“House of the Dragon” Season 2, Episode 2, Reviews and Recap: “I Love You Brother”
The series follows the formula of the Season 2 premiere of House of the Dragon last week, giving us another episode of mostly political politicking with a dash of extreme violence at the end. The scene was much more entertaining than the child murder that took place last week. It does not mean the scene was enjoyable, but I prefer to watch two knights fight than that gruesome Blood and Cheese scene.
Spoilers of House of the Dragon Season 2 , episode 2, are below.
This week we will begin at the end, as it will certainly be the moment that everyone will talk about when the episode airs on HBO or Max. Arryk’s (Luke Tittensor), and Erryk’s (Elliot Tittensor), Cargyll’s fight to death was a success, thanks in large part to the perfect casting of the two knights who are twins both on and off-screen.
The Cargyll brothers were both Kingsguard knights under the previous ruler King Viserys (Paddy Considine), but after the Hightowers’ little coup ended last season, they each supported a different queen. Aegon’s frequent visits to brothels, and the illicit fights in which impoverished children fight to entertain others disillusion Erryk. He tries to convince Arryk to support Rhaenyra, but he’s unyielding. He has sworn an oath, and will not break it no matter what the prince’s “proclivities” are.
Erryk, disenchanted by Aegon, fled King’s Landing, and traveled to Dragonstone. He pledged his allegiance Rhaenyra, and became one of her Queens guard. Arryk stayed behind. In tonight’s episode, he should have realized it was a bad decision to remain under the iron hand of the petty Ser Criston Cole, the Lord Commander. Cole is angry because the young Prince Jaehaerys died under his watch. He seeks to find someone who can be blamed. When he sees Arryk’s muddy white cloak, he takes it upon himself to punish him. He was protecting Queen Dowager Alicent (Olivia Cooke), and Queen Helaena, (Phia Saban), on their grievance parade through the City.
Cole not only orders the knight to tend to his cloak, but also devises an immediate mission: He must make his way to Dragonstone and infiltrate the fortress pretending to his twin brother. There, he will kill Rhaenyra. Arryk is not a murderer, but a knight. Cole will not budge and sends Arryk on the suicide mission, without consulting Aegon, or the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower, (Rhys Ifans).
Mysaria, the White Worm (Sonoya Mizuno), almost calls out Arryk as she passes. She had just been at the castle with Arryk’s brother and Queen. I waited for her to raise the alarm but she never did. Unless we are meant to believe that she does so offscreen and this is why help arrives in time.
Arryk enters Rhaenyra’s room and draws his sword, as he approaches. Erryk also bursts in and they fight. It’s one of the most exciting combat scenes yet. It’s amazing how quickly two men who are nearly identical can be hard to distinguish. We can’t tell apart the two men, and neither can those who rush in to aid Rhaenyra. The heat of battle and the armor make it impossible to tell the difference.
One of Rhaenyra Queens guard exclaimed, “I can’t even tell what’s which!” I can’t tell either! This adds a new level of tension to our fight. Is Arryk or Erryk the one who is going to kill Rhaenyra if they kill each other? They both kill each other, but the last man standing asks Rhaenyra for forgiveness before he plunges his sword into the ground. Erryk begged for forgiveness, robbing Rhaenyra of one of her protectors. Arryk’s grief and shock at his brother’s death may have made him realize that it wasn’t worth it. Arryk said to Cole (I’m paraphrasing) earlier, “We are two souls split into one body.” These ridiculous oaths. Criston Cole is not likely to ever honor his own oath.
We also see the grief parade I spoke of earlier. Otto Hightower hoped that a public display of the body of the prince would elicit sympathy from the locals. However, the procession almost went horribly wrong. Otto Hightower has made the assassination of Rhaenyra very public. He sent ravens to all corners of the world to denounce it. Aegon’s plan almost succeeds, but then he hangs all the innocent ratcatchers outside the Red Keep.
Otto is angry, but he goes too far. He scolds the young king for so long that Aegon finally has enough. He says, “You were not my Hand but that of my father.” It seems that Larys Strong the Clubfoot is about to gain even more power. Otto departs for Hightower, astonished at his grandson’s (completely predictable) recklessness. Otto made this bed; he is only responsible for it.
Rhaenyra (Rachel Smith) is furious at her uncle-husband Daemon for the role he had in the death of the prince, even though he denied telling Blood and Cheese that a son would do. Daemon, who is a liar and lies, has not revealed what he said. He leaves to Harrenhal, where he will raise armies and prepare war.
Alyn (Abubakar Salim), and Adamm (Clinton Liberty) are seen in several scenes outside of the court of power. Hugh Hammer’s (Kieran bew) crisis with no money and an ill daughter is also shown.
We are still getting to know the characters at this stage. It’s not clear why we are getting to know these characters. (And while I have read the book and know what it is, I won’t spoil it for you here. These characters are important! Soon you will discover why!
This was another slow episode, but I do not mind. I accept that House of the Dragon simply is a different beast from Game of Thrones. We are still in the build-up to the war and I think that when we reach it, all the battles will break out on land and air.
I’m sure I share the same complaint as some viewers, which is that I don’t care much about the characters. Only a few characters make you root for them. Like the Stark children, Brienne, later-Jaime Lannister or Tyrion, Jon Snow, Daenerys or the Hound.
Fire & Blood characters are people from a history textbook, and while the HBO adaptation gives them a great deal more to do as well as a greater depth of character, it doesn’t make us fall for any of them. Rhaenyra, her son Jace (Harry Collett), and Daemon’s girls. Daemon is a good man, but at the core, he is bad. Viserys was a good, but weak king. Alicent is relatable, but not likeable. It’s not funny, for sure. No one spouts nonsense like “I know and drink things.”
It’s still a brilliant series that completely absorbs my attention. The story is great, even if some of the characters are less sympathetic than in Thrones. This was still heroic fantasia. Shakespearean tragedy is what we have here.
House of the dragon season 2-episode 1 release date
House of the Dragon will continue to air an episode each week, as is customary for HBO series. After the premiere of season 2 on June 16, House of the Dragon’s new episodes will be released weekly until August 4, 2020.
House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 1: Blood and Cheese
Mysaria, played by Sonoya Mizuno, is back. Last season, she had a plot that was as complex as her accent. House of the Dragon is going to try and rid her of them both this season. Daemon tells her to use the criminal spy network she has to locate two idiots who are very important to him. She hires Aemond Targaryen to kill Aemond with a turncoat from the Kingsguard, and the Red Keep rat-catcher. He declares the same as before “A son for another son.” In the books, these two assassins-for-a-nights are named Blood and Cheese. Yes, it is a ratcatcher named Cheese. They are bad news. Cheese punts the dog to make sure you know that these people are despicable.
The two men sneak up the tunnels infested with rats to find Queen Helaena, Phia Saban, and her sleeping children. They kill Jaehaerys in his sleep, believing that their mission is over. (Quite brutally, I should add.) “They cut off his skull,” I will say. Blood says, “A son for son.” Damn! This scene would have been the perfect way to end House of the Dragon’s first season, but this is much more fitting as the catalyst for season 2.
Queen Helaena is horrified when she finds out that her mother has been having sex (with Fabian Frankel) with Ser Criston Cole. Oh my god! Why have I not told you about this? Alicent and Ser Critston are now hooking up. Ser Criston can use some drama. When that person changes sides, he does it. Imagine his utter dismay when he finds out what Blood and Cheese has done under his watch. Everything is about to go crazy.
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