Home of the Dragon Returns With Grief, Hearth, and Fury

Welcome again to Westeros, the place everybody’s nonetheless reeling from the final events of House of the Dragon season one: the installment of King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the Iron Throne instead of designated inheritor Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy)—and the tragic death of Rhaenyra’s son, Lucerys, due to Aegon’s brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and his huge dragon.

The struggle Recreation of Thrones followers know as “the Dance of the Dragons” hasn’t absolutely damaged out but, but it surely’s definitely looming in the season two premiere, ominously titled “A Son for a Son.”

To begin with: a revamped opening sequence (similar acquainted music, although), displaying us Targaryen drama, each Inexperienced and Black, coming to life by means of embroidery fairly than as blood flowing by means of stone and metallic. There’s nonetheless loads of pink stuff oozing up by means of the fabric, nevertheless, in addition to fiery sparks dancing across the body—nodding to George R.R. Martin’s supply materials Hearth & Blood in a inventive new approach.

We open in a spot acquainted to Recreation of Thrones trustworthy: Winterfell. Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) is displaying Prince Jacaerys (Harry Collett)—who’s visited on dragonback to remind the Starks of their loyalty oath to his mom—that there are elements of Westeros extra spooky and mysterious than he can comprehend. It’s a pleasant option to open season two, and ties Home of the Dragon into Recreation of Thrones in methods solely somebody from Home Stark can do. We get a reminder in regards to the Night time’s Watch, which has recent context due to Home of the Dragon’s season-one introduction of Aegon the Conquerer’s prophetic dream a few risk from the frozen north, and we even get a “Winter is coming.”

“Coming?” Jace jokes because the younger males trip the elevator to the highest of the Wall amid snow flurries. “What is that this then, that falls from the sky and shivers my bones?” All jokes cease when Jace beholds what lies past the Wall. Dragons are highly effective, however as we noticed on Recreation of Thrones, there are issues much more highly effective than dragons on this world. “What does it hold out?” Jace asks. “Demise,” Stark tells him, then lets Jace know that whereas he can’t sacrifice his prime defensive forces with loss of life on the opposite aspect, he’ll ship “hundreds of greybeards” (translation: previous dudes who nonetheless kick ass) to assist bolster Rhaenyra’s military. The convivial second ends when a raven arrives with information from Dragonstone—and that’s how Jace finds out his little brother Luke is gone.

Again in Dragonstone, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Finest) returns from patrolling the skies, in no temper to take orders from Prince Daemon (Matt Smith), who’s all scorching to fly to King’s Touchdown and take out Prince Aemond and his dragon, Vhagar—the duo answerable for Luke’s demise. “A son for a son,” he says. Rhaenys reminds Daemon {that a}) he’s not the king, and b) Queen Rhaenyra, who’s determined to seek out tangible proof of her son’s loss of life, wants house to grieve. Moreover, she’s not one to behave on vengeful impulses. Daemon snaps again that if solely Rhaenys had barbecued the usurper and his household when she had the prospect, they wouldn’t be having this downside. Rhaenys, who has already made very clear that this struggle wasn’t hers to start out, walks away… however not earlier than reminding him that he can’t concern instructions as a result of he’s not the king.

Down on the Driftmark docks, Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) is checking up on repairs being made to his fleet, and we meet a brand new character: Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim), who updates the Sea Snake on the progress. They’ve a pleasant rapport—Alyn presents condolences over the lack of Luke, who was Corlys’ inheritor to Driftmark—and Corlys thanks Alyn for rescuing him throughout season one’s (off-camera) battle towards pirates at sea.

In King’s Touchdown, members of the Kingsguard are keeping track of the skies—“Dragonnnn!” is a very terrifying factor to listen to anybody yell—whereas contained in the fort, the royal household, together with married siblings Queen Heleana (Phia Saban) and King Aegon and their white-blonde kids, are going about their enterprise. Heleana is embroidering and when she tells Aegon she’s afraid—particularly of the rats within the fort—his awkward response to the maids gathered round is “The queen is a permanent thriller, is she not?”

In a close-by bed room, shock! Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Ser Criston Cole (Fabian Frankel) should not simply court docket colleagues… they’re secret lovers, too! He has his head up her costume! That is clearly not the primary time they’ve been intimate, and clearly received’t be the final, regardless of Alicent guiltily muttering “we can’t… once more” as they reassemble themselves. As they head into the Small Council assembly, they go a rat catcher—a seemingly insignificant character, only a man you’d see doing his job within the Purple Hold—however one we’ll be seeing once more earlier than the episode is over.

