House of the Dragon star Phia Saban has shared a theory regarding her character Helaena Targaryen’s incestuous relationship with her brother.
While book readers would have already been aware that the Targaryens normalised and encouraged incest during their centuries on the Iron Throne, the marriages between uncle and niece Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), as well as siblings Helaena and Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), during House of the Dragon’s first season were still just as difficult to stomach for them as they were for viewers unfamiliar with the story.
Speaking to Digital Spy ahead of the Game of Thrones prequel's return to screens for season two last week, Saban shared her thoughts on the dynamic between Helaena and Aegon as sibling-spouses and how they really feel about each other.
Related: House of the Dragon star teases chaotic season 2 finale
"My theory with it is that I think there's actually almost too much understanding that it would be painful to get into it," she explained.
"So it's almost like they are both these people who feel way too much, and one of them goes out and one of them goes in to try and make up for that. And I think that they’re almost repentant magnets in that way.
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"I just feel like the tragedy is that the potential for that understanding is too large. And they're scared of that."
Related: Game of Thrones spinoff A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms unveils first look
We also caught up with Glynn-Carney, who opened up about building and navigating that relationship on screen.
"It felt like we'd sort of skipped a stage, really, because Phia and I knew each other anyway beforehand, and she's someone that I trust implicitly with everything, with work, with personal life and all that stuff," he said.
"So it felt like the bridge was already built. In terms of their relationship as characters? I mean, it's all over the place, isn’t it?"
"Yeah, we’re also just also gagging for more things together," added Saban. "We want to explore it more."
House of the Dragon season 2 airs on HBO in the US, and on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK. Season 1 is available on the same platforms. Game of Thrones seasons 1-8 are available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Social Executive, Entertainment Portfolio After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022, where she wrote across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. Following her internship, Iona continued contributing to the site as a freelance reporter, becoming social executive for the Hearst UK entertainment portfolio in summer 2025. Iona now leads the DS social channels, covering red carpets with stars such as Paul Mescal, Austin Butler, and more.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
