In House of the Dragon Episode 2, the Old Makes Way for the New

House of the Dragon episode 2 — out now on HBO Max and Disney+ Hotstar — is titled “The Rogue Prince”. That clearly refers to Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), who has introduced himself because the rightful inheritor to the Iron Throne and camped out on Dragonstone, after being snubbed by his brother King Viserys (Paddy Considine) on the finish of episode 1. It’s a bit curious to call the episode after him although. Of all the primary characters on the Game of Thrones prequel collection, Daemon has the least quantity of display time on episode 2. But it is also a intelligent title, “Fire & Blood” readers will know greatest. House of the Dragon episode 2 hints at it too, with everybody speaking about how Viserys should “produce” new heirs. Spoiler alert: he’ll — and one among them’s additionally a rogue prince.

It’s been roughly six months — as promised, time jumps have begun — because the occasions of episode 1, after we decide up in House of the Dragon episode 2. While Daemon has made the boldest transfer but, Viserys’ eldest Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) is now making an attempt to claim herself across the Red Keep, now that she’s been named inheritor. At a small council assembly, the place her job is to pour wine, Rhaenyra suggests to her father that he ought to ship dragonriders to cope with the menace of the Crab Keeper, a brand new villain who’s taken over the Stepstones, a sequence of islands east of Dorne in Westeros and west of Essos. It’ll be seen as a present of drive, she notes. (This second really foreshadows her personal actions in a while House of the Dragon episode 2, in how she offers with Daemon.)

But the all-men council do not take kindly to her “suggestions” and he or she’s quietly pushed out of the small council assembly. Instead, she’s instructed to partake within the selecting of a brand new knight for the Kingsguard. There too, Rhaenyra tries to claim herself by selecting a knight who’s had fight expertise — Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), one of many two new most important forged members on House of the Dragon episode 2 — over a extra politically-savvy alternative. It’s a side-effect of her personal needs. While ladies are anticipated to be comely and bear offspring for his or her husband, Rhaenyra is extra all in favour of dragon-riding and preventing. It’s why she leans ahead and enquires about Ser Criston’s exploits within the Dornish marshes.

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Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole in House of the Dragon episode 2
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

Rhaenyra’s boldest transfer to claim herself on House of the Dragon episode 2 finds her performing on her personal recommendation. After the small council is made conscious of Daemon stealing a dragon egg, asserting common-born Lady Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) as his second spouse and alluring the King to his marriage ceremony in two days, Viserys decides to go and face his brother himself. The Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), calms him down and asks to let him go in his place. But Otto fails to make Daemon see cause, exactly as a result of Daemon has no want to take heed to cause. He’s joyful to unsheathe his sword and unleash his dragon Caraxes, regardless of Mysaria and his unborn baby being of their presence.

And have been it not for Rhaenyra’s transfer to do a present of drive — her entrance with Syrax was really epic on House of the Dragon episode 2 — Otto must return to King’s Landing together with his tail between his legs. Even Daemon is caught by Rhaenyra’s sudden arrival, with Rhaenyra rapidly unravelling his collection of lies. Not solely has Daemon not requested Mysaria to be his spouse, there isn’t a baby in her stomach. Daemon was merely making all of it up. At the top, it is Daemon who walks away, reluctantly handing over the dragon egg again to Rhaenyra.

A woman of 15 bested her uncle, a grown man. In a means, that is the primary dance of the dragons — the famed Targaryen conflict of succession that we’re headed in the direction of is known as “Dance of the Dragons” by those that wrote the historical past books — as we see two Targaryens butt heads. While their respective present of drive sits on both facet of the stage, the 2 dragonriders prance concerning the area, ready for one among them to attract first blood. Ultimately, no fireplace is breathed and no lives are misplaced, however the stage has been set on House of the Dragon episode 2.

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Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon episode 2
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

And whereas Otto makes an attempt to object — be it in selecting the knight, and later, Rhaenyra’s presence at Dragonstone — he fails on each accounts in House of the Dragon episode 2. In the primary, he tries to present Rhaenyra a lesson in politics, however she’s not simply swayed. And with the second, it is Rhaenyra who finally ends up giving Otto a lesson in politics. If you are going up towards somebody with a dragon, you higher have one in your nook.

That mentioned, there is a a lot greater and extra vital political lesson in retailer for her on House of the Dragon episode 2. That comes from Viserys’ cousin and The Queen Who Never Was, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best). As Viserys takes a tour across the Red Keep gardens together with her daughter Lena, Rhaenys tells Rhaenyra that her father will remarry somebody or the opposite. And as he fathers new kids, one among them will find yourself being a son. And when Viserys is gone, the realm will anticipate him to be the ruler, not Rhanerya, as a result of “that is the order of things.” Rhaenys sums up patriarchy — additionally foreshadowing what’s to return — as she provides: “Men would sooner put the realm to the torch, than see a woman ascend the Iron Throne.”

And by the top of House of the Dragon episode 2, it is clear that Rhaenyra will not simply be going up towards boys, but in addition her greatest pal. Alicent has been charting her personal means by means of the Red Keep, although as of now, she is not working out of want as a lot as expectation from her father. After the loss of life of Queen Aemma, she’s been having talks with the King which have extra to them, particularly from Viserys’ facet. And after all, she’s sensible sufficient to say the appropriate issues and know what is going to impress him. But she’s additionally stuffed with fear and anxiousness — simply take a look at the state of her fingernails — and it does not assist that the King and her father have simply pitted her towards her greatest pal. Alicent does not wish to destroy their friendship, however she’s being manoeuvred in methods which are exterior her management.

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Paddy Considine as Viserys, Eve Best as Rhaenys, Steve Toussaint as Corlys in House of the Dragon episode 2
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

Picking Hightower over Velaryon goes to value Viserys. Rhaneys tells Rhaenyra when they’re speaking on House of the Dragon episode 2 that her father isn’t any idiot, but that is clearly a silly resolution, on par with some Ned Stark decisions on Game of Thrones, I might argue. Even although he is king, Viserys has his “duties”, and strengthening his line is high of them. Joining the previous homes of Valyria in blood — the Targaryens and the Velaryons — would have been the sensible transfer, as everybody recommended. But in marrying for responsibility, Viserys has made a compromise and completed it half out of affection. (And the truth that the opposite suitor was 12 years previous, youthful than his personal daughter.)

But by selecting Alicent as spouse, Viserys has burnt the bridges he was making an attempt to rebuild each with Rhaenyra, his solely inheritor, and Lord Corlys “Sea Snake” Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), who owns half the fleet’s ships. No marvel then that the Sea Snake turns to Daemon to seek out his price, with the rogue prince doing his personal plotting. House of the Dragon episode 2 leaves us with a promise that it will tackle the Crab Feeder within the close to future, presumably with fireplace and blood.

House of the Dragon episode 2 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India, and HBO Max wherever accessible. New episodes launch each Monday at 6:30am IST/ Sunday at 9pm ET.