House of the Dragon has already brought plenty of drama, but the latest episode was on another scale entirely that left me in a state of shock, reminiscent of my reaction to the legendary Red Wedding in Game of Thrones.
We’ve been building up to the Targaryen civil war over the last few episodes, with characters plotting revenge and building alliances across Westeros. Now, all those events have come to a head in fire and blood.
Major spoilers for the latest episode of House of the Dragon season 2 below
The dragon dances have finally begun
The Battle at Rook’s Rest saw the first clash between not just two, but three dragons – something fans of this prequel have been waiting for, and an event we never saw in Game of Thrones.
Fighting on behalf of Team Black was Princess Rhaenys Targaryen with her long-time partner Meleys. She volunteered to go as a dragon rider when Rhaenyra suggested going herself, as she had the largest and most experienced dragon in the party and could not risk the Black Queen’s life in battle.
Olly Upton/HBO
Olly Upton/HBO
Olly Upton/HBO
The plan was to burn the army that was led by Ser Cristen Cole. Unbeknownst to her, King Aegon II flew to the fight from King’s Landing on Sunfyre, as he wanted to get his chance to be a true warrior and pettily prove a point to his mother Alicent, who suggested that he should just stay where things are safe and leave the fighting to the true warriors.
On top of that, Cole struck a secret deal with the King’s brother, Aemond, who was hiding nearby on his dragon, the giant Vhagar. The pair emerged into battle when it looked like the King was struggling. But rather than coming to his aid, Aemond ordered his dragon to burn both dragons and riders, sending Aegon and Sunfyre plummeting to the ground.
Rhaenys and Meleys survived the onslaught and continued to fight Aemond and Vhagar. As the two beasts clashed mid-air, an incredible shot almost recreated the Targaryen banner symbol, only with visceral violence and horror.
The symbolism reminded me of when House Lannister’s theme, The Rains of Castamere, played ominously at Rob Stark’s wedding, just before he and his family were brutally butchered by Walder Frey’s army on behalf of the crown.
In the end, the larger dragon won the sky battle, tearing off the head of Meleys with her jaws, sending the Princess down with the body of her beast. The pair landed with an explosion, taking not just the first major player off the board, but the first dragon, too.
Only, is it? The end of the episode shows Cole discovering Aemond with his sword, poised to strike over the bodies of Sunfyre and Aegon. The dragon appears to be badly wounded, while the King lies motionless, burned and bloody from the battle. The screen cuts to black before we can learn more about their fates.
The good rarely survive in the Game of Thrones universe
This is the episode I’ve been waiting for from this show. While many fans thought that the equivalent of the Red Wedding would be the Blood and Cheese moment from episode one, there wasn’t enough of a connection with Queen Helaena and the audience to truly feel the weight of what had happened – though it was still horrific.
But the deaths of Rhaenys and Meleys? Now that stung – just as it did to lose both Robb and Catelyn Stark. The Princess was one of the few aids in Team Black who truly looked out for Rhaenyra throughout her life, both as a strategist and as a fellow woman in power. She could command people with a single icy look and had one of the few rare loving romantic relationships in the show.
Olly Upton/HBO
Olly Upton/HBO
Olly Upton/HBO
The Queen Who Never Was channeled her anger of losing the throne and her children into trying to turn the crown to what we now know as the rightful heir, as per Viserys’s wish. She was far from perfect – her ‘girl-boss’ rebellion with Melyse during Aegon’s coronation almost certainly killed numerous civilians – but she was one of the few respected characters left in a very morally grey cast that I could get behind.
I’m left wondering, who do I back now? Just as I did after the Red Wedding. I’m also completely confused, wondering how the war will continue to unfold as the King lies gravely injured, with one of his closest allies (and brother, no less) ready to strike him down.
While the battle setting is perhaps not as shocking as the sickening events during Game of Thrones – especially the desecration of Robb’s body afterwards – this episode has finally proved to me that House of the Dragon has the legs to be as good as Game of Thrones at its best.
Furthermore, this is just the first dance between dragons we’ve seen. There will almost certainly be more, and I believe they’ll have just as dire consequences.
