For a show ostensibly about dragons and rich white people bickering over inheritance, House of the Dragon has quietly become one of the Blackest shows on television. A Black father trying to hold his family together. Black men grappling with the reality of being their father’s sons with a Black mistress while he went home to his white wife. This season alone carries enough side-eyes to fuel an entire season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
With the season finale arriving this Sunday, I have one simple request for the writers: don’t drop these characters. Some deserve happy endings. Some deserve revenge. A few deserve just one episode where nobody betrays them, burns them alive, or ignites another pointless family argument. Here’s where I think every major Black character should land when everything settles. You can search for more House of the Dragon coverage elsewhere, but these are my takes.
Baela Targaryen: Let This Girl Live
She’s been giving “future queen” energy since her first scene, yet the writers keep treating her like she’s waiting for someone to call her into the game. Put her on Moondancer and let her cook. She has the confidence and sense that half the adults in this show lack. Not every finale needs a long speech. All you need is Baela showing up and reminding people that dragons solve 99.9% of problems.
Rhaena Targaryen: The Glow Up Continues
For seasons, her entire arc was basically “still no dragon.” Now that she has one, she’s instantly become one of the most compelling people on the show. I want the finale to lean all the way into that transformation. Nothing beats an underdog story, especially when that underdog’s tied to one of the biggest, most vicious dragons in Westeros.
Addam and Alyn of Hull: These Brothers Need a Win
Can somebody let these two enjoy something for five consecutive minutes? Every time life starts looking up, another battle breaks out, another family secret surfaces, or someone with silver hair decides to complicate things. Real talk: Addam and Alyn are two of the most consistently competent people in this entire series. I’d love it if the showrunners decided to reward competence for once. It would be a refreshing plot twist.
Maester Orwyle: Somebody Has to Keep the Receipts
Every time he appears, this brother looks like the only person who realizes the kingdom is on the verge of collapse. He just stands in the corner with an “I just work here” expression while kings, queens, and dragon riders make devastating decisions. I don’t need him to become a hero. I just need him to survive long enough to write down what actually happened. Because if the people running Westeros get to tell the story, everybody’s going to swear this mess was somebody else’s fault.
Corlys Velaryon: Let Unc Rest
This man spent three seasons carrying the entire Velaryon family while everyone around him made one bad decision after another. Lost his wife. Kept the kingdom’s strongest navy afloat. Made things right with the kids he had on the side. Let him retire to Driftmark, sit on a beach, and spend his days telling exaggerated stories about sailing farther than anyone in Westeros. The Sea Snake has earned his peace.
Knowing House of the Dragon, I’ll probably get 75% of this wrong. Someone I want to live will die. Somebody else who deserves to die will somehow survive. And if history tells us anything, it’ll be Black folks who’ll have to clean up everybody else’s mess. Some things never change.
★TR★
