House of the Dragon’s energy couple is formally right here to play

In an episode full of peculiar developments, a number of the finest information from the most recent episode of House of the Dragon is that House of the Dragon followers lastly have a pair to root for.

Though Ser Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and his spouse, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), have been launched in earlier episodes, episode 5 of House of the Dragon is the primary time we actually get to see them in motion, each in an viewers with King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and alone. It’s immediately clear that they’re possibly the present’s solely instance of couple objectives.

The qualities that make them the finest is a solution that Toussaint and Best suppose can finest be summed up succinctly (and, as they did within the interview with Polygon, in unison): “All of the other relationships are damaged!”

“Trash! Obscene!” says Toussaint, earlier than Best cuts in with the brand new Targaryen home motto: “Incestuous! Weird!”

And it’s true; the connection is just not solely more healthy than anything House of the Dragon has supplied, however the two are in close to lockstep. When Viserys involves ask in the event that they’ll wed their son to his daughter, Rhaenys is current and dealing the room. She seldom offers the king her full consideration, barely providing him wine (and never providing Ser Lyonel Strong any). While Rhaenys doesn’t converse a lot within the assembly, it’s clear that her mere presence right here is distinctive, particularly with Rhaenyra caught on the opposite aspect of the door. And when it comes time for Corlys to simply accept the proposal, he seems to be to Rhaenys earlier than he does.

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

Best acknowledges that they’re not the only loving couple on House of the Dragon, however their sweetness is rooted in one thing a lot completely different.

“You get the feeling with [Viserys and Aemma] they’re not necessarily peers. I mean you hardly see their relationship, but I think she’s quite a bit younger, isn’t she?” Best says, acknowledging that there are definitely “resonances” with Lady Macbeth. “It really feels like a partnership. And it’s very modern in that respect. And it’s very, very equal, and very based on mutual respect, in terms of power. It’s absolutely 100% an alliance.”

Although their origin story isn’t written into the present (but), Best and Toussaint have crammed within the gaps for themselves.

“In my head I always had this idea that they had come back from one of his voyages and he was in the court but he was not quite as polished [as the people there]. And that was kind of an appeal,” Toussaint says. “Also the fact that she didn’t look down on him. Because of course, one of the things in this world is that his house, prior to his voyages, was not nearly as rich as the others. But he went out and made a fortune.”

As he does with Rhaenys, Corlys retains the issues he loves from his adventures shut and on show within the throne room of his Driftmark citadel. While episode 5 doesn’t give the viewers a full have a look at all that, Toussaint says he requested co-showrunner Ryan Condal to provide him data on each artifact so he may respect the accomplishments of his character.

As we see within the scene when Corlys and Rhaenys are alone, they don’t at all times 100% agree. But their love is fierce and clearly born out of a deep admiration for the opposite. Corlys could seem to be he’s merely out to guard his household’s title, however he tells Rhaenys he needs to see their son married to proper the “small-minded error” of not naming her queen.

In a universe constructed on folks with unhealthy or damaging relationships to one another (as clearly demonstrated in yet one more Game of Thrones marriage ceremony going haywire this week), Corlys and Rhaenys are clearly an influence couple. But they’re additionally a pair truly price rooting for as they play the sport of thrones.