House of the Dragon is missing one key person.
After two years, the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is officially returning, and season 3 promises to be the "bloodiest" season yet. The spinoff is an adaptation of George R.R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood, which details the brutal Targaryen civil war, otherwise known as the Dance of the Dragons, which is said to take place 200 years before the flagship series.
The two families at the center are House Targaryen and House Velaryon. The Targaryens are known to be fearless dragonlords, and the Velaryons weren't able to ride dragons, but were known as sea lords who controlled the Narrow Sea. In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley for House of the Dragon season 3, Abubakar Salim, known as Alyn of Hull in the series, spoke about a key character missing from the series, and that is Marilda of Hull.
Marilda is the mother of dragon-riding brothers Addam and Alyn. She was the daughter of a shipwright and went on to become a ship captain and trader. The paternity of her children is a key component of the series, and in the books, she publicly claims Ser Laenor Velaryon was the father. However, rumors suggested Laenor's father, Lord Corlys Velaryon (also known as the Sea Snake), was later proven to be true.
ScreenRant: We've yet to see Marilda on the screen. Do you think we need to see her? Is she someone who would give Alyn any bit of closure, any bit of direction moving forward?
Abubakar Salim: The thing is, moms play such a massive role in anyone's life. Stepmoms, adopted moms, just mothers in general. I think there is a real power there. I think if she was involved or if she was brought in, I think it would absolutely have some form of effect and show another color or side to Alyn and Addam, I feel, and even Corlys to a degree, because this is a woman who Corlys would've returned to have Addam with. Who is this? Who is this lady? I think there would be something really interesting there.
Someone once said, "This show has 19 points of views," which is wild. I think that is such a huge undertaking and I want to explore more about these other characters. I would love it, obviously, as the actor, to dive into it, but I also know that it's all about the wider story, and it's all about paying service to the biggest story here. So maybe if we chase and follow Alyn's life after it all, maybe, but I think at the moment, I don't think it's needed right now.
Alyn of Hull is shown as a lowborn sailor who saved Lord Corlys Velaryon's life during a battle at the Stepstones. As Alyn navigates his heritage, he and his brother Addam must adapt to the new climate in Westeros and establish a deeper connection with Lord Corlys in the new season. Alyn is steadily forced into leadership positions and struggles to adapt despite Corlys's enthusiasm. It's unclear if Marilda will ever make an appearance on the show despite being a huge part of Alyn and Addam's story. As Salim stated, it would certainly have an impact even on Corlys.
Season 3 is said to begin with a major clash on the sea known as the Battle of the Gullet, where undoubtedly Lord Corlys Velaryon and his fleet will try to fend off attacks led by Tyland Lannister. House of the Dragon is gearing up to be a brutal season as Alyn will have to fight for survival against a never-ending pursuit.
House of the Dragon is available to watch on HBO Max.
Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria.
