‘House of the Dragon’ Introduces ‘Raised By Wolves’ Mother Amanda Collin as Powerful Queer Ruler Lady Jeyne Arryn

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5 “Regent” just introduced one of the most quietly powerful leaders of Westeros at this time: Lady Jeyne Arryn. Played by Amanda Collin — whom genre fans know as Mother from Max ‘s Raised By Wolves — Lady Arryn gives poor Rhaena Targaryen ( Phoebe Campbell ) the shakedown for Rhaenyra’s ( Emma D’Arcy ) tricksy decision to send her most vulnerable dragons and heirs to the Vale. Still, in one scene, she emerges as not only a powerful political force, but a potential friend for the lonely Rhaena…

**Spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5 “Regent,” now streaming on Max**

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Even though we saw House of the Dragon Season 2 open with Jace (Harry Collett) treating with Lord Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) on behalf of his mother’s claim to the Iron Throne, that trip to Winterfell was not the Targaryen prince’s only stop on his tour between seasons. He had started by traveling to the Eyrie to convince Lady Jeyne Arryn to affirm the powerful Vale family’s commitment to Rhaenrya’s claim to the Iron Throne. Lady Arryn wanted one promise in return: a dragon to defend the Vale.

Rhaenyra pussyfooted around this promise, sending her two youngest sons by Dameon — toddlers Aegon and Viserys — to the Eyrie with their fledgling dragons and a cache of unhatched eggs. Chosen to babysit these precious weaklings? Daemon’s younger daughter, Rhaena. Unlike elder sister Baela (Bethany Antonia), Rhaena has never been able to clam nor ride a dragon. That makes her strategically useless to Rhaenyra’s cause and a vulnerable member of the overall family. So Rhaena becomes babysitter.

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Rhaena is not happy about this arrangement, but neither is Lady Jeyne Arryn. Lady Arryn is clear that the Eryie is impregnable by land forces, but not by dragons. She feels that Rhaenyra chose to send baby dragons along with her babies and the dragon-less Rhaena to the Vale as a way to find a loophole in the agreement she made with Jace. Which, yes, she did. After dragging the dragon-less teen through the wringer, Lady Arryn relents when Rhaena agrees that she doesn’t like to feel helpless. She invites the young Targaryen princess to dinner which is not only polite but…uh… interesting. That is, if you know anything about Lady Jeyne Arryn.

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Lady Jeyne Arryn is the current ruler of the Vale, one of the Seven Kingdoms ruled by House Targaryen in this era. As we’ve seen with Daemon’s (Matt Smith) first wife Rhea Royce (Rachel Redford), tomboys rule supreme in the Vale in this era. George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood heavily hints that Lady Jeyne Arryn — in addition to being a relative of Rhaenrya through her mother, Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke) — is a lesbian. Her primary concern during this era isn’t finding an heir or maintaining power, though. She’s worried about a Vhagar-sized bomb burning up her family’s stronghold, the Eyrie.

In just one short scene in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5 “Regent,” Lady Arryn communicates all this. In part thanks to the great script, but also thanks to the amazing performance of one Amanda Collin. Raised By Wolves fans already know Collin is the best. She and fellow Hot D newbie Abubakar Salim (who plays Addam of Hull) played the most humane androids ever in the Sir Ridley Scott-produced show.

Anyway! So far we know little about Rhaena in House of the Dragon except that she’s lost her betrothed, Lucerys (Elliott Grihault), in battle and has been constantly overlooked by both dragons and her family. Is Lady Jeyne Arryn’s acceptance of her perhaps portending, I don’t know, a romantic connection? Probably not. But hey, anything can happen in House of the Dragon.

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