If you’ve been keeping up with House of the Dragon, then you know what an absolute chaotic MESS Prince Daemon Targaryen (portrayed by Matt Smith) is.
His many crimes so far include stealing his dead nephew’s dragon egg, killing his first wife, crashing his niece’s wedding and then later marrying her, beheading Ser Vaemond (let’s be honest, he kinda had it coming), and just generally making his brother King Viserys’s life an absolute hell.
But he also…well, he looks like this 🥵.
Despite all of his very dubious behavior, Daemon has quickly become a fan favorite. People are utterly obsessed with watching him wreak havoc.
every week I open hbo thinking to myself “I wonder what crimes daemon targaryen is committing today and what can I do to support him” #HouseOfTheDragon
HBO / @idrewlv / Via Twitter: @idrewlv
However, not everyone is feeling the Daemon hype. In a new interview with the Hollywood Reporter, HOTD writer and executive producer Sara Hess admitted that she’s baffled by the internet’s love for his character.
“He’s become Internet Boyfriend in a way that baffles me,” Hess said about Daemon. “Not that Matt isn’t incredibly charismatic and wonderful, and he’s incredible in the role. But Daemon himself is … I don’t want him to be my boyfriend! I’m a little baffled how they’re all, ‘Oh, daddy!’ And I’m just like: ‘Really?'”
“How — in what way — was he a good partner, father or brother to anybody?” Hess continued. “You got me. He ain’t Paul Rudd.”
A lot of fans weren’t very happy with Hess’s take:
y’all tried making us hate dany that didn’t work now y’all wanna make us hate daemon too @ HBO your green agenda will NOT WORK!
Breaking News: House of the Dragon producer doesn’t understand the connotations of the term “daddy” https://t.co/oZybGRv2hi
HBO / @galacticidiots / Via Twitter: @galacticidiots
i don’t understand how people are still surprised when the hot morally grey character becomes a fan favorite, especially when you having him defend his wife’s honor like that
HBO / @m_bee4
daemon: “(otto) doesn’t protect you, i would” & was right -advocates for luke’s birthright -kills vaemond for calling nyra a whore -walks viserys up the throne, crowns him -won’t let maesters cut laena open sara hess: “but how was he a good partner, father, or brother???”
deleting scene where Daemon is supporting Baela and Rhaena and then telling he’s a bad father is just a hypocrisy, nothing more
this is so fucking funny to me because they are equating praise with just having fun and rooting for a character they like. it’s not about if daemon is a good person or husband, it’s about how daemon is entertaining and fun to watch bc he’s a Bad Guy with charisma. https://t.co/7Rrii0eHkJ
HBO / @laszlos / Via Twitter: @IaszIos
In the same interview, HOTD director Clare Kilner offered her own perspective on Daemon: “I just love the fact people are so involved with these characters, and I think that’s part of the fun of it. One minute you like someone, and the next minute you like someone else. But I’m not surprised. Matt is such a risk-taker in his performances and he’s got that little smile and, you know … you can’t help it! He is charismatic. People love a baddie. But I don’t think he’s particularly a good father or a good brother.”
Additionally, Smith has explained that he doesn’t view Daemon as a straightforward villain, but rather an agent of chaos. “I love playing a villain…not that he’s a villain, Daemon; I think there’s more depth,” he said in an interview with Extra. “I think he’s just an agent of chaos and he wants to cause conflict and arguments and disharmony — that’s when he feels alive.”
Regardless of how you feel about Daemon, you can expect big things ahead for his character. “We will see a different side of him [in the finale],” Hess told the Hollywood Reporter. “And right now, we’re writing Season 2 and figuring out, what is the nature of his relationship with Rhaenyra? There are many interpretations [in George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood] to that.”
Personally, I think this post said it best:
What are your thoughts on Daemon’s character? Tell us in the comments!
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