Seems Aegon is now not a reluctant ruler. He’s having the time of his life being “in cost,” although Grandpa/Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) is clearly the one who’s really operating the present. There’s quite a bit to debate, being that Group Inexperienced is making an attempt to determine which noble homes they will rely on within the looming struggle, however the assembly is nonetheless dominated by Aegon’s son Jaehaerys—who, being a toddler, is busily pestering Ser Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Corridor). The Grasp of Coin’s endurance is stretched skinny, particularly after Aegon mockingly asks “Is the inheritor to the throne bothering you?”

Aemond stalks in because the little one is being escorted out, and the ability wrestle continues. Everybody thinks their strategy is one of the best one; when Otto advocates “endurance and restraint,” Aegon slithers down in his chair and sighs dramatically like a college child who’s simply realized there’s a pop quiz. Afterwards, Lord Larys Robust (Matthew Needham) materializes to bend Alicent’s ear. He’d tried to speak to her earlier than the assembly, he says, however her handmaiden stated Alicent was “indisposed.” (Needham’s impeccable line supply right here lets us know Larys is aware of precisely who and what Alicent was doing throughout that timeframe, and Cooke’s wordless response reveals us Alicent is aware of he is aware of, too.) Anyway, now that Larys has rooted out all of the “betrayers” within the fort, “I’ve chosen your new workers personally,” he tells her. In her chambers, Alicent shoos all her attendants away, preferring to do her personal scrubbing whereas taking a contemplative tub, absolutely conscious that any notion of precise privateness doesn’t exist.

On Dragonstone, there’s one other “Dragonnnn!” second as Rhaenyra swoops in to behold the terrible proof she’s been in search of: a severed dragon wing caught in a fishing internet, with what appears to be like like Luke’s cape tangled alongside. As she sobs, her dragon, Syrax, lets out a mournful cry.

Again in King’s Touchdown, a self-satisfied King Aegon II struts into the good corridor, able to perch on the Iron Throne and listen to from his topics. As he’s introduced, his common array of titles (Recreation of Thrones followers know the drill: “King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Males,” and so on.) features a new descriptor: “Aegon the Magnanimous.” Even he finds that ludicrous, muttering “the magnanimous?” towards one in all his sycophants. The smallfolk are in wrestle mode—their POV is something House of the Dragon seems intriguingly interested in exploring this season—and Aegon has no understanding that his regime is the rationale why. He blithely tells a sheep farmer the crown will replenish the sheep they took from him, till a lurking Otto Hightower—who’s visibly dying inside, watching this child who is aware of nothing about management make random declarations—reminds him that sheep are required to feed hungry dragons now that all-out struggle is imminent. And he reminds Aegon to watch out earlier than he opens his mouth: “When the king speaks, Your Grace, all hear it.”

The ever-present Lord Larys has some reminders to go alongside, too. King Viserys had a status for being “pliable,” he tells Aegon, and factors out how controlling Otto has all the time been. Perhaps a change is so as? Perhaps it’s time to face aside out of your father and discover a new Hand? As Aegon ponders this, the implication for the viewer is evident: who’s pliable now?

This leads right into a loaded assembly between Otto and Alicent, the place they agree they’ve the identical endgame (they wish to see Rhaenyra bend the knee), however they’ve been touring opposing paths to get there. Alicent would really like Otto to assist her on the Small Council; Otto is near boiling over with frustration over all the things that’s occurred since Viserys died. “Should you undermine my voice, each these boys will develop deaf to it,” she tells him, which means her sons Aegon and Aemond. Otto considers this, however he additionally reminds her that the best way issues are actually, “The trail to victory is one in all violence.”

