House of the Dragon Series 2 Episode 2: Rhaenyra the Cruel

[FP1997]

House of the Dragon Series 2 is finally here! Expect betrayal, intrigue, and edge-of-your-seat drama in the eight-part series, with one episode released every Monday at 2am in the UK.

House of the Dragon Episode 2: Rhaenyra the Cruel

Rhaenyra the Cruel picks up immediately following the harrowing conclusion of the previous episode, A Son for a Son.

The Red Keep is engulfed in grief and fury as news spreads of Prince Jaehaerys's gruesome murder. King Aegon II's rage is palpable, his cries of "This is war!" echoing through the castle's halls, now a fortress of paranoia. He impulsively makes a declaration of war against his half-sister Rhaenyra, smashing the once grand and intricate model of Old Valyria, painstakingly crafted by King Viserys.

Otto breaks through the erratic score with a cunning, if tasteless, plan. A propaganda campaign: hold a public funeral procession for Jaehaerys to vilify ‘Rhaenyra the Cruel’, displaying the gruesome sight of his crudely sewn-on head as a reminder of her hunger for power. Though a chilling piece of theatre designed to sway public opinion in the Green’s favour, it does little to temper the ire of the King, who ultimately agrees just to end the conversation and seek his own vengeance.

Rhaenyra and Daemon’s Rift

As a mother grieving the loss of her own son, Rhaenyra vehemently denies the allegations made against her. She highlights to the Black Council that she sought harm to neither Heleana nor her twins (after all, they are “innocents”). With her own supporters beginning to question events, it occurs to Rhaenyra that even though her uncle-husband Prince Daemon claims he acted upon his Queen’s orders, it’s not hard to sniff out the ulterior motives.

Coming to this revelation, Rhaenyra immediately confronts Daemon. Their relationship, already fraught with tension, reaches a breaking point as they argue over the best course of action in response to Jaehaerys' death. Rhaenyra's admission that she has never fully trusted Daemon is a gut-wrenching moment and, when Daemon's anger boils over, he reaches toward her in a moment of aggression. It’s a haunting reminder of the past violence between them.

Rhaenyra’s cutting remark, "You're pathetic," wounds Daemon deeply, and he exits in silence, leaving viewers to wonder about his next move. Emma D'Arcy and Matt Smith deliver powerhouse performances here, truly capturing the raw, bitter recriminations that define this pivotal scene.

Cracks in the Kingsguard

Across the bay in King's Landing, the internal strife extends to the Kingsguard, where Lord Commander Criston Cole laments on his failure to protect Helaena and her children due to his affair with Alicent. He’s angry, and he’s looking for somewhere to place the blame. This leads to a petulant confrontation with Arryk Cargyll.

At the start of House of the Dragon, Arryk and his twin brother Erryk (played by real-life twins Luke and Elliott Tittensor) were Kingsguard to the late King Viserys. Upon his death, and the scheme to plant Aegon II on the throne, the brothers took different sides in the Green vs Black plot. Erryk, along with Criston Cole and Aemond, found a drunken Aegon II in Kings Landing, pitting his illegitimate bastard children against each other in the fighting pits. Shocked and dismayed, Erryk decided to side with Rhaenyra, whereas Arryk remained loyal to the King.

Now you’ve got the backstory, let’s cut back over to the confrontation. Cole alleges that Arryk could not possibly be loyal to the Greens, due to his brother’s sway in allegiance. They duke it out, and Cole pulls the old jealous boyfriend on him by stating that if he really loved Aegon, he’d sneak over to Driftmark, pose as his twin brother and slay Queen Rhaenyra in her sleep. Not much to ask, eh?

Aegon's Descent

Aegon, struggling with the weight of kingship, impressing his drunken friends and subduing his natural peevishness, lashes out in his grief and rage. When his grandfather Otto Hightower gives him a right telling off for acting without counsel of the, um, council, Aegon childishly fires him as Hand of the King. His command, "You are dismissed," is delivered with finality, and Otto's departure signals a shift in the balance of power within the Red Keep. The only thing sorely missing from the heated exchange was a particularly wet raspberry at the end.

Aegon then, to nobody’s surprise, awards the title of Hand to none other than butt-hurt whinge-master Criston Cole. The consequences of this decision are sure to reverberate throughout the season, as Alicent navigates a court that increasingly marginalizes her influence.

The Spiderman Meme

Meanwhile, the plot-to-end-all-plots is taking place on Driftmark. Arryk successfully infiltrates the Black guard with pulling the ol’ switcheroo.

What follows is, while not as visually spectacular as some of the show's previous battles, a duel that can only be described as a Freaky Friday. As Arryk approaches a sleepy Rhaenyra in her chambers to strike, Erryk appears to save the day. And that’s about the only time you’re sure who’s who as they engage in a brutal swordfight. The twins, bound by blood and duty, clash; their identical appearances and mirrored movements emphasizing the senselessness of the bloodshed. Their fight is a tragic embodiment of the familial and ideological rifts tearing Westeros apart.

The duel ends in mutual destruction, with a slain Arryk driving a grieving brother to fall on his sword, leaving viewers with a haunting image of brothers destroyed by a war not of their making.

Revelations

There are quite a few P.S.’s in this episode, serving to splice up the pacing, which is overall rather steady.

For instance, we discover that the original intended victim of the murder plot, Prince Aemond, escaped a heinous beheading only through his regular visit to a brothel. He later confesses, while curled up naked in the arms of the madame, that killing Lucerys was an accident and that he regrets it. It’s a short-lived irony, as his lack of visible remorse to her words, “when princes lose their temper, it is often others who suffer," suggests his inability to fully grasp the consequences of his actions.

Lady Mysaria, portrayed by Sonoya Mizuno, also reemerges as a significant player in this episode. Previously sidelined after the Greens burned her house down, Mysaria finds herself a captive of Rhaenyra. Her interaction with Daemon last week hinted at a potential alliance, and now Rhaenyra sees her as an asset in the war to come. Mysaria’s ability to navigate the dangerous political landscape becomes evident when she foils Ser Arryk’s assassination attempt, positioning herself as a crucial informant within Rhaenyra’s circle.

In contrast to the fracturing Targaryen family, the island of Driftmark offers a brief respite from the chaos. The reunion of Alyn and Addam of Hull provides a moment of warmth and hope amidst the turmoil. Their bond, forged in adversity, stands in stark contrast to the divisive forces tearing other families apart. Addam's awe at the sight of Seasmoke, Laenor Velaryon's dragon, hints at the potential for new alliances and the enduring allure of dragonriding.

Even the plight of the common people is highlighted by a Hugh Hammer subplot involving his sickly daughter in King's Landing; the gruesome public funeral procession as a stark reminder of the smallfolk’s suffering and the extent to which they are used as pawns in the royal conflict; and Aegon's ruthless order to execute all the Red Keep's ratcatchers, a futile attempt to find the assassin. This focus on the smallfolk adds depth to the narrative, illustrating the far-reaching impact of the highborns' power struggles.

Final thoughts

This episode masterfully sets the stage for the escalating conflict in "House of the Dragon." The episode's intricate character dynamics, emotional depth, and political intrigue offer a compelling narrative that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. As the Targaryen civil war intensifies, the fractured relationships and shifting alliances promise even more drama and devastation in the episodes to come.

With each episode, "House of the Dragon" continues to build on its rich lore and complex characters, delivering a story that is both epic in scope and deeply personal. Rhaenyra the Cruel is a testament to the show's ability to balance intimate character moments with the grand scale of war, ensuring that viewers remain captivated by the unfolding tragedy of the Targaryen dynasty.