Is That Laenor Velaryon With Seasmoke In House Of The Dragon Season 2?!

House of the Dragon season 2’s first trailer reveals a crucial dragon moment involving Rhaenyra Targaryen, but does Laenor Velaryon return?
One scene in House of the Dragon season 2’s trailer could reveal the surprising return of Laenor Velaryon with his dragon, Seasmoke, but that’s probably no what’s happening. House of the Dragon gave Laenor a fake death in season 1, convincing all of Westeros that he had been killed while allowing him to escape to Essos and a life of peace with his lover, Qarl Correy. That seemed to be the end of his story, though there is potential for his return.
The sheer fact that Laenor is still alive means it’s at least theoretically possible that he comes back in House of the Dragon season 2. It would be an even bigger change to George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood than him surviving in the first place, not to mention a change to Rhaenyra Targaryen’s story too. Still, the House of the Dragon season 2 trailer does tease it.
Seasmoke Returns In House Of The Dragon Season 2 – But With Addam of Hull
Seasmoke gets a new rider in House of the Dragon season 2.
One moment in the House of the Dragon season 2 trailer sees Rhaenyra and her dragon, Syrax, coming face to face with another dragon and a mysterious person who cannot be made out. The dragon, though, appears to be Seasmoke, who was previously ridden by Laenor, and left riderless after his “death”. With Rhaenyra needing dragonriders and one of her and Laenor’s children (even if he isn’t the real father) being killed, it’s theoretically possible he does return to help save the day. Rhaenyra’s reaction, looking in disbelief, only supports that notion.
However, it’s not Laenor in the trailer, but instead a character called Addam of Hull (whom EW has confirmed will be played by Clinton Liberty). The character can be seen looking up at Seamsoke in another shot from the teaser. In the book Fire & Blood, Addam and his brother, Alyn, answer the call from Rhaenyra and the blacks for more dragonriders to claim the riderless dragons. Addam and Alyn are ostensibly the bastard children of Laenor and a woman named Marilda from Driftmark. However, given that Laenor is gay, the parentage of the children is in doubt, with some speculation that they’re actually Lord Corlys’ bastard sons.

Regardless of who his father is, Addam is able to bond with Laenor’s dragon Seasmoke, and becomes his new rider for the Dance of the Dragons. Given Addam’s role in the book and that an actor has been cast in the role, then it would make far more sense for this to be the moment where he claims Seasmoke. Rhaenyra’s reaction would fit too, since she’d be seeing her “late” husband’s dragon claimed by someone else, and learning that he supposedly father children with another woman before marrying her, despite not having anything with Rhaenyra.

Could Laenor Still Return In House Of The Dragon?
It’s possible, but shouldn’t happen.
While that isn’t Laenor in House of the Dragon season 2’s trailer, that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t return. After all, he is alive, and there are some loose ends, such as his parents not knowing that he’s really alive. There’s a narrative tension to him returning, since it would have big implications for Rhaenyra and her children, as well as a clear personal drive in the death of one of his children and the threat to his remaining ones.
At the same time, having Laenor return would also be a massive book change, and one that would be hard to reconcile with the rest of the story. It would call the legitimacy of Rhaenyra’s marriage to Daemon into question, as well as that of their children too. Given that Rhaenyra and Daemon’s son will eventually become King, while Addam of Hull will ride Seasmoke anyway (removing one of the biggest possible roles that Laenor could play), then Laenor returning is too big a risk for House of the Dragon to really consider. It’s also just one that cannot be fully ruled out.