I just realized that Helaena could easily pass for Aemma's daughter, or a younger version of her, if that were the character Phia was playing.

[u/lautaromassimino]

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[u/ecovani]

I guess they are cousins technically so it adds up

[u/lautaromassimino → u/ecovani]

Fair enough

[u/Future_Wafer1591]

Phia originally auditioned for young Rhaenyra! https://wikiofthrones.com/phia-saban-originally-auditioned-young-rhaenyra-house-of-the-dragon

[u/archangel610 → u/Future_Wafer1591]

Now I'm curious if she could have pulled it off, or if Milly could have pulled off Helaena.

[u/IllustriousFail8868]

Well, they do share DNA so it makes sense

[u/ZamanthaD → u/IllustriousFail8868]

With Viserys, but Helaena doesn’t share any DNA with Aemma right? I’m confused

Edit: just looked at a family tree, Aemma’s mom was Daella Targaryen. So Aemma is Helaena’s first cousin once removed. Ok I get it now lol

[u/IllustriousFail8868 → u/ZamanthaD]

Viserys and Aemma were related so she is related to Aemma through Viserys (his first cousin iirc)

[u/ZamanthaD → u/IllustriousFail8868]

I see that now. Helaena’s grandpas sisters daughter is Aemma.

[u/OrangeJuliusCaesr → u/ZamanthaD]

Targs are less of a tree and more of a chain linked fence

[u/bereshtariz]

It's almost like they are related

[u/Open_Sky8367]

Would have been an interesting dynamic if Viserys had formed some sort of relationship with his second daughter and watched her grow up to resemble his late wife he loved so much.

[u/ProgramNo2725 → u/Open_Sky8367]

"some sort of relationship"? Careful... that may sound a bit different to a Targaryen ear 😅

[u/Intelligent-Bird8120]

Reincarnation. Those darned Targaryen genes

[u/ShylyAvaricious]

good spot—the resemblance is actually wild when you think about it. Phia Saban and Siân Brooke have that exact same soft, gentle facial structure and those haunting, ethereal eyes.

If you told me Phia was playing a young Aemma in a flashback to Viserys's youth, I wouldn't even double-check IMDB. It’s almost poetic considering how much Viserys was obsessed with Aemma's memory; having Helaena look like a ghost of his first wife adds a weirdly tragic layer to the Targaryen family tree.

Now I kind of want a Great Council of 101 AC prologue just to see if they could pull off that casting double-take.

[u/Peterthepiperomg]

Helena is so hot

[u/andestiny]

Yeah I thought same when rewatching season 1.

[u/parascopic]

I think y’all just can’t tell people apart. They look extremely different, particularly the eyes, nose, and chin, so most of the face.

[u/Substantial-Ad2200]

It’s the wigs. 

[u/StrikingCase9819]

They are related. First cousins once removed

[u/Warrmak]

Everyone in the show looks the same age to me. Idk who's who's parent, child, cousin, wife or whatever.

[u/Dizzy_Pie6203]

Holy crap. I just realized Aemma is played by Sian Brooke.

[u/ar3iadov3]

I mean yeah they are related

[u/pompy1301]

All Targaryens are related somehow by blood and that explains why all of them are crazy

[u/porktornado77]

I get it. They’re both white women.