Diverse casting of House Velaryon brings much-needed representation, despite backlash from some fans.
Incestuous Targaryen relationships, while disturbing, are explored thoughtfully to showcase their twisted nature.
Standout performances, especially Emma D’Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra, drive the show’s growing popularity.
House Of The Dragon is BACK, and while #DemDragons, betrayals, and bloody battles are dominating Westeros, The Black Watch is turning its attention to the Black representation in HBO’s fantasy franchise.
The latest episode of BOSSIP and CASSIUS’ editorial series The Black Watch unpacked the first two episodes of House Of The Dragon‘s third season, exploring everything from House Velaryon’s impact on the franchise to the online backlash surrounding the show’s diverse casting. The panel once again features BOSSIP Managing Editor Dani Canada, iONE Digital Vice President of Video Tanya Hoffler-Moore, iONE Digital Director of Content for the Men’s Division Alvin Blanco, and comedian-writer Richard Jones for a convo about dragons, diversity, and why fantasy deserves a broader perspective.
“Black people are starting to show up in a major way on House Of The Dragon, and it’s about damn time,” Dani said while introducing the conversation.
The panel first discussed why viewers who skipped Game Of Thrones, or fell off before House Of The Dragon should consider tuning in now.
Before breaking down Season 3, the panel discussed why newcomers should finally give the Game Of Thrones prequel a chance, with much of the conversation centering on House Velaryon. This powerful Black family has become one of the franchise’s defining additions.
“Now we have the Velaryons. We’ve got my boy, the Sea Snake, who is highborn. He’s Lord of Driftmark,” Dani said.
The conversation then shifted to the criticism that followed the decision to cast Black actors as members of House Velaryon, a departure from George R.R. Martin’s books, where the family is described with silver hair and violet eyes.
“House of the Dragon sticks to what George R.R. Martin put in the books about incest,” said Dani. “But they definitely changed the looks when it came to House Velaryon… Some people are upset because it’s not the same as the books. They’re saying it’s too woke. What do we think about it?”
“Who cares? None of this is real,” added Richard.
Alvin agreed, adding, “You will be all WHITE. You will be fine.”
Source: The Black Watch / iOne Digital
“We are not talking about real people,” Richard continued. “We’re talking about fictional characters.”
“They had five seasons of Game Of Thrones with two Black characters, if any,” she said. “Game Of Thrones had a huge Black audience. #DemThrones became a whole hashtag. Why not lean into your audience that’s making your show trend on a whole ‘nother level?”
Alvin summed up the backlash in one sentence.
“It’s just people telling on themselves.”
The group then discussed House Of The Dragon’s incestuous Targaryen family.
“I personally want to know what it’s like in the writers’ room because they are way too comfortable with incest,” Richard joked. “I was like, ‘Is Westeros in Arkansas?’ Damn!”
Source: The Black Watch / iOne Digital
“It’s not their fault,” responded Tanya. “It’s George R.R. Martin’s.”
She added that while the relationships are disturbing, the series doesn’t glorify them.
“I do like the fact that the show explores that dynamic in a weird, twisted way,” Tanya said. “It shows how disgusting it is and how people who subscribe to those types of relationships try to justify it.”
Beyond the discourse surrounding representation, the panel also praised the performances anchoring the season, particularly Emma D’Arcy’s portrayal of Queen Rhaenyra.
“I was crying during that last episode when they brought Jace home, and Emma had to see his body,” Dani said.
“There were just so many levels of pain,” Tanya added.
Richard credited Matt Smith with bringing him back to the franchise after Game of Thrones’ polarizing finale.
“I was ready to write off the whole universe after Game of Thrones,” he admitted. “But the actor that brought me to it was Matt Smith. I’m a huge Doctor Who fan, so when I saw that he was attached to the project, I was there. Daemon is such a good character.”
“He is the most Targaryen Targaryen,” Richard joked.
“Indeed,” Alvin replied. “This man said, ‘Why don’t I marry my niece?’”
The discussion comes as House Of The Dragon continues to dominate with viewers. According to HBO, the Season 3 premiere drew 21.5 million viewers across linear and streaming platforms worldwide, while the first two episodes currently hold a 91 percent approval rating.
“I mean, they are nailing it,” Alvin said. “It’s growing on me. These people are all trash. There’s nobody I want to root for… but the dragons, though? The dragons are rocking it.”
Looking ahead, the panel shared predictions for the rest of the season, with Richard expecting Rhaena Targaryen to earn a redemption arc after her attempt to ride the wild dragon Sheepstealer ended in disaster.
Richard predicted that Rhaena would eventually make her way back to her family after Sheepstealer’s chaotic entrance into battle contributed to the death of Jacaerys Velaryon.
“I don’t know, Rhaena got some explaining to do,” he said. “Rhaena failed the assignment. You’re running around looking like a slave, and you finally got the dragon. Yay! Cool, you sung to the dragon, got fed by the dragon, and even said, ‘Hey, we’re on the way home.’ You could have stopped right there, but no, you had to do too much.”
Tanya came to Rhaena’s defense, arguing that no one could have predicted just how unruly her new dragon would be.
“It’s not her fault,” she said. “She did not know she was getting a bada** kid when she got him.”
Dani agreed, referring to a BOSSIP headline to describe Sheepstealer’s behavior.
“Sheepstealer is a YN,” she joked. “He’s a dragYN. That’s why he don’t listen to nobody. He was like, ‘They shooting arrows at me. I’m getting hit with fire! I don’t know these other dragons. I don’t know these people!’”
Watch the latest episode of The Black Watch below.
