thing for most characters, fans are evidently taken with his silent treatment and shared as much on Twitter. Check out the fan reception to Smith’s performance amidst Daemon’s limited dialogue below:
Daemon Targaryen Has A Dramatic Character Arc But Has Stayed True To Himself
Now poised to become the Queen’s consort, a significant position as spouse of the Iron Throne, Daemon takes a more tactile approach to get what he wants. When at one point he would’ve taken a risky and potentially fatal move to win a war – as he did in House of the Dragon episode 3 – he’s now shown he’s planning for a more important future. In episode 8, he’s begun to cultivate dragon eggs, which take years to hatch. However, his ruthlessness has not disappeared. Daemon also committed a dramatic murder before the King’s court to protect the falsehood that Rhaenyra’s children from her first marriage are of Velaryon blood.
From the beginning, he’s been an observant, calculating figure capable of springing into action at any moment. Nearly every House of the Dragon episode has shown Daemon perched in a corner, nursing a drink and observing unfolding chaos before making his own impression on the action. In House of the Dragon episode 8, he was one of the few Targaryens in attendance at King Viserys’ last dinner that did not make a speech, though Daemon did honor Viserys by assisting him to the throne in a surprise gesture of support. Fittingly, Daemon has no lines in the House of the Dragon season 1, episode 9 trailer, suggesting his quieter role could continue through the finale.
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