Home of the Dragon has already introduced loads of drama, however the newest episode was on one other scale completely that left me in a state of shock, paying homage to my response to the legendary Pink Wedding ceremony in Recreation of Thrones.
We’ve been constructing as much as the Targaryen civil battle over the previous few episodes, with characters plotting revenge and constructing alliances throughout Westeros. Now, all these occasions have come to a head in hearth and blood.
Main spoilers for the most recent episode of Home of the Dragon season 2 under
The dragon dances have lastly begun
The Battle at Rook’s Relaxation noticed the primary conflict between not simply two, however three dragons – one thing followers of this prequel have been ready for, and an occasion we by no means noticed in Recreation of Thrones.
Preventing on behalf of Crew Black was Princess Rhaenys Targaryen together with her long-time companion Meleys. She volunteered to go as a dragon rider when Rhaenyra instructed going herself, as she had the most important and most skilled dragon within the occasion and couldn’t threat the Black Queen’s life in battle.
Olly Upton/HBO
Olly Upton/HBO
Olly Upton/HBO
The plan was to burn the military that was led by Ser Cristen Cole. Unbeknownst to her, King Aegon II flew to the struggle from King’s Touchdown on Sunfyre, as he wished to get his likelihood to be a real warrior and pettily show some extent to his mom Alicent, who instructed that he ought to simply keep the place issues are protected and go away the combating to the true warriors.
On high of that, Cole struck a secret cope with the King’s brother, Aemond, who was hiding close by on his dragon, the enormous Vhagar. The pair emerged into battle when it regarded just like the King was struggling. However reasonably than coming to his help, Aemond ordered his dragon to burn each dragons and riders, sending Aegon and Sunfyre plummeting to the bottom.
Rhaenys and Meleys survived the onslaught and continued to struggle Aemond and Vhagar. As the 2 beasts clashed mid-air, an unimaginable shot nearly recreated the Targaryen banner image, solely with visceral violence and horror.
The symbolism jogged my memory of when Home Lannister’s theme, The Rains of Castamere, performed ominously at Rob Stark’s wedding ceremony, simply earlier than he and his household had been brutally butchered by Walder Frey’s military on behalf of the crown.
In the long run, the bigger dragon received the sky battle, tearing off the pinnacle of Meleys together with her jaws, sending the Princess down with the physique of her beast. The pair landed with an explosion, taking not simply the primary main participant off the board, however the first dragon, too.
Solely, is it? The tip of the episode exhibits Cole discovering Aemond along with his sword, poised to strike over the our bodies of Sunfyre and Aegon. The dragon seems to be badly wounded, whereas the King lies immobile, burned and bloody from the battle. The display screen cuts to black earlier than we will study extra about their fates.
The great not often survive within the Recreation of Thrones universe
That is the episode I’ve been ready for from this present. Whereas many followers thought that the equal of the Pink Wedding ceremony could be the Blood and Cheese second from episode one, there wasn’t sufficient of a reference to Queen Helaena and the viewers to actually really feel the load of what had occurred – although it was nonetheless horrific.
However the deaths of Rhaenys and Meleys? Now that stung – simply because it did to lose each Robb and Catelyn Stark. The Princess was one of many few aids in Crew Black who actually regarded out for Rhaenyra all through her life, each as a strategist and as a fellow girl in energy. She might command folks with a single icy look and had one of many few uncommon loving romantic relationships within the present.
Olly Upton/HBO
Olly Upton/HBO
Olly Upton/HBO
The Queen Who By no means Was channeled her anger of shedding the throne and her youngsters into attempting to show the crown to what we now know because the rightful inheritor, as per Viserys’s want. She was removed from good – her ‘girl-boss’ revolt with Melyse throughout Aegon’s coronation nearly definitely killed quite a few civilians – however she was one of many few revered characters left in a really morally gray forged that I might get behind.
I’m left questioning, who do I again now? Simply as I did after the Pink Wedding ceremony. I’m additionally utterly confused, questioning how the battle will proceed to unfold because the King lies gravely injured, with one in every of his closest allies (and brother, no much less) able to strike him down.
Whereas the battle setting is maybe not as stunning because the sickening occasions throughout Recreation of Thrones – particularly the desecration of Robb’s physique afterwards – this episode has lastly proved to me that Home of the Dragon has the legs to be nearly as good as Recreation of Thrones at its finest.
Moreover, that is simply the primary dance between dragons we’ve seen. There’ll nearly definitely be extra, and I consider they’ll have simply as dire penalties.