The huge Daenerys callback you might have missed in House of the Dragon

Game of Thrones spin-off series House of the Dragon featured a nod to a huge Daenerys twist.

While episode one of the prequel featured several references to the HBO series, which ran from 2011 to 2019, there was one line of dialogue in particular that may have escaped the more casual viewer.

The line in question arrived in a scene between King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and the pregnant Queen Aemma (Sian Brooke), who have a conversation as the latter bathes.

She tells her husband: “After this miserable pregnancy, I wouldn’t be surprised if I hatch an actual dargon.”

This seemed to be a reference to the season one finale of Game of Thrones, in which Daenerys earned her moniker “the Mother of Dragons”: after emerging from a fire, she stands, naked, with the baby dragons she’s just hatched.

This scene would have taken place approximately 188 years ater the line was spoken in House of the Dragon – the beginning of the episode briefs the viewer that what they’re about to watch is set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys – and, when Game of Thrones ends, she is around the age of 16.

House of the Dragon airs weekly on Sundays in the US, with the UK premiere arriving 2am on Monday on Sky. The episode will then be repeated at 9pm on Monday, and will be available to stream on Sky and NOW after its initial airing.

Find The Independent’s verdict on the series here.