In episode 3 of House of the Dragon, there isnt a lot of agreement on who should be the next ruler of Westeros. Many argue for Aegon to be the next ruler (him being the firstborn son of King Viserys), while others insist the throne is still Rhaenyras (being the actual firstborn)
However, when Viserys (Paddy Considine) is called to a stag, it is not what he anticipated. It is, as one of the helpers notes, still a big lad, but the animal is not white. This moment is staged, underwhelming, and lacking the clear symbolism he so clearly seeks, leaving no clarity about who the gods will show their favor.
The whole scene feels a bit mystical, based on the kind of magic Game of Thrones used to employ to keep its high fantasy characters guessing about the future.
The world of A Song of Ice and Fire is unpredictable and randomly spreading throughout the world. No religion had a clear grasp on magic, yet none of them had a clear grasp on it. There were changing faces, reanimation, and ghost demon babies, all of whom existed with the same certainty as lightning or a vision from looking into a fire.
House of the Dragon is based on Fire & Blood, which is a fairly dry account of the events as told by three people who witnessed (or witnessed) them. While George R.R. Martin brought whole characters back to life in the shows that were left dead, Fire & Blood reads more like a textbook, eliminating more otherworldly elements of Martins' world.
The stag hunt in episode 3, like Aegon the Conquerors' dream from episode 1, is a return to the more bizarre world of Thrones. This time, the story may be one we know the end of, but the signs along the way are more ambiguously otherworldly. The Iron Throne seems to reject certain occupants, and the white stag appears to those who might be worthy. However, is any of this the best measure for being a good ruler? Only the gods (and