Home of the Dragon season two just isn’t dwelling prior to now. It made that very clear when, upon the opening of the second episode, Aegon smashes his late father’s beloved mannequin of Outdated Valyria. With just some wobbly sword swings, the mercurial king destroys a reminiscence of his father, a hyperlink to his household’s homeland, and a bodily piece of the connection between his mother and father. Perhaps, although, it’s for the very best, as episode two of Dragons’s second season does really feel like a little bit of a turning level for the collection, when it’s lastly in a position to break freed from its shackles and take flight.
The episode largely facilities across the fallout from the Blood and Cheese incident in the season premiere. Aegon, unsurprisingly, reacts to it with anger—breaking something fragile in sight whereas proving his proficiency in each alliteration and advertising (“The Bitch Queen of Bastards,” although inarguably impolite, does have an excellent ring to it). His maniacal ranting is interrupted solely when Larys enters the small council assembly to announce that somebody has already been apprehended for Jaehaerys’s homicide: a gold cloak from the Metropolis Watch. By no means one to cross up a possibility to show his volatility, Aegon pronounces he’ll take the person’s head, solely to be stopped by Otto, who reminds the king that it could be smart to at the very least query the person earlier than silencing him ceaselessly. Whereas the remainder of his household was mourning Jaehaerys, Otto was already considering subsequent steps—no matter who the gold cloak names as his boss within the Blood and Cheese scheme, the crown will blame Rhaenyra and use the boy’s homicide as propaganda.
Otto’s plan is an efficient, albeit painful one. The Greens have been the enemy of Dragon for the reason that starting, with a lot of the fandom falling on the facet of Workforce Black. After all, that’s not shocking, contemplating The Greens’s declare to the throne is rooted in misogyny. Nonetheless, portray The Greens as unloving and heartless might not precisely be true. Sure, Aegon is insolent and needlessly aggressive, however he’s additionally a mourning father. After which, in fact, there may be Helaena. The demise of her son and her compelled participation within the affair are sufficient to make anybody spiral, however there’s the added layer of Helaena’s eccentricities (and potential prophetic nature). It looks as if this incident will both make or break the queen.
Within the dungeon, Blood spills all to Larys earlier than The Clubfoot can accomplish that a lot as elevate considered one of his torture devices. Blood confirms Daemon ordered the hit and employed a rat catcher alongside him. With all the data gained, Aegon can now transfer on from smashing his father’s previous belongings to smashing in a person’s head. On the identical time, Jaehaerys’s processional begins down the streets of King’s Touchdown with Alicent and Helaena at their posts, driving behind the useless boy. Otto’s plan appears to work completely, as the general public shares within the Targaryen’s sorrow whereas concurrently shunning “Rhaenyra the Monstrous.” Heleana is clearly uncomfortable with the eye, however after they get caught on their path and commoners strategy the carriage with out abandon, her unhappiness turns to worry.
Whereas his household mourns of their smashing, plotting means, Aemond heads to a brothel, totally conscious that it might have been his head if all had gone to plan the night time prior (although the considered the bumbling Blood and Cheese posing any menace to Aemond is laughable). The prince finds consolation within the bosom of an older girl, talking vulnerably about his emotions to her. Whereas within the fort he’s menacing—a talented swordsman driving the most important dragon identified to man—in mattress, he simply desires to be held. It’s whereas he’s within the comforting clutches of this girl that he admits his remorse for Luke’s homicide—a decently good sentiment, however irrelevant at this level. The unnamed intercourse employee takes benefit of Aemond’s ear. “I’d remind you solely that when princes lose their mood, it’s typically others who are suffering—the small people like me,” she whispers, although that recommendation, like Aemond’s remorse, appears too little too late.
The success of Otto’s propaganda machine is additional confirmed over at Dragonstone, the place Rhaenrya is listening to of Jaehaerys’s homicide. She, nevertheless, is the final to know, as information of her alleged savagery has already swept the realm. After Emma D’Arcy’s highly effective silence all through the season’s premiere episode, it’s good to see Rhaenyra regain her footing and voice. It’s clear, although, that the occasions of the previous couple of weeks have affected her: she’s extra cautious and unwilling to ship Jacaerys out on any enterprise. It doesn’t assist that Rhaenyra has surrounded herself with some questionable males. Impertinence is brewing in her small council, after which there’s Daemon, who known as for a success on a toddler in her title.
