The two-year wait for HBO’s House of the Dragon Season 2 ended with its premiere on June 16, 2024. While there’d always be polarized reviews on a series as big as this, its aired episodes have been met with generally positive reviews. So far, the drums of war have never been louder.
Irrespective of whose House’s banner we stand under, more than ever before, audiences are in anticipation of the inevitable “Dance of the Dragons” (a war of succession). However, since the start of the season, both houses have been plagued with calamities. In truth, in war, no one wins.
The Death of the Child Prince Was A Hard Pill To Swallow
House of the Dragon season 2 began with Rhaenyra still in grief. She went to Storm’s End for proof of her son’s death. As expected, a vengeful Rhaenyra returns to Dragonstone and openly declares revenge on Aemond. Although it seems her husband had put out a contract to kill Aemond, things take a dark turn when Cheese (the ratcatcher) and Blood (the City Watch guard) are unable to find Aemond.
Nothing prepared audiences for their next cause of action. Finding Helaena’s room, they force her to identify the child Prince. Although not shown, the sound from the boy’s decapitation, no doubt, left a sour taste in viewers’ mouths. Like Rhaenyra rightly confirmed in episode 2 (“Rhaenyra the Cruel”), Helaena was the last person ever to experience such pain. It was a senseless death that did nothing but turn whatever support Rhaenyra had in King’s Landing to dust.
A Shocking Reveal of Queen Alicent & Ser Cole’s Affair
Audiences have watched Alicent singlehandedly ignite the fire for the Dance of the Dragons and then watch her play a remorseful friend and sympathizer. Since the death of Rhaenyra’s son, Lucerys, at the hands of her son, Aemond, Alicent has had a downward spiral. It was a shocking reveal to see it had culminated in a sexual affair with Ser Cole. While having an affair as a widowed Queen is the least of sins in Westeros, one with Ser Cole has never ended well. Alicent would have known this if she had only asked what caused the rift between Rhaenyra and Cole in the first place.
Alicent would have known that underneath the metal armor that Ser Cole wears all day lies a heart made of cheese. English playwright William Congreve surely had not met the character Ser Cole before he coined, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” If House of the Dragon wasn’t based on its source material, it would have been a matter of time before an inevitably scorned Ser Cole turned against Alicent. No one should be surprised if he proposes marriage to Alicent, especially now that he’s been promoted to Hand of the King.
Daemon’s Actions Cause A Rift With Rhaenyra
It may have taken over a season, but Rhaenyra finally sees Daemon for what he is. While it’s still unclear if Daemon’s actions – sending blood and cheese to the castle – were internationally done to jeopardize Rhaenyra’s position, it was one she wouldn’t forget in a hurry. Although Rhaenyra might struggle to trust Daemon in the future, he’s an ally she cannot afford to lose at the moment. Unarguably, Daemon is self-serving and still hurts from losing the throne. While he may not openly declare Rhaenyra as his Queen, Daemon is ultimately loyal to her. While it may seem like an exaggeration, the threat to Rhaenyra’s life at the end of episode 2 would never have ended the way it did if Daemon was in Dragonstone.
The Deaths of Ser Erryk & Ser Arryk
The realization of the upcoming war dawned on Rhaenyra and HOTD audiences after the senseless death of Ser Erryk and his twin brother, Ser Arryk. Ser Cole (can’t help but love to hate him) practically sent Ser Arryk to his death in an attempt to infiltrate Dragonstone. At some point, viewers believed Ser Erryk would have been able to talk his twin out of it. Tragically, the only twin knights in the history of Westeros fell on the same night.
Although Ser Erryk had the upper hand and killed his twin, he killed himself out of grief. If anything, their death foreshadows the war to come; “no one wins in war.” However, there’s no denying Ser Erryk’s death is a bigger blow to Rhaenyra than Ser Arryk’s death to House Green. With six episodes left in House of the Dragon, audiences can only hope things get better. If you enjoyed reading about House of the Dragon, read House of the Dragon’s most intense scene breakdown.
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