Please note, this article discusses key events from the second episode of the second season of “House of the Dragon”. If you haven’t seen the new episode yet, be warned of spoilers here!
- Concluding with a thrilling duel, the second episode of “House of the Dragon” offers all sorts of developments that only fuel the escalation of the Targaryen civil war.
- Episode 2, “Rhaenyra the Cruel”, also features two new characters who will become important, as well as the first mention of Daeron Targaryen, Alicent’s fourth child.
The second episode of “House of the Dragon” season 2 sees rapid changes in the power structures that have not only held Westeros together, but also kept the impending civil war at bay. After the developments in the second episode, there will be no holding back.
In response to the murder of Jaehaerys in the season premiere, Otto Hohenturm (Rhys Ifans), the Hand of King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), plots to damage Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) reputation. A massive mourning ceremony is held in which Jaehaery’s body is revealed for all to see and Rhaenyra is consequently condemned as a child murderer by the people.
Effective in the long term, however, Aegon is disturbed by this and would rather have action taken than present himself as a grieving – and, in his opinion, weak – king. More to his liking, therefore, is a short-circuited plot by Ser Kriston Kraut (Fabien Frankel).
Missions and Assassinations – Kriston sends Ser Arryk to Dragonstone to kill Rhaenyra
The duel between Arryk and Erryk explained
Ser Kriston Kraut, who has just been intimate with Alicent Hohenturm (Olivia Cooke) during Jaehaerys’ murder and is probably blaming himself, orders Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor) to travel to Dragonstone and kill Rhaenyra in a short-circuited act without rhyme or reason, but rather in defiance of a contradiction – in retaliation for Jaehaerys.
The plan is for Ser Arryk to pose as his twin brother Erryk (Elliott Tittensor) in order to approach Rhaenyra. In the first season, the twins, who were once inseparable, went their separate ways. One followed Aegon, the other Rhaenyra. As Erryk is a loyal follower of Rhaenyra, Arryk would be able to get close to Rhaenyra if he pretended to be Rhaenyra’s brother.
The plan almost works, except that Erryk intervenes at the last moment and saves Rhaenyra. The two brothers meet and a duel ensues, from which Erryk emerges victorious. However, after being forced to strike down his brother, he takes his own life.
Whether out of shame at having killed his own brother or because, as leader of the royal guard, he allowed an assassin to get so close to Rhaenyra is unclear. We explain the battle between the twin brothers and reveal how the fight plays out in the original book!
Is Daemon lying to Rhaenyra about the attack on Jaehaerys?
While Arryk’s attack on Rhaenyra is the core element of the second episode, the attack from episode 1 still resonates: Daemon’s mission to kill Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). As we know, however, it was not Aemond who was killed, but Jaehaerys.
Daemon (Matt Smith) vehemently rejects the accusations that he gave the order to kill Jaehaerys. His explicit target was Aemond. Rhaenyra is not sure whether she can trust him. He would not really support her claim to the throne, but rather use her as a vehicle to somehow keep his own claim alive.
As the younger brother of Viserys (Paddy Considine), Daemon never got over the fact that he didn’t become king, even though he had more potential than his brother. At least according to him. A thought that Daemon does not share with Otto Hohenturm, as it turns out in the latest “House of the Dragon” episode.
Not a good hand – Kriston Kraut inherits Otto Hohenturm
Otto Hohenturm emphasizes to King Aegon that he greatly misses Viserys’ wisdom and kindness. He is very annoyed by Aegon’s aggressive style of government and the short-sightedness with which he approaches things. When Aegon emphasizes that he is Viserys’ chosen successor, Otto questions this.
“Do you really believe that?” he asks Aegon, who is shocked. After all, this belief that Aegon was chosen by Viderys as his successor is what legitimizes his claim to the throne. Angered by his uncle’s behavior, Aegon Otto denies the title of Hand of the King and gives the position to Ser Kriston Kraut. Aegon does not want a hand to guide him, but an iron fist to strike.
Aegon and unkindness – a king in tears
At the end of the episode, we see King Aegon weeping. His mother Alicent does not comfort him, but leaves him alone. The fact that someone as devilish as Aegon is crying is surprisingly humanizing. But what is the reason for his emotional outburst?
This is probably triggered by his own uncle questioning his claim to the throne. Is he slowly realizing that he is just a puppet of the High Tower, Alicent and Otto, who are using him to secure their own power? What’s more, Aegon has just lost his son and is in a marriage with his sister Helaena (Phia Saban) in which the two are living at cross purposes.
Living through so much at such a young age (Aegon is only in his early 20s), even though he himself is part of so many evil machinations, wears on you and so it does on Aegon.
The fact that he also never experienced parental love from his father, who still hovers over him like a shadow, seems to be another open wound. Especially as the love that Viserys didn’t have for Aegon was always there for Rhaenyra, Aegon’s direct rival.
What will happen to Otto Hohenturm now?
Otto Hohenturm was previously one of the most important roles and actor Rhys Ifans is also one of the best-known stars of the cast, having starred in classics such as “Notting Hill” and the “Harry Potter” series. But after Otto’s dismissal as Hand, the role is only mentioned three times in the original book. Will the series stick to “Fire and Blood” when it comes to Otto Hohenturm’s future?
From the chamber to the battlefield: what Otto’s departure means for the game of thrones
Otto Hohenturm being replaced by Kriston as Hand of the King is a major change on the political stage of Westeros. Otto is deliberate and spins his yarns in the background, slowly and carefully weighing things up and preparing for all eventualities.
He is a politician whose experience has made him a master of manipulation. Kriston, on the other hand, is impulsive, pugnacious and above all driven by his ego. Everything that previously took place politically in back rooms and behind closed doors is now likely to be brought out onto the big stage and ultimately onto the battlefield.
Addam of Holk and Daeron Targaryen are on the march
Back in the first episode of “House of the Dragon” season 2, Alyn of Holk was introduced. He is a sailor who saved the life of Corly’s Velaryon (Steve Toussaint). In the second episode, we now meet Alyn’s brother Addam. What neither Corlys nor we know yet, but the book template anticipates: They both have royal blood in them!
But it’s not just Corlys and Rhaenyra who have new interesting characters. At the end of the episode “Rhaenyra the Cruel”, Alicent and Otto talk about Daeron Targaryen. This is the fourth child of Alicent and the late King Viserys. So far, Daeron has neither appeared nor been mentioned. So who is Daeron Targaryen?
The next episode of “House of the Dragon” season 2 awaits us on July 1, 2024. In total, the second “House of the Dragon” season consists of 8 episodes, so the finale will be shown in August. “House of the Dragon” season 3 is already confirmed.