This story contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 4 of “House of the Dragon,” “The Red Dragon and the Gold.”
The queen who never existed no longer exists.
In Sunday’s episode, “House of Dragons,” “Red and Gold,” Princess Reynis Targaryen (Eve Best) volunteers to fight with her dragon, Melis, at Luke’s Rest, which is surrounded by the Green Army. Luke’s Rest is led by Ser Kristen Cole.
She meets the Targaryens on two other dragons. Aegon and his beast Sunfire are quickly defeated, while Aimond and the fierce Vhagar prove to be more formidable opponents. Vhagar lands a fatal blow to the much smaller Melei, who falls from the sky. Rhaenys, with a look of peaceful resignation, plummets to certain death.
Her fate and Aegon’s uncertain future are sure signs that the civil war within House Targaryen, known as the Dance of Dragons, will intensify. Despite being pushed out of the line of succession by King Viserys (Paddy Considine), the king has named his daughter Raynira (Emma D’Arcy) as his heir, and Raynira is a rare figure of restraint and prudence in the harsh world of Westeros, only drawing out her fiery beasts when absolutely necessary.
Raines’s death also means “House of the Dragon” viewers will lose Best, a royal actress who brought steely composure and quiet wisdom to the role. Best has experience playing women close to the throne, having played Carole Middleton in the final season of “The Crown” and Wallis Simpson in “The King’s Speech.” From her home in Italy, amid the chirping of birds, she spoke to The Times about her character’s farewell and the real-world inspiration she draws from certain female politicians.
I guess you probably thought things would end this way for Reynis, but what was your reaction when you read the script?
That’s the nature of the beast. If you’ve been in the “Game of Thrones” series, there’s a good chance there’s going to be a sticky ending at some point. I knew (Rainys was going to die), I just didn’t know exactly. when.
I was absolutely shocked for her. I think she’s a really great character and a great woman. There’s a great movie called “The Last Samurai.” There’s a similar area with Reynis. I said to Ryan (showrunner Ryan J. Condal) at the end of last season, “I want her to be a full-on samurai when things start to open up.” Because in season one, she was very neutral until she broke her glass ceiling fantastically with the dragon. She treaded very lightly on the minefield.
When you see these noble characters, these warriors of truth and goodness, it’s painful. In the context of this world, it’s a tremendous loss. In Westeros, as in our world, enlightened female role models are essential and desperately needed. That’s the role she plays, and especially in season 2, this lighthouse is like a guide for Raynira. This is what a good ruler does. This is how you lead. What I always notice about the nature of this particular story is that these women are pushed into a confusing patriarchal system.
Rainis represents a person of absolute authority, power, wisdom, intelligence, expertise, political acumen and complete compassion. That is, a person who is constantly aware of the need for cooperation and who chooses love over destruction.
Eve Best plays Princess Reynis Targaryen in “House of Dragons” and Steve Toussaint plays Lord Corlys Velaryon.
(Ollie Upton / HBO)
Have you actually thought about anything?–Are there any world figures, historical or contemporary, who are related to this character? There have been many women similar to Rhaenys.
Of course, 100%, almost every great woman you can think of has elements of (Rainys). Sarah Hess, the show’s executive producer and head writer, said to me on day one, “There’s so much Hillary Clinton in Rainys.” You can’t compare Viserys to anyone else (former President Trump), but the similarities are very clear. It’s about seeing the person who is absolutely, absolutely, the best person for the job get pushed out simply because she’s a woman, and then having to somehow find her way.
One of the things that has really made me respect Hillary Clinton is how she has navigated her role/non-role since (the 2016 election) and has maintained her dignity, self-respect, and leadership so well. It felt like the kind of territory that Raines is treading.
I was keenly aware of how extremely difficult that particular dance was. It was about not letting the inevitable human disappointments turn into dark emotions of revenge, resentment, and blame, and not letting anything worsen as they begin to stain the choices (Raina and Alicent) make. We see both of them fall into a rabbit hole of potential disaster because of their personal circumstances. Reinas somehow manages to stay above it all despite all the blows that are dealt to her. The poem where she literally rides a dragon and ends in the sky and releases into eternity is perfect.
Why do you think Rhaenys ultimately sided with Rhaenyra and Daemon despite everything that had happened? to Did she lose her children (and her own claim to the throne) because of them?
The decision to side with them is a tough one, but once again she takes personal stuff out of the equation. The bigger picture is that Rhaenyra is definitely the heir to the throne. Rhaenys has strong feelings about “I won’t be able to tell this story again during my reign. It won’t happen again. It will literally happen over my dead body.”
It is very clear that (Raynir) is a much wiser choice than Aegon. It is the right thing to do in every way. It seems like Raynir is programmed to do the right thing. She puts her personal feelings aside, and it is really hard to do that. There is a strong temptation to scratch out the snow or go back to Driftmark with Korlis and wash your hands while watching the sunset.
We’ve seen Reynis repeatedly urge self-control. Why did she decide to use lethal force this time?
It’s really reached the point of no return. She’s tried everything, insisted on self-restraint, cooperation, and communication. She told (Rhaenyra) to talk to Alicent and her sisters, because these two women love each other and have the power to heal.
The Black Council spends a lot of time debating whether or not to release the dragon. When we were rehearsing, I was like, “What’s the context? How do we relate to this?” and Ryan said, “Nuclear war.” Nuclear war is inevitable, and she knows 100% that she’s the last adult in the room and the only one who can do that.
The moment she says, “Let me go,” was changed at the last minute. One of the writers, Sarah Hess, suggested that we change it to, “You have to let me go,” which is great because it’s a directive. It’s almost like her final instructions. She knows that she’s effectively sacrificing herself. She knows that it’s a red button, and if anyone is going to be responsible for pushing that red button and dealing with the terrible, destructive weight of that action, it should be her. Because she’s the one who can handle it, not just physically but emotionally. She knows full well that it’s a kamikaze mission, but I think she’s downplaying it.
Tell me about filming the battle scenes. What was the most difficult part about riding the dragon?
Technically, it was incredibly hard and exhausting. I definitely feel my age. I don’t think this is my comfort zone. I had to keep asking for more cushion. For two weeks, by myself, morning and night, all afternoon, a lot of physical activity. It was a challenge. But the more challenging part was the emotional story. Their joint death moment was my penultimate shot. The preparation for that was very intense. I felt a lot of pressure to make a good death and do justice to the character.
Ryan came on set very sweetly and gave a wonderful speech to say goodbye. The spotlight was getting more and more unbearable at this point. It was complicated to get the camera angles right, and everything had to be set up. I was standing there waiting and getting more and more anxious. When (that moment) came, I was a pressure cooker ready to explode. I was tied up, and in a split second it was over. We did two takes, and that was it. It was perfect. In that moment, the most important thing for her was this absolute surrender and acceptance. That’s what happens as an actor. In the end, you can’t control it, so you just have to surrender and accept it.
