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Spoilers forHouse of the Dragonseason two,episode twobelow.
Inthe season-two premiere, Aegon calls her an enduring mystery with a dismissive, slightly bemused sense of exasperation.
I go through all the scripts and track what other characters say about her, Saban says.
As a sensitive person, that would be something she would pick up on.
Its like how people have conversations in front of children they maybe wouldnt want them to hear.
Had anybody taken heed of Helaenas ominous fear of ratsin the premiere, they might have avoided tragedy.
As Saban sees it, though, Helaena is a much less passive character than she might appear.
I see her magic as an extremely intense form of intuition.
Because its never been validated, it seems more vague and people take it as madness.
In season one, its alluded that Viserys feels he has this gift himself.
He has his own special interests, like his model of Valyria.
There was a really great opportunity for that to be present in his children, an amazing Cassandra-like aspect.
Helaena is the one who is taken the least seriously, so the wisdom is hiding in plain sight.
Were you aware of this storyline before you took the part?
How do you think the change impacts the character?Id heard about that from other people.
Shes in the worst possible situation you’ve got the option to imagine yourself in.
How affected is Helaena by this?
Im more interested in that than telling people how she feels about it.
But when youre playing a character, youre trying to be true to how they react.
Im happy to leave that to the audience.
WhatdoesHelaena feel about it?
She finds it completely overstimulating.
Shes just an object for the peoples grief to be projected onto.
For someone so sensitive, all of that noise is incredibly overwhelming.
Its a tragedy that she had to do the funeral.
What is her relationship with her family now?
She doesnt appear to be close with her brother-husband.
Theres this victim thing with siblings sometimes:You dont understand.
I had it the worst.
They chronically miss each other.
Especially her relationship with Aegon.
Theyre the two people who could make each other feel better, and they cant.
Can you talk about her relationship with Alicent?
Is that how you see her?No one believes that they are an innocent.
She doesnt talk politics, she doesnt think politics.
Things are much more immediate for her.
But, of course, shes deeply affected by them.
Its not that she doesnt have her own thoughts and opinions, as you will see this season.
But I dont think shes wearing a Team Green T-shirt.
I spend so much more time with Team Green that Ive probably drunk the Kool-Aid.
I couldnt possibly be more biased.