What follows is among the pointed verbal sparring for which the world of Sport of Thrones is understood. Daemon and Rhaenyra’s wedded bliss (if you happen to might ever actually name it that), is punctured by Daemon’s actions, and as a substitute of transferring ahead, the 2 dive into the previous. They discuss problems with belief and want for energy, a riveting argument punctuated with the occasional reminder of the incestuous and predatory nature of their relationship. Sure, it won’t be essential within the context of Dragon, however to the trendy thoughts, listening to a pair speak about a person who was a father to the spouse and a brother to the husband is bizarre, OK?
Anyway, again to the argument. Rhaenyra can’t belief Daemon, and if she’s sincere with herself, she by no means might. When she was a baby (cringe), she took it as a problem, however now, it impedes her quest to reclaim the Iron Throne. Earlier than Viserys’s marriage to Alicent, there was a time when many believed Daemon to be the rightful inheritor to the Throne (once more, misogyny), and there’s doubtless part of him that has not given up on that likelihood. And even when not for that, might a person like Daemon ever hand over complete management to a girl, not to mention his spouse and former younger niece? It’s a query to ask one other time, as a result of for now, there’s the target proven fact that Daemon killed a baby, an act for which Rhaenrya clearly can not forgive him. With a declaration of, “You’re pathetic,” from his spouse, Daemon storms out and leaves with out discover, just like the deadbeat dad he’s at coronary heart.
Talking of deadbeats, Ser Criston Cole’s character arc continues as he makes an attempt to claim his energy by the simplest means accessible—bullying. Clearly, Cole has been spending an excessive amount of time with Aegon, as he interrupts Arryk’s post-processional meal to query the state of his white cloak and his whereabouts throughout Jaehaerys’s homicide. All will probably be forgiven, nevertheless, if Arryk performs together with Cole’s new scheme. He should head to Dragonstone and sneak into the fort as Erryk—his equivalent twin brother who is part of Rhaenyra’s Queensguard—so as to kill Rhaenyra. It’s one other act of hijinks—and Dragon is filling up with them. It’s additionally a ridiculous plan, and all however ensures Arryk’s demise, however what selection does the knight have? Cole is his superior. and he should comply with orders.
Cole’s initiative unsurprisingly impresses Aegon, however much less so Otto, who’s irate along with his grandson for hanging all of the rat catchers in King’s Touchdown when he couldn’t decide precisely which one murdered Jaehaerys. Aegon’s full lack of empathy clearly frightens Otto and is extra of a cause why he should maintain a good grip on the king. Sadly, Aegon disagrees. “Fuck dignity,” he says, and that simply explains all of it, doesn’t it? Aegon then swiftly removes Otto from the publish of Hand and honors Ser Criston with the title—and with that, any judiciousness on the facet of Workforce Inexperienced is totally eradicated, as hotter temperaments have prevailed.
It’s round this identical time that Rhaenyra meets together with her prisoner, Mysaria, demanding data on her half in Jaehaerys’s demise. The White Worm admits she supplied Daemon with the names of males who might assist him, however nothing else. Mysaria asks for her freedom, as Daemon promised in return for her cooperation, and after some consideration, Rhaenyra agrees. It’s handy timing, as a result of as Mysaria leaves Dragonstone, she sees Ser Erryk. However wait, she simply left Ser Erryk, how can that be? Oh, the hijinks.
Rhaenrya is readying for mattress when Arryk enters her room. The Queen believes it to be Erryk till he aggressively attracts his sword. Simply then, the true Erryk enters, and a sword battle ensues. It’s an odd one since you possibly can by no means inform who’s successful, as each side are actually equivalent. When one brother prevails, it’s unattainable to know if Rhaenrya can belief the victor, who claims to be the loyal Erryk. In the end, it doesn’t matter, as Erryk takes his sword and plunges it into his personal abdomen, formally ending the constantly complicated saga. I’ll calmly mourn the lack of Erryk—a personality we didn’t know too properly, however who proved his good nature in a short while—however I’ll rejoice the top of the muddled twin storyline. A minimum of among the hijinks can now be put to relaxation.
