In House of the Dragon season 2 episode 5, Daemon Targaryen has hallucinations about his mother, Alyssa. These visions reflect his deep need for love and acceptance, mirroring his complex feelings towards his niece, Rhaenyra Targaryen. Daemon’s dreams highlight the struggle of losing his mother at a young age and his constant search for validation.
Who is the young woman in Damon’s vision?
The episode delves deep into Daemon’s psyche through these intense hallucinations. He is suffering from either the curse of Harrenhal or the spell of Alice Rivers, which prevents him from sleeping or eating.
His dreams include characters from the past, such as a young Rhaenyra stitching up a corpse, Lyanna Velaryon serving him wine, and a mysterious silver-haired woman. This woman eventually reveals herself to be his mother, Alyssa Targaryen (played by Emlyn Lambert), when she calls him her “favorite son,” leading to complications in their relationship.
Throughout the series, Alyssa’s character is not discussed much, but it is clear that she prefers Daemon over Viserys. This favoritism is hinted at when Daemon expresses anger at Rhaenys’ capture of his mother’s dragon.
Elisa is portrayed as spirited and youthful, but her appearance in the scene is horrific, with blood on her chest, reflecting her tragic untimely death at the age of 24 after a difficult childbirth.
The scene between Daemon and Alyssa crosses a line that is not often touched upon in the series, highlighting the Targaryens’ practice of incest. While the family often marries close relatives, direct parent-child relationships are generally avoided. This raises questions about Daemon’s feelings for his mother and his longing for maternal love.
Why does Daemon seek out a maternal figure despite Rhaenyra’s presence?
Damon has a need for acceptance from losing his mother at such a young age, which leads him to do this to gain attention. He found some level of validation in Rhaenyra, who has similar feelings to Alyssa. However, as Rhaenyra matured and took on more responsibilities, she became less available to Damon, deepening his sense of loneliness.
Many believe that Daemon’s greatest enemy is Aemond, but in reality it is his own need for admiration that haunts him. His dreams of being with his mother reflect his longing for the attention he once received, which is now taken away from Rhaenyra. This internal conflict makes Daemon feel lost, desperately searching for strength to deal with the emptiness left by his mother.
New episodes of House of the Dragon premiere every Sunday at 9 pm ET.
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