Worst Thing House of the Dragon Has Done to Its Fan Favorite Character
No matter what is your stance on Daemon Targaryen and his popularity, the show itself has not been particularly merciful to him if you think about it.
Daemon Targaryen has managed to become "Internet's new boyfriend" even as House of the Dragon showrunners are accused of deliberately vilifying him.
One such accusation comes as fans apparently rewatch the first season as they wait for the sequel. According to Redditor NovaTheRaven, the show's "biggest misstep" was the failure to show Daemon's actual deep love for his second wife, Laena Velaryon.
The fan noted that Daemon actually never treated his marriage with Laena as a political tool to reach his goals. However, the show did not focus too much on their relationship, with some fans even claiming that House of the Dragon deliberately scrapped Daemon's affectionate and caring moments in order to portray him as a worse person that he is.
Such protectionism, however, is met with skepticism from less enthusiastic Daemon fans, who argue that he is not exactly House of the Dragon's most sentimental person.
"It was a nuanced show of love. He isn't very affectionate or caring with Rhyanera either," Redditor JoeStinkCat noted.
But the lack of emotional moments between Daemon and his Velaryon family still bugs fans. Back when new episodes premiered on HBO Max, fans were complaining that scenes between Daemon and his daughters were axed from the series for no particular reason at all. According to many, the show was also painfully unfair to Laena, failing to show the moment she claimed Vhagar and generally stripping her of screen time.
While Laena will definitely not receive more emotional moments in season 2, there is still a chance for Daemon. Many fans hope that HotD showrunners will listen to criticism from viewers and fix their mistakes in the upcoming second season — however, fears are already mounting that Daemon and Rhaenyra's relationship might get "ruined" just like Daemon's marriage with Laena was.
House of the Dragon season 2 shooting is set to start in March 2023.