David Bridges
After that wrenchingly grim finish to episode one, episode two, “Rhaenyra the Merciless,” is right here to remind us that every one actions have penalties—whereas additionally extolling the methods tragedy could be exploited in unexpectedly optimistic methods. However in fact, even the best-laid plans can go awry on Home of the Dragon.
Within the aftermath of lil’ Jahaerys’ grotesque homicide, the Purple Preserve is stuffed with chaos—and none stronger than King Aegon II expressing his grief by smashing up the late King Viserys’ prized mannequin of King’s Touchdown. “I declare warfare!” he wails.
The search continues for the assassins, and Hand of the King Otto Hightower assures his daughter, Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower, “They are going to pay for this.” There’s no query Rhaenyra loyalists are guilty, however Alicent thinks possibly the gods are punishing her aspect of the household—and, given the truth that she was having forbidden intercourse with Ser Criston Cole when her grandson was killed, even perhaps punishing her particularly. However Otto’s mind is already miles down the observe. “Some good might come of this,” he tells his daughter, and we’ll see what he means quickly sufficient.
In an emergency Small Council assembly, Aegon continues his tantrum; when he asks Cole what he was doing when his son was focused (relatively than, um, his job of defending the royals from issues like assassinations), we see Alicent flinch, her guilt ever extra palpable. The king is busily calling Rhaenyra “the Bitch Queen of Bastards” and “the Smug Cunt of Dragonstone” when Lord Larys Robust enters and calmly declares they’ve captured a gold cloak making an attempt to flee with a toddler’s head in tow. Aegon’s in favor of killing the person ASAP, however others advise him to see what different info may be extracted first. Everybody is aware of Workforce Black is behind this, however maybe that they had assist from somebody contained in the Purple Preserve?
Otto has one other level to make, following up on what he stated to Alicent earlier: there’s a chance for spin right here. In the event that they blame Rhaenyra outright for the hideous killing of a kid, and maintain a extremely public funeral procession so all of the smallfolk can see the kid’s mangled corpse up shut, they’ll acquire sympathy for Workforce Inexperienced and Aegon’s declare on the Iron Throne. “I can’t have him die in useless,” Otto says, however his true grasp of the scenario is unmistakable: “Jaehaerys will do extra for us now than a thousand knights in battle.”
And there’s extra: “The realm should see the sorrow of the crown,” Otto insists, that means that Alicent (who’s reluctant) and Queen Heleana (who’s repulsed by the thought) should journey within the procession. (When Alicent imparts this order to her daughter, she tentatively brings up the truth that Heleana caught Alicent and Cole in mattress collectively–however Heleana ignores her.) Within the dungeon, Larys and firm are making ready to torture the gold cloak for info, but it surely’s not essential: “Daemon employed me,” he blurts out, and sputters that an unnamed ratcatcher helped him. From the shadows, a seething Aegon steps into the cell to work out his anger.
In the meantime, within the streets of King’s Touchdown, the gloomy procession begins; “Behold the work of Rhaenyra Targaryen,” an announcer bellows because the wagon rolls by means of. It’s an open coffin and you may see that Jahaerys’s tiny head has been stitched again onto his physique, Frankenstein-style. The smallfolk are aghast—and so is Rhaenyra herself, again on Dragonstone, when she learns what’s occurred. As a mom who’s not too long ago misplaced her personal son, she’s sorry to listen to concerning the boy’s demise, positive, however the brewing PR catastrophe can also be a giant concern. “And they’re accusing me of getting a hand on this?” she wonders, whereas figuring out in her head what will need to have occurred.
Later, when she’s alone with Daemon, she asks him “Did you ship assassins to homicide youngsters of their beds?” He corrects her; he despatched “the Queen’s vengeance for her son,” and his directions have been to kill Aemond, not Jaehaerys or anybody else. She then comes out with what she’s actually considering. She doesn’t belief him. He’s egocentric. He’s at all times been egocentric. And now, “you’ve used me as a instrument with which to understand at your individual stolen inheritance.” He bites again as she questions his loyalty and motivations, they usually do not half on good phrases as he flies off to Harrenhal, tasked with serving to increase a military for Workforce Black. “He should observe his personal path,” she says—ostensibly talking to her stepdaughter, Baela, but additionally reminding herself in the identical breath.
