Remember the time Daemon Targaryen woke up from his sleep with a jolt while staying at the shady Harrenhal castle? Yes, fans of ‘House of the Dragon’ are still talking about that strange, unsettling scene from Season 2, Episode 5 (‘Regent’). In it, Daemon slips into a vivid, erotic dream at Harrenhal, where he finds himself in bed with a mysterious silver-haired woman. At first, it just seems like another trippy vision, but then she starts whispering to him, telling Daemon he was the strong one, her favorite, and that his brother Viserys never measured up. And that’s when it hits him: this isn’t just any lover. It’s his mother, Alyssa Targaryen. But here’s the kicker: the scene isn’t just for the sake of adding some shock value. There’s a lot going on under the surface: from psychological stuff, symbolism, to some classic Targaryen family weirdness. So, what’s actually happening here? Let’s unpack the fan-fueled conspiracy theories that make sense.
Daemon’s disturbing dream: What does he see?
First, let’s set the scene. In episode 5 (‘Regent’) of ‘House of the Dragon Season 2’, Daemon is seen being holed up at Harrenhal, a place with a reputation for being haunted and cursed. The place is practically oozing bad vibes, with rumors of old magic and ghosts never far away. While he’s there, Daemon starts having hallucinations and strange dreams, and this one is the most disturbing by far.As Daemon eats dinner, he drifts off, and suddenly, he’s alone with this beautiful woman in his arms. They kiss, they sleep together, and then she starts talking, praising him in exactly the way he has always craved. She calls him strong, tells him he should have been the firstborn, her favorite son.In her whispering words, “Daemon, you were always the strong one… Your brother had love in his heart but lacked your constitution… If only you’d been born first… my favorite son.”Only afterward does he realize she’s his mother, a woman he barely remembers because she died when he was just a boy. The realization turns everything sour in an instant, leaving Daemon shaken to his core.
Daemon’s disturbing dream: Explained by conspiracy theories
So, why did his subconscious go there? A couple of reasons stand out.First, Daemon’s whole life has been about feeling overlooked and unappreciated, and feeling like he has not received the validation he deserved. He’s always the second son, the one who didn’t get the throne, the troublemaker. His mother died too soon for him to ever really know her, let alone get the love or validation he clearly craves.So, in the dream, she gives him exactly that: she tells him he’s the best, the one she wishes had come first. This is Daemon’s deepest wish bubbling up, twisted by the loneliness and frustration he can’t shake.Then comes the well-known lore: the castle itself and the curse that comes with it. Harrenhal, anyway, has a way of getting under people’s skin. And there’s, of course, the folklore of the Harrenhal’s curse that can very well send someone into a frenzy. ‘House of the Dragon’, in fact, hints that a woman named Alys Rivers—who Daemon calls a witch—might be behind some of these visions. The woman with alluring and deep eyes shows up with an intriguing aura, all sorts of odd knowledge, and theories start swirling, whether she’s drugging Daemon or using some kind of magic to mess with his mind. So, maybe Daemon’s dream isn’t just his own subconscious mind playing tricks on him. Maybe the haunted, cursed energy of Harrenhal and Alys’s influence—together—are making old wounds and hidden desires impossible to ignore.
Digging deeper into Daemon’s dream
Sure, one can analyze Daemon’s vision with logic, but there’s a lot of symbolism going on, too. This vision digs into power and who Daemon thinks he is. In it, the woman tells Daemon he should have been heir, not his older brother Viserys. That hits right at the core of what Daemon’s always believed: he’s the better choice, the one strong enough to rule, the one who really deserves the Iron Throne. The dream blends his craving for power with his need to feel seen, wanted, and picked. That’s what really gets to him. It’s not just losing the throne; it’s that nagging sense within him that keeps whispering that he never truly belonged.And, of course, there’s an even deeper layer here: the infamous Oedipus complex. By definition, the Oedipus complex is known as the attachment of the child to the parent of the opposite sex, accompanied by envious and aggressive feelings toward the parent of the same sex. In fact, Sigmund Freud’s old theory says that boys secretly want their mother’s affection and see their father as a rival. Whether one buys into that or not, it definitely fits as a lens for Daemon’s dream: he wants his mother’s approval, not just as a son, but as someone who needs to be seen, chosen, and told he’s worthy, especially over his older brother, who is also his king, resembling a father figure. The dream exposes all the tangled, unresolved stuff that Daemon usually hides behind bravado and violence.
What Daemon’s dream says about him and the story
Sure, it’s a disturbing scene. But that very dream also gives us a peek into what goes on in Daemon’s head. More than anything, it shows how much he’s haunted by what he never had: from a mother’s love, a clear place in the family, to the validation and approval he’s always wanted. Daemon’s dream—more like a nightmare—isn’t just a shocking scene for the viewers. It’s a real shift for him as well. One can see his insecurities on full display: how his ambition comes from old scars, not just a thirst for the throne. Harrenhal’s creepy atmosphere seeps in, too, maybe adding some supernatural layer to it. And it shows how even a tough guy like Daemon can’t outrun his own mind.
