Despite having the difficult task of following up one of the biggest television shows of all time, House of the Dragon has managed thus far to exceed all expectations; last week’s episode had viewership numbers that were on par with Game of Thrones at its height, no small feat considering House of the Dragon is only halfway through its first season.
The buzz is real. Even the Kardashians have gotten in on it, spoofing the show on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Check out what happens when “the Targashians” take over Westeros:
I can’t lie to you, it may have given me literal pain to watch that video. But I laughed a few times, so let’s call it a wash. James Corden’s face while he handed off a poisoned chalice to his guard to taste test while “Kim Targashian” (who is a play on Daemon) insisted it was safe to drink was pretty hilarious.
Deepfake videos replace Rhaenyra from House of the Dragon with Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones
We all may be talking about Viserys and Daemon and Rhaenyra right now, but a few short years ago there was only one Targaryen on everyone’s mind: Daenerys, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, the Unburnt, Mother of Dragons, and so on.
Played by Emilia Clarke, Daenerys was one of the most beloved characters on Game of Thrones and her heel turn in the final season broke hearts across the realm. If you’re having trouble letting go, technology has got our backs:
YouTuber stryder HD has created several deepfake videos over the years, including one from a while back that imagined Elizabeth Olsen as Daenerys. Now they’re back at it again with videos for House of the Dragon. These new ones replace Milly Alcock’s face with Emilia Clarke’s. So if you’ve ever wanted to see what it would have been like if Daenerys had lived during the height of the Targaryen dynasty, now you can.
The video above superimposes Clarke’s face onto several prominent scenes from the season premiere, including Rhaenyra’s ceremony where she’s named heir to the Iron Throne and the funeral for her mother and brother. It looks a little weird to me in some scenes, but stryder has also released another video for Episode 4 with improved visuals:
And now it’s time for a Game of Thrones rewatch. Thanks for that, deepfake videos.
House of the Dragon premieres new episodes Sundays at 9:00 p.m. EST on HBO and HBO Max.
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