There’s a melancholy interlude as we see servants dismantling Jaehaerys’ tiny mattress within the Purple Preserve—whereas on Dragonstone, Rhaenyra performs together with her personal youthful youngsters, who’re as white-blonde as Jaehaerys was. Within the doorway to her bed room, Alicent asks Cole “Have you ever instructed anybody?” (clearly, he hasn’t), and he or she shuts the door on him earlier than taking one other contemplative tub… this time sliding beneath the waterline to carry her breath for a worrisome period of time.
A stressed Cole stalks across the fortress, on the lookout for somebody to soak up his frustration, and finds Ser Arryck eating after an extended shift. Cole criticizes his subordinate’s muddy cloak, then unleashes his actual hearth: “The place have been you when Jaehaerys was murdered?” Arryck says he was guarding King Aemon within the throne room, really, then asks “The place have been you, Lord Commander?” It will get snippier. Cole brings up Arryck’s disloyal twin, twisting the knife very similar to Daemon did to Ser Erryck in final week’s episode. “You will have introduced shame upon our ranks. And now you will need to restore it,” Cole snaps, talking to himself as a lot as to Arryck. Then he orders him to go to Dragonstone, sneak in by pretending to be his equivalent brother, and get payback by killing Rhaenyra.
In a King’s Touchdown pleasure home, Aemond is having a mope about it with a sympathetic intercourse employee he apparently pays to cradle him like a child. “Daemon despatched them to kill me,” he worries, however he’s additionally happy by the concept he’s threatening sufficient to be made a goal. “I do remorse that enterprise with Luke. I misplaced my mood that day,” he admits to her, referring to what occurred within the season one finale. She’s an older girl who’s clearly an everyday service supplier for him, and he or she’s comfy sufficient with him to impart an vital little bit of reality: “When princes lose their tempter, ‘tis typically others who are suffering… the smallfolk, like me.”
Whether or not this sense of guilt or these very clever phrases about gazing past one’s personal royal navel make a distinction or not is but to be seen, however Home of the Dragon underlines its rising theme concerning the struggles of the smallfolk by shifting scenes. We’re in an unfamiliar location for Westeros: a peasant household’s dwelling, particularly Hugh, an iron employee we noticed in final week’s episode petitioning King Aegon for his long-overdue pay. Hugh and his spouse have a sick little one and rising worries about discovering sufficient meals to eat. He’s nonetheless hopeful the king will make good, however she’s rightfully afraid for the longer term.
In the meantime, on Driftmark’s docks, brothers reunite: Alyn of Hull, who we met final week, and the youthful Addam. They share a giant hug and a fast catch-up chat during which Addam encourages Alyn to lean into Lord Corlys’ good graces; the Sea Snake does owe him for saving his life, in spite of everything. “To serve with the Sea Snake is to make your fortune,” Addam enthuses, however Alyn’s preoccupied along with his considerations concerning the upcoming warfare. A bit later, there’s an interlude—quick, however price noting—the place we see Addam on the seaside, digging for crabs. Out of the blue he appears to be like up as a dragon swoops overhead. On a present like Home of the Dragon the place each minute counts and each look is stuffed with that means, this positive looks like foreshadowing.
Of their fortress close by, Corlys and Rhaenys lie in mattress discussing their worries about Daemon’s conduct and whether or not or not they’ll belief him. “We is not going to let the Queen falter,” Rhaenys says, as we lower to Rhaenyra assembly with Mysaria, who’s nonetheless imprisoned at Dragonstone. First, she grills her about what function she performed in Jaehaerys’ demise; very similar to she did with Daemon, Mysaria insists her involvement was solely about getting paid—and it takes a beat earlier than Rhaenyra remembers assembly her earlier than. (In season one, Daemon pretended he was going to take her as a second spouse—and claimed she was pregnant along with his little one—with out correctly letting her in on the ruse.) As the lady share an unstated second stuffed with their mutual Daemon annoyance, Mysaria explains that every one she desires is for Rhaenyra to honor Daemon’s phrase and set her free. She has no ulterior motives. She’s solely inquisitive about her personal survival.
“I used to be dropped at Westeros with nothing,” she begins, then explains that she did what she needed to do to earn a dwelling—together with studying to be a really astute listener. “For too lengthy I made it my intention to be of consequence. However now I see that was the want of a kid. Daemon, Otto Hightower—makes no distinction. They are going to by no means settle for me. I would as effectively have remained a whore,” Misarya says. Although she comes from very completely different circumstances, Rhaenyra is aware of the way it feels to not be accepted by highly effective males, and the speech provides her pause.
