In the third season of the Game of Thrones prequel, ‘House of the Dragon,’ a new dynamic is introduced as Aegon, the disputed Iron Throne heir, and his Master of Whisperers, Larys, embark on a medieval road trip. This unexpected adventure tests Larys’ patience and pushes the duo to the limits of their sanity and trust.

According to Matthew Needham, who portrays Larys, this journey is a far cry from the calculated machinations of the court. ‘For Larys, it’s about being out of control. He’s used to sort of machinations in court and he’s used to controlling people in, not calm environments, but less hectic than this,’ Needham explained in a recent virtual round-table interview.

Needham added that Larys is a patient person, but his patience is stretched to the breaking point in Season 3. ‘Suddenly, he’s in the wilderness, with a crazed, sort of rage-fueled person that he has to try to shepherd to safety,’ Needham said. This predicament forces Larys to confront his own limitations and rely on Aegon’s fragmented nature to find common ground.

Aegon, played by Tom Glynn-Carney, is a character who might be a good ruler if he could only put his people before himself. Glynn-Carney described Aegon as ‘his own worst enemy’ who ‘really wants people to respect him and to like him. He’s just not very good at achieving that.’

Their complicated relationship is likened to that of Sam and Frodo in ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ but with an amoral twist. ‘It’s a sort of very twisted road trip with these very dysfunctional people, who can only actually learn to function with each other,’ Needham said.

Aegon’s fragility and vulnerability are further explored in Season 3, as he tries to navigate the aftermath of sustaining severe burns from a deliberate dragon attack at the hands of his jealous younger brother, Aemond. Glynn-Carney called this exploration ‘very, very satisfying’ and noted that Aegon’s physicality now lends itself to his vulnerability and fragility.

As the road trip progresses, Aegon and Larys form a crucial bond, with Larys serving as an anchor and grounding force for Aegon. Without each other, they would either spiral out of control or fade away into nothing. ‘He’s a lone wolf this time, which is why the relationship with Larys is so vital for him,’ Glynn-Carney said.

In the midst of this tumultuous journey, the actors compare their characters’ dynamic to that of Sam and Frodo in ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ but with an amoral twist. ‘It’s a sort of very twisted road trip with these very dysfunctional people, who can only actually learn to function with each other,’ Needham said.

Aegon’s character development is a highlight of Season 3, as he grapples with the consequences of his actions and the loss of his family’s support. ‘I don’t think he’s supported, put it that way,’ Glynn-Carney laughed. ‘His mom has basically fed him to the lions. His brother has tried to kill him and his sister is in her own world of existence and got our own things to think about and deal with, and she’s not really present.’