Every House of the Dragon Time Jump, Explained
They are sometimes hard to track — and yes, we said "they", because there are more coming.
House of the Dragon takes place some 170 years before Daenerys Targaryen, but the timeline is still quite tricky to follow. We are here to help you.
The first time jump in the show happens between episode 5 and episode 6, with the latter, titled The Princess and the Queen, already kicking off with older actors portraying Laenor Velaryon, Alicent Hightower, and Rhaenyra Targaryen. The events are taking place ten years after episode 5. In this one, we are introduced to the new generation: Alicent's kids (Aegon, Aemond, and Helaena), and Rhaenyra's sons (Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey). However, don't get too accustomed, as the kids are very quick to grow up in this universe.
Another major time jump is expected to take place around episode 8, with the kids also being replaced with older actors. The actors we are to see in episode 8 will be the ones to portray the characters for the rest of the series. Currently, the plan is for House of the Dragon to stretch for 3-4 seasons.
It's quite tough for fans to keep track of the major changes, especially since they do not necessarily affect all the characters. For instance, in episode 6 we first met the older versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent, but Laena Velaryon (the sister of Rhaenyra's husband) is portrayed by the same actress we saw in episode 5. According to social media, not every fan is ready for yet another time jump.
I'm honestly annoyed at the time jumps. They could have built more and done it slower. It's hard to connect with the characters with the actors changing constantly.
"I'm honestly annoyed at the time jumps. They could have built more and done it slower. It's hard to connect with the characters with the actors changing constantly." – @Circe872
A solution would be quite simple, according to Twitter user Circe872, who said that "if the plan was to change main characters to older they should have done this story building as flash backs with the adult character present from the start."
Even though the older versions of the characters are notably well cast, with the resemblance being truly impressive sometimes, fans believe that the changes did not make sense, as the showrunners might as well have used make-up in order to make the younger actors look older.
Still, the events that preceded the Dance of the Dragons — as well as the Targaryen civil war itself — are quite stretched in time, which caused the show to opt for difficult decision such as complicated casting switches.
After episode 8, it should be easier to keep track of the evens and the participants... well, hopefully.
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO Max. Episode 7 is to premiere next Sunday.