According to ScreenRant, the big cameo in the third episode of the second season of HBO’s House of the Dragon, is explained by director Geeta Vasant Patel (Meet the Patels). *Warning spoilers* In the new season of the prequel to Game of Thrones Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith (Doctor Who), ventured to Harrenhal to secure a major stronghold for the Blacks. Although it seemed like a simple task for Daemon as he ventures through the castle, he is met by a young Rhaenyra, played by Milly Alcock (Upright). 

During an interview with ScreenRant Patel, who directed the third episode of the second installment, it was revealed how the character’s return would impact the story onward. Patel explained that the hallucination in the series of a younger Rhaenyra was from when she “looked up to Daemon, rather than looked down on him. You’re absolutely right.” 

Patel continued, “At least in my eyes, that’s what it was. That’s the Rhaenyra I know. And in that dream, she looks at him — and the way we talked about it is she doesn’t need to say anything. We just worked on the look; the meaning that comes from all the episodes before she looks at him, and she cuts him. Hey, you killed a boy. You don’t do that.”

“People have said that to him all the way through. But when young Rhaenyra says it to him, it’s the first time he feels it.” Patel said, “It’s the first time he processes his actions , though he’s been killing people left and right since the beginning. This is the first time we see him regret. We see him feel. We actually kept talking, in between takes, about how this is something we’ve never seen before in Daemon.”

Patel concluded, “There was a take where Matt went in, and he just kept saying, No, I need another take. I need another take  He was really such a hardworking actor on this, and all of a sudden I saw his face break after Milly looked at him. I just saw his hands loosen, and I saw the tear in his eye. Then I had a tear in my eye because we both felt it. Even the crew got emotional at that moment. And it wasn’t about House of the Dragon, it was about making a mistake that you deeply regret that hurt somebody else. It’s just that simple. That’s what I love about working on this show. I like to think that it is a documentary with dragons. We always try to make it feel real; like something we can relate to.”

The new season of House of the Dragon is available to stream on Max.