Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon just added two new cast members. And interestingly, it looks like the casting drops a hint about what we can expect from the series.

Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon explores the history of house Targaryen 300 years before Game of Thrones. Fans expect the show to dive into the Targaryen civil war (aka the Dance of the Dragons), but beyond that, HBO is keeping plot details heavily under wraps.

Today though brought a new casting announcement, and with it, a small hint at the direction of House of the Dragon. The series added both Milly Alcock and Emily Carey in recurring roles.

Alcock (The Gloaming) will play the younger version of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Rhaenyra is a dragonrider and the first-born child of the king. HBO previously announced Emma D’Arcy would play the adult version of the character.

Carey (Casualty, Wonder Woman) will play the younger version of Alicent Hightower. She’s the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King. Alicent was raised in the Red Keep and kept close to the king and his innermost circle, giving her both courtly grace and a keen eye for politics. Olivia Cooke plays the older version of the character.

Now, it’s not super unusual to cast younger versions of characters. But what is telling about Alcock and Carey’s casting is the fact that their roles are listed as recurring. That suggests their appearance won’t finish with a single flashback scene, but rather, House of the Dragon will regularly incorporate flashbacks into the plot. This marks a departure from Game of Thrones, which only rarely used flashbacks in its episode structure.

So while we don’t know all the specific twists and turns House of the Dragon will take, it seems clear the series will have a core focus on how the events of the past have influenced the present. 

What do you think of this casting news? Do you like to see frequent flashbacks in your shows, or are time jumps something you could do without? Let us know in the comments.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter