Summary
House of the Dragonstar Harry Collett explains how Jace’s long-brewing troubles surrounding his complicated family history led to his frustrated outburst with his mother Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) inseason 2 episode 7. Prince Jacaerys Valaryon is the eldest surviving child of the heir to the Targaryan throne, with his parentage leaving him a bastard due to Rhaenyra’s romance with Ser Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr) and the nature of her marriage to Laenor Valaryon (John Macmillan). As a war for the succession of Westeros' throne has brewed, Jace has helped gather allies for his mother’s faction.
With Rhaenyra looking for Dragonriders beyond her noble allies and bringing Adam (Clinton Liberty) into her ranks in the latestHouse of the Dragonepisode, Collette revealed toEsquirehow these developments brought his insecurities to the forefront. While Jace has in his heart always been aware of his true parentage, seeing other bastards brought into his mother’s faction with their own potential claims to the throne has left him feeling slighted, leading to his confrontation with Rhaenyra. Check out Collett’s explanation below:
“There’s a little bit of fear that lies within him. All of his life, he’s tried to get away from the fact that he is a bastard, but he knows it deep down. He wants to verify that by the time he sits on the Iron Throne, everything is perfect and everything is going his way.” Namely, he doesn’t want his claim questioned. “How would people see him? In the future, when it’s him and a load of bastards, it’s kind of insulting to him.”
Is Jace’s Frustration Justified?
Jace has long grappled with who he is.
For most of his life, Jace has seen how fickle the world can be, and how power can be easily usurped purely down to birth circumstances.
Succession crises due to bastards being sorted are nothing new to theGame of Thronesfranchise, as the original series' was partly instigated by a similar situation. However, Jace’s troubles have long been building ever since his birth, with Viserys (Paddy Considine) doing his best to keep rumors from spreading across Westeros. He could not prevent mockery from within the family, however, as Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) would use it as an insult, factoring into the fateful incident inHouse of the Dragonseason 1 whenthe “Strong boys” removed his eye.
As such, not only has Jace had to grapple with rumors and mockery for most of his life, but he is also a key player inHouse of the Dragon’s current succession crisis. For most of his life, Jace has seen how fickle the world can be, and how power can be easily usurped purely down to birth circumstances, adding more weight to his troubled history. Unfortunately, his mother’s hands are tied in this situation – if she is to succeed against the Greens, she may need to lean more into systems that have already caused suchdistress for the Targaryans.
Jace’s outburst is the latest act in a long-brewing arc ever sinceHouse of the Dragonseason 1, and Collett’s response helps highlight a tragic element. With the actor emphasizing how Jace has kept these fears buried, he may feel foolish to have pushed Rhaenyra to recruit more riders and be grappling with what he now feels is an inevitable continuation of his identity crisis. With Jace absent from the Dragonmont, perhaps his relationship with his mother may be left somewhat tarnished going into the oncoming conflict.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
