In the second episode of season 2 of the HBO series, heartbreak and betrayal tear at the bonds of family and loyalty as King Aegon II grapples with a devastating loss while Rhaenyra is drawn into a cataclysm of blame and strife.
- Jun 24, 2024
AceShowbiz - The fallout from the harrowing event known as "Blood and Cheese" casts a long shadow over King's Landing. The new episode of "House of the Dragon" season 2 opens with a scene of profound sorrow [SPOILER ALERT!] as King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) discovers the grisly murder of his young son, Jaehaerys. His immediate grief quickly turns into fury aimed at Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), whom Aegon blames for failing to protect the prince, distracted as he was by his entanglement with Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke).
The city gathers to mourn at a somber funeral procession, where Jaehaerys' head has been meticulously reattached to his body. Phia Saban, who portrays Queen Helaena Targaryen, recalls to Variety the eerie realism of the prosthetic, "They wove gold thread and you could see how the head was sewn back on the body. He had all flowers and everything." Olivia Cooke shared similar sentiments about the emotionally charged atmosphere, adding, "It was really intense."
In the aftermath, Blood, one of Jaehaerys' killers, is captured. A desperate King Aegon orders the execution of every rat catcher in the city in an effort to find Blood's accomplice, Cheese. Aegon also makes a critical political maneuver, replacing Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) with Criston Cole as his new Hand and embarks on plotting their war strategies, with Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) in the crosshairs of accusation for the infanticide.
The news of Jaehaerys' death reaches Dragonstone, stunning Rhaenyra, who had only desired retribution against Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) for her own son Lucerys' death. She vehemently denies any involvement but deduces that her husband, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), likely orchestrated the murder. This leads to a tense altercation, culminating with Daemon's emotional exit on his dragon.
The quest for vengeance persists as Criston Cole devises a "Parent Trap"-like scheme involving the identical knights Arryk and Erryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor and Elliot Tittensor). Arryk, loyal to Alicent, disguises himself as his twin to infiltrate Dragonstone and assassinate Rhaenyra. However, he is intercepted by Erryk, his brother who serves Rhaenyra. The encounter forces a tragic duel to the death, resulting in Erryk fatally wounding Arryk and then taking his own life out of grief.
Showrunner Ryan Condal elaborates on the high-stakes drama and intense choreography of the Cargyll brothers' fight, underscoring the deep personal and political ramifications. With poignant symbolism and evocative performances, the sequence captures the heart-wrenching consequences of loyalty divided by war.
Enigmatic future plot threads include the long-anticipated appearances of key characters from George R. R. Martin's source material, such as Daeron Targaryen and Nettles. Condal teases grand battles and dragon-fueled action sequences on the horizon, promising that the eruptions of "fire and blood" are far from over.
