House of the Dragon Demonstrates Even Less Knowledge Than Game of Thrones Regarding Black Characters

If you haven’t watched House of the Dragon up to Episode 7, “Driftmark,” stop reading right away!

Fine. You’ve been made aware.

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The world of Game of Thrones has an issue with Black characters once more. I wish I could say I was shocked, but after what they did to Nathalie Emmanuel’s Missandei and Jacob Anderson’s Grey Worm, I can’t.

 

I’ll admit that when Corlys Velaryon first appeared in House of the Dragon as played by Steve Toussaint, I had some hope. He was introduced as the richest and most powerful man in Westeros in the first episode, and after that, he was thrown into a plot with the show’s primary antagonist, Prince Daemon. It seemed as though they were making his persona and his family the focus of the story. Naturally, he rapidly vanished into the background as we were forced to listen to endless hours of arguments against Princess Rhaenyra’s suitability to lead since she is a woman. And with that, I realised that this programme wouldn’t allow House Velaryon to be fantastic.

 

It seemed as though they were going to have actual narratives when Corlys’ offspring married into the Targaryen dynasty for a very brief period of time. But “Driftmark” from Episode 7 abruptly put an end to all of my expectations and dreams.

 

When Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor, the gay son of Corlys, got engaged, they agreed to “perform their job” and then indulge in as much fun as they pleased. Laenor simply wants to be free to live his life. They would have children, play the happy couple, and be devoted friends and equals. I was prepared to imagine them facing off against Queen Alicent and the other members of the royal court as this great, strong couple. Unfortunately, Laenor’s role in Rhaenyra’s plot was little outside of a few brief sequences. Additionally, we were never given a thorough look at how being a gay guy in a society that does not recognise that affected him. Laenor is the ideal illustration of how House of the Dragon consistently fails to develop its characters.

 

In order to get right to the intrigue and avoid having to complete the laborious world-building, the drama frequently assumes that viewers already know about these characters and their reasons. The main victims of this cycle are Laenor and his sister Laena. They spend so little time with their characters that the major decisions they make seem empty to the spectator. I can’t let the deeds of strangers, to whom I have no emotional connection, shock or upset me. The spouses of the two main protagonists of the programme have received less attention than a number of minor characters who have a very small part in the overall plot.

 

Since Laenor was missing so much from their wedding in Episode 5 to the conclusion of his journey in Episode 7, we could have easily put his picture on the back of a milk container.

 

Laena, his sister, performed even worse. Daemon married Laena as his second wife after killing his first one. All of this takes place during the 10-year period between Episodes 5 and 6, so one moment we see them travelling with their girls and the next Laena is giving the order for her dragon, also known as a “Dracarys,” to burn her rather than give birth. Laena was someone we encountered three times throughout her life, but she was never permitted to be anything more than a piece in the men’s never-ending musical chairs game for the Iron Throne. In reality, she was first introduced to us when she was a young girl and her parents were attempting to arrange for her marriage to a middle-aged guy.

 

Yes, even by the standards of Game of Thrones, that was disgusting.

 

And let it be known that Laena and Daemon’s offspring will not receive any better treatment. Aemond, Alicent’s evil son, claims Laena’s dragon as his own, snatching that right from her daughter Baela, just minutes after Laena was buried at sea. And he does it in that typical arrogant, smug white male manner that we are all all too familiar with.

 

After his sister’s burial and a royal altercation involving his wife and children, Laenor promises Rhaenyra that he would be a better husband and father. One of his best moments in the entire series, it really gave me the impression that things were about to get better. But no, that didn’t take place. Rhaenyra makes the decision to wed her uncle Daemon in order to maintain the Targaryen line’s “purity.” Laenor must pass away for this to occur. Laenor is made to pretend to die by Daemon, shocking his parents but paving the way for him and Rhaenyra to exchange vows in a private ceremony.

 

I really could have done without the incest this time, House of the Dragon.

 

I don’t know if the reason these characters received such little attention was because they belonged to the one Black family in the series, but the fact that Game of Thrones ended with Missandei’s senseless killing and Grey Worm being allowed to sail off alone indicates to a clear problem for POC.

 

Black fans are left to wonder if this universe is worth their time and support after House of the Dragon ignored its one Black family for several episodes before killing and writing them off in the span of an hour.