In King’s Touchdown, we get one other second that illustrates the theme of “smallfolk are rising uninterested in being handled like rubbish.” Outdoors the Purple Preserve, there’s an alarmingly massive variety of hanged males; it appears all of the ratcatchers within the king’s make use of have been exterminated, to ensure the one man (who we see amongst their numbers) that aided within the younger prince’s demise is taken out. A mom appears to be like up and wails: “My son!” A son for a son… for a son. And so it goes in Westeros.
Up within the Purple Preserve, Otto is, but once more, very displeased with this show and confronts King Aegon about it. In actual fact, he screams “IDIOT!” at him. It’s the episode’s second PR catastrophe, this time on the opposite aspect of issues: “Together with your little one’s blood, we purchased their approval. Together with your mom’s tears we made a bitter sacrifice towards the deprivations to return. And also you’ve thrown it away.” Aegon, bitchy as ever, says “I want to spill blood!” He desires to take motion! Cole takes motion! It’s right here that Otto learns Cole determined to ship Ser Arryck to homicide Rhaenyra. “It’s time the bitch queen paid a worth,” Cole provides unhelpfully.
Otto is apoplectic. “As an alternative of judgment, you show impetuousness and diminish us within the eyes of our enemy,” he thunders, then sadly realizes how a lot he misses King Viserys—who would by no means, ever have let one thing like “Fuck dignity, I would like revenge!” slip from his lips. It’s an unpleasant scene, and it will get worse when Aegon orders Otto to take away his badge and, seemingly spontaneously, decides that Ser Criston Cole, the one different individual within the room, ought to turn out to be Hand of the King as a substitute. “You. Will. Remorse. This,” Otto guarantees, talking slowly so even an fool like his grandson can perceive. And we imagine him!
Again on Dragonstone, Rhaenyra summons Ser Erryck and tells him Mysaria is free to go—she’ll simply want somebody to take her to the shore and put her on a departing ship, pronto. Rhaenyra doesn’t need her hanging round stirring up any extra hassle in Westeros. Mysaria is grateful, however as she’s heading to the boat, she does a double take. There’s a knight with an awfully acquainted face—one she’s simply seen within the fortress, actually—heading up the trail from the ocean. She tells her escort to carry up a second.
Even with Mysaria recognizing the invader, the ruse nearly works. Arryck bluffs approach by means of the fortress and proper into Rhaenyra’s chambers. Similar to final week’s Home of the Dragon, we observe an murderer creeping up on their goal and an terrible anticipation builds—however this time, issues finish in another way. Simply as Rhaenyra’s about to fulfill the mistaken finish of a sword, Erryck bursts in and there’s an epic struggle between the brothers. No one watching can inform who’s who, least of all us viewers at dwelling, but it surely doesn’t matter… as a result of when one lastly dies, the opposite dramatically falls on his personal sword in anguish. Each twins are useless.
Again in King’s Touchdown, Otto is blowing off steam to Alicent. “Aegon have to be stored in verify,” Otto warns. Solely, Grandpa’s not the one to do it anymore. He’s leaving King’s Touchdown, sure for the Hightower stronghold of Oldtown, the place Alicent’s third son (drink should you forgot there was one other one) lives. Alicent asks him to go to Highgarden as a substitute and persuade the Tyrells to affix their trigger. She additionally thinks Aegon will quickly change his thoughts, and can ultimately need Otto again as Hand. It’s not clear what Otto’s going to do, however he reassures Alicent he nonetheless believes peace is feasible, “so long as you and I maintain quick.”
Alicent is itching to dump her massive secret, and whispers “I’ve sinned.” His response: “I don’t want to hear of it.” There’ll be no straightforward absolution right here; no fatherly consolation past issues pertaining to the realm. When she leaves the room, she hears sobbing, and realizes it’s Aegon, sitting by himself, overcome with emotion. As a result of his son is useless? As a result of he fired his grandfather? As a result of he is aware of what Otto stated to him is true? As a result of he realizes he sucks as king? We don’t know, as a result of Alicent takes within the scene, and turns and leaves with out doing something about it. As an alternative, she goes to her bed room… the place Ser Criston Cole is ready. She slaps him, she shoves him, after which… the sinning recommences.
New episodes of Home of the Dragon arrive Sundays on HBO and Max.
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Brandon Fletcher
Ethan Carter
