Contains spoilers for 'House of the Dragon'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Episode 3 aired on HBO on June 30, 2024. The gripping episode was a daunting precursor to the impending war but also featured a haunting moment for Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) as fans saw the shocking return of a familiar face. 

As Daemon takes Harrenhall with his dragon Caraxes by his side, he decides to stay the night at the haunted castle of Harrenhall. Daemon has been an important character in the show whose actions are unpredictable and sometimes unhinged. He doesn't show much emotion and usually just leaves when he feels he has had enough like he did in Episode 2 after a quarrel with Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy). 

Daemon feels the wrath of the haunted castle as he begins to hallucinate the presence of Rhaenyra Targaryen however it isn't the Rhaenyra he knows now. 

Daemon hallucinates a younger version of Rhaenrya in 'House of the Dragon' 

Daemon hears a humming sound and follows it to see a younger Rhaenyra played by Milly Alcock trying to sew Jaehaerys's head to his body. Jaehaerys was beheaded in the first episode at Daemon's orders. 

Daemon's original target, however, was Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) but a misunderstanding led to the death of young prince Jaehaerys. His hallucinating Rhaenyra doing this is a sign of the guilt he carries for killing Jaehaerys and for the consequences it will have on Rhaenyra's rule. 

Another thing that is evident here is his affection for who Rhaenyra was as a child over who she has become now that she is a queen. He hates to let the girl he first took to Flea Bottom down. 

His subconscious probably still sees Rhaenyra as the same young girl who was affectionate towards him. Under the hard-boiled exterior of Daemon Targaryen, is a lonely man looking for affection. 

A part of the reason why he took Harrenhall the way he did was also to find redemption with Rhaenyra. This mirrors his actions in the first season where he fought at Stepstones to redeem himself with his brother Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine). 

Apart from Rhaenyra, he also encounters Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) who tells him that he will die at Harrenhall. 

What happens to Daemon Targaryen at Harrenhall?

As per 'Fire and Blood', Daemon Targaryen does indeed die at Harrenhall when he battles Aemond Targaryen and his dragon Vhagar. The battle takes place at God's Eye, a lake in Harrenhall. 

The battle sees the two most dangerous dragons Vhagar and Caraxes go head to head against each other. Vhagar who is the biggest dragon is the biggest threat to Rhaenyra and Daemon sacrifices his own life to kill Aemond and Vhagar. 

The sacrifice proves that Rhaenyra might be the only person who Daemon has real affection for. The fact that he knew about his impending death at Harrenhall and still decided to sacrifice himself is a sign of him showing his loyalty to Rhaenyra. 

How to stream 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?

'House of the Dragon' Season 2 premiered on HBO Max on Sunday, June 16, 2024, with new episodes dropping every Sunday. To watch the series, you will need a Max Subscription.

The streaming platform typically offers three packages that you can choose from depending on your budget.

The low-cost plan that supports advertising costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. The second package, which does not support advertising, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99 annually.

Meanwhile, the third package, titled Ultimate Ad-Free, costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually.

'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Trailer