The obsession with the Iron Throne has always had a deeply erotic component in George R. R. Martin's universe, and it is precisely this struggle for power that the title of the series that adapted that universe alluded to. The article analyzes how this dynamic manifested itself in both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.
In Game of Thrones, viewers were educated to desire the return of the legitimate heir, Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke. We followed the character through the desert, empathized with her exile, and applauded each step of her march toward the capital, accompanied by the three dragons we watched grow, because we needed to see the Lannisters fall.
In House of the Dragon, the same scheme repeats itself with Rhaenyra, played by Emma D'Arcy, the legitimate aspirant forced to retreat to Dragonstone and to weave her reconquest from a distance. Meanwhile, Alicent, played by Olivia Cooke, and the Hightowers usurp what belongs to her by right.
The article suggests that both series follow a similar narrative structure, where the viewer is led to emotionally invest in the figure of the legitimate heiress who fights to recover what was stolen from her, creating a deep identification with her cause and her journey of power.