Off Dragonstone, a ship being looked for stowaways yields a well-recognized face: Daemon’s previous pal, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), often known as the White Worm. There’s no pleasure of their reunion; he’s livid that she revealed a then-reluctant Aegon’s hiding place earlier than the usurper’s coronation, however she tells him her secret-selling methods are purely transactional. They’re a way for survival in a world the place she’s going to be stepped on in any other case, and she or he doesn’t care who sits on the Iron Throne so long as she will get paid for her providers. Ser Erryk Cargill (Elliott Tittensor)—the Kingsguard twin who took Rhaenyra’s aspect and is now Group Black; his brother, Arryk (Luke Tittensor), is on Group Inexperienced again in King’s Touchdown—stands up for the imprisoned Mysaria. Daemon is in a Very Unhealthy Temper and barely listens, criticizing how Erryk/Arryk dealt with themselves in King’s Touchdown, however it’s a must to really feel for Ser Erryk when he factors out that when your entire gig is defending the royals, issues get sophisticated when the royals begin turning on one another.

Talking of royals, Rhaenyra lastly reveals up for a council assembly, however she’s not occupied with listening to in regards to the Sea Snake’s blockade or Daemon’s plans to fly to Harrenhal. She has one factor on her thoughts: “I would like Aemond Targaryen.”

That’s all she says, no specifics—however we reduce to Daemon pestering Mysaria to make use of her distinctive information of the Purple Hold to assist the trigger. “Scheme with another person, Daemon,” she groans, however he tempts her by providing to set her free in change for data. Hearth & Blood followers can start to get an inkling of what’s coming… however earlier than we get to Blood and Cheese, Home of the Dragon takes a beat to let the emotional weight of what’s occurred thus far actually sink in. As Rhaenyra and her household maintain a fiery Dragonstone funeral for Luke, we cross-cut to Alicent lighting candles within the sept at King’s Touchdown—together with, with seen emotion, one in tribute to Luke.

Then it’s proper again to Daemon, now in full-on scheming mode, carrying his scheming disguise and scheming his approach into King’s Touchdown. He meets with a hulking member of the Metropolis Watch who nonetheless addresses him as “Commander.” (The massive dude additionally says “Fuck the Hightowers!”, so we all know the place his loyalty lies.) Then they discover the rat catcher we noticed earlier within the episode; for a bag of gold he’s persuaded to share his personal distinctive information of the Purple Hold and its many tunnels (he is aware of them “higher than the form of my very own cock,” he brags). Daemon lays it out plainly: “Discover and slay the Prince Aemond Targaryen. He has silver hair and one eye… must be straightforward sufficient to seek out.” Women and gents: Blood and Cheese have arrived.

At that very second, the truth is, Aemond is discussing struggle methods with Cole—two individuals who don’t have any authority to debate struggle technique, and Otto is very displeased when he discovers what they’re as much as. After Cole leaves the room, Otto expresses his concern—politely however firmly. “There are many items at play right here, a few of which you’ll be able to’t but see,” grandfather reminds grandson; one other motif of Home of the Dragon season two that’s already coming into focus is that sure characters have issues envisioning the massive image. “You need to hold a grip in your impulses,” Otto says. “We each know that your brother can’t.”

And certainly, as the 2 assassins enter into the fort—it should be famous that Purple Hold safety is awfully porous—we get a glimpse of a tipsy Aegon perched on his Iron Throne. “Nobody is aware of what magnanimous means,” he says to his gathered cronies, and guffaws on the suggestion he must be referred to as “Aegon the Dragon Cock” as an alternative. The intruders sneak their approach upstairs, however they will’t discover their meant goal. However going from room to room, they do discover… Queen Heleana and her kids. Figuring if they will’t discover the prince they’ve been tasked to kill, any prince will do, they pressure Heleana to level out which of her an identical kids is Jaehaerys, the child who brought about such a scene within the Small Council assembly earlier within the episode. (Now we understand why Home of the Dragon needed us to take particular discover of him.) Whereas the present does use some tact and reduce away whereas the deed’s being completed, the sound of muffled screaming after which sawing that accompanies the removing of a small little one’s head from his physique is unmistakably terrible.

A terrified Heleana grabs her different little one and runs into her mom’s room, the place she doesn’t react in any respect to the sight of a unadorned Alicent in mattress, having her approach with a unadorned Cole. (The queen is a permanent thriller, in spite of everything—and she or he was proper to be afraid of the rats!) As an alternative, all she says, very matter-of-factly, is: “They killed the boy.” The final shot closes in on Alicent’s horrified face. Although the homicide didn’t fairly go off as deliberate, properly: “a son for a son,” mission achieved.

New episodes of Home of the Dragon arrive Sundays on HBO and Max. Compensate for season one here.

Need extra io9 information? Try when to anticipate the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the things you have to learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.