‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2, episode 1: The Helaena prophecy you may have missed

The ending of Home of the Dragon‘s Season 2 premiere options one of the crucial heinous issues to ever occur on the sequence, Sport of Thrones included.

In a sequence already notorious to readers of George R.R. Martin’s Fireplace & Blood, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) hopes to avenge the loss of life of Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) son Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) by claiming “a son for a son.” He enlists the assistance of two unlikely assassins: a member of the Gold Cloaks (Sam C. Wilson) and a ratcatcher (Mark Stobbart). We by no means study their names, however historical past will keep in mind them as Blood and Cheese.

As soon as the pair arrive within the Crimson Maintain, they threaten Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) and power her to level out which of her two toddler twins is her son — and the inheritor to the Iron Throne — Jaehaerys. After some debate over whether or not Helaena is tricking them, Blood and Cheese behead Jaehaerys in his crib, whereas the distraught Queen flees along with her daughter Jaehaera.

The scene performs out considerably in a different way from Fireplace & Blood, however the impact continues to be the identical: abject horror. Like Lucerys, the lack of Jaehaerys is that of an harmless caught within the crossfire between Crew Inexperienced and Crew Black. Even worse is the best way Blood and Cheese power Helaena — one other harmless on this battle — to take part in and witness the homicide of her little one. However one of many probably the most chilling particulars of all on this scenario is the truth that Helaena doubtless knew this menace was coming.

Home of the Dragon has established that Helaena is a dreamer, a member of the Targaryen household who experiences prophetic desires. In Season 1, she prophesied that Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) would lose his eye, and that Rhaenys (Eve Greatest) and her dragon Meleys would escape from below the Dragonpit. Nonetheless, nobody pays her any consideration, mistaking her prophesies for meaningless ramblings.

That dismissal of Helaena’s phrases comes once more in Season 2, episode 1, when she tells her husband/brother Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) that she’s afraid. He thinks she’s speaking about the specter of Crew Black and their many dragons, however Helaena is fast to make clear: “Not the dragons. The rats.”

Helaena’s servants and Aegon dismiss her remark, however in fact, Helaena was proper once more. The rats did come for her, with ratcatcher Cheese discovering her first and placing a knife to her neck. Plus, like rats, Blood and Cheese sneak by means of the Crimson Maintain by way of the sewer system and secret tunnels.

Home of the Dragon retains the rat motif up all through the Season 2 premiere, permitting Helaena’s concern of rats to sink into the viewers as effectively. A number of occasions all through the Blood and Cheese sequence, we see rats scurrying by means of the Crimson Maintain. Even sooner than that, we catch glimpses of ratcatchers working within the fortress’s hallways. For instance, in case you watch intently through the scene through which Aegon hears his topic’s petitions, you may spy a ratcatcher strolling previous the doorways main into the throne room.

On the first point out of rats, each ebook reader would have steeled themselves for Blood and Cheese. However even in case you weren’t acquainted with Martin’s supply materials, Helaena’s feedback and the repeated pictures of rats and ratcatchers conditioned viewers to take discover of them, constructing stress to the episode’s brutal ending. Now think about how Helaena felt, dreaming this assassination she knew would come to cross, with no person listening to her. Her being a dreamer makes the homicide of Jaehaerys and the lead-up to it much more tragic.

If solely Aegon had paid as shut consideration to Helaena and the rats as we did, possibly the most recent atrocity within the Dance of the Dragons may have been averted.

Home of the Dragon Season 2 airs Sundays on HBO and Max at 9 p.m. ET.