"Season 2 debut of 'House of the Dragon': Don't rely on the rodent killer for an assassin's mission execution"
Alright, let's rewind a bit. In the preceding season, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) secured the crown, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) proclaimed herself queen, Aemond Targaryen's dragon gobbled up Rhaenyra's son Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) for a snack, and war seems imminent.
In the Season 2 opener, Rhaenyra is heavily heartbroken over Lucerys' demise. After finding peace and her son's remains, she heads back to Dragonstone for a Team Black strategy meeting, still bereaved and enraged. You could say she's boiling-mad.
"I want Aemond Targaryan," Rhaenyra says at the meeting.
This season, it appears revenge is the new justice; if "an eye for an eye" seemed to be the rule of law in Season 1, this time it's "a son for a son."
Rhaenyra's uncle/spouse – yep, we're once again diving into the incest-filled Westeros – Daemon (Matt Smith) is all good with lending a hand and hiring a rodent killer to off Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), on the counsel of White Worm (Sonoya Mizuno).
Daemon informs the rat guy that Prince Aemond has "shiny hair and one eye" and "shouldn't be difficult to find." But he was.
While the rat guy successfully infiltrates the Red Keep, he doesn't come across and eliminate one-eyed Aemond. Instead, he stumbles upon Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) in her chambers with her two young kids and ends up killing young Prince Jaehaerys, Aegon's heir.
The unfortunate death of Aegon's heir might create complications for Rhaenyra's kingdom-wide effort to gain support because slaying an innocent child isn't a good look. Still, it makes for a great cliffhanger!
Meanwhile in Westeros
- Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) get frisky twice throughout the episode. Helaena catches them post Jaehaerys' murder, so she now knows why Criston wasn't guarding her diligently.
- Alicent appears to still hold some sympathy for her ex-pal Rhaenyra when she lights a candle in Lucerys' memory. However, it's safe to say that sympathy fades after she learns about the child's murder at the end of the episode.
- Larys (Matthew Needham) informs Alicent that he vetted the household staff for traitors and hired her new set of supposedly loyal employees. Seems Larys didn't vet the rat guy thoroughly, unless...
- Team Black is setting up a blockade in the Gullet, as per Rhaenys (Eve Best), which will soon halt all sea travel and commerce in King's Landing. That's not great news for Team Green.
- Jacaerys (Harry Collett) takes a trip to the Wall in the North to seek Lord Stark's support for Team Black. He also asks for their army to help Rhaenyra defend her claim to the throne, which the Starks agree to, sending 2,000 fighters her way.
- The writers seem to love sprinkling in a "Game of Thrones" Easter egg here and there. Case in point: the scene at Winterfell showing the formation of the Night's Watch. We miss you, Jon Snow (Kit Harington).
- At King's Landing, King Aegon convenes a council meeting to discuss Team Green's plan of action. He's buzzing with anger about it, but his advisor, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), stresses the need for patience and restraint, at least until the Jaehaerys killing. King Aegon doesn't appreciate this. Larys then tricks King Aegon into considering a new advisor, so we have that to look forward to.
No question about it, the late King Viserys (Paddy Considine) would’ve been displeased by all this chaos!
Read also:
Despite the failed assassination attempt, Rhaenyra's thirst for justice remains unquenched. She might consider alternative methods of entertainment for Prince Aemond's punishment.
In this drama-filled season, the entertainment industry in Westeros seems to revolve around power struggles and revenge plots.
