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House of the Dragon’s Season 2 series premiere has a poetic name: “A Son for a Son.” It airs on June 16 at 9/8c on HBO and its streaming service Max. The episode is directed by Alan Taylor, who has previously directed forGame of Thrones. Taylor is the director of the famedGame of ThronesSeason 1 episodes 9 and 10, namely, “Baelor” and “Fire and Blood” among others. He also serves as the Executive Producer forHouse of the Dragon.
“A Son for a Son” is a befitting description of the intrigue and machinations thatHouse of the Dragon- Season 2 premiere is made of. Daemon Targaryen, who coins the phrase in lore, finds it the proper punishment code that must be meted out against the offending camp - the Greens. In simple words, it is the punishment equal in kind to the offense that the Blacks will serve to avenge Lucerys' death. ThatHouse of the Dragon- Season 2chooses to open with “A Son for a Son,” or the Blood and Cheese plot, signifies the profound moral depravity, and the end of peace efforts that were made mainly by Alicent Hightower. Here are the key details aboutHouse of the DragonSeason 2, Episode 1.
A Quick Recap OfHouse of the DragonSeason 1, Episode 10: “The Black Queen”
What Happens InHouse Of The DragonSeason 1 Finale?
Knowing full well that the Seven Kingdoms (actually Six) are split between her camp and the Greens, Queen Rhaenyra considered renouncing her position as her father’s heir. She wished to know her allies before declaring war and sent her eldest son, and heir, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon to Winterfell and the Vale to seek an alliance with the two Kingdoms. She also dispatched her second son, Lucerys Velaryon, to the nearbyBaratheon seat of Storm’s End, hoping to gain Lord Borros as an ally, should it come to war. Knowing that this war of succession could be a real catastrophe if the Greens and the Blacks were to take their dragons to war, she briefly considered suing for peace. But things changed when Aemond Targaryen, on behalf of the Greens, struck first by eliminating his nephew, Lucerys above Shipbreaker Bay.
Prince Lucerys had an unlucky run-in with Aemond Targaryen, at Storm’s End. Lord Borros sided with the Baratheons and the Greens and asked Lucerys to return home. Aemond, atop Vhagar, chased after Luce and caused his and his dragon Arrax’s deaths. These two deaths took place inthe final minutes of the Season 1 finale, and Rhaenyra’s husband, Daemon, delivered the news to her. Her face was frozen in a grimace of pain, and the rictus confirmed her change of stance. Rhaenyra remained unsure about the contentious issue of whether to embroil her people in the war of succession between her and Aegon II. In the end, she gave a terrifying rictus to the camera, signaling the onset of war.
The war of succession, or the Dance of the Dragons, will kill thousands, bring dragons to their death, destroy cities and towns, and jeopardize the realm’s future. What’s worse is that House Targaryen will be incapacitated to deal with the threat arising from the North, i.e.,Aegon’s Song of Ice and Fire.
What Does “A Son for a Son” Mean?
The various excerpts inHouse of the Dragon- Season 2 teaser trailer,the Official Blackand Green Trailers, andthe Final Trailerspeak volumes about Rhaenyra’s bereavement experience. The show previously took a slight deviation from lore, in that, Daemon writes to Rhaenyra from Harrenhal, promising vengeful justice/retaliation for Aemond’s heinous act. He sends a raven to Dragonstone, exclaiming:
An eye for an eye, a son for a son. Lucerys shall be avenged.
Daemon’s promise is the approval of the Blood and Cheese plot and the inspiration behindHouse of the Dragon’s Season 2 debut episode.
Who Are Blood And Cheese?
Blood and Cheese are the aliases of two assassinsMysaria sends to the Red Keepto murder Aegon II and Helaena Targaryen’s firstborn son and heir, the six-year-old Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen. Martin’s work doesn’t use the assassins' real names but describes Blood as a butcher and a sacked serjeant of the City Watch and Cheese, a ratcatcher familiar with the hidden tunnels that lead inside the Keep.
Upon infiltrating the Red Keep, Blood and Cheese head straight to the Tower of the Hand and enter Alicent Hightower’s chambers. They await Helaena and her twins (three children in lore) who per usual practice, visit the Dowager Queen at dusk. Queen Helaena, the twins, Jaehaerys, and Jaehaera, and the youngest, Maelor, become the target of Blood and Cheese’s ire. Blood and Cheese identify as"debt collectors"and ask Helaena to choose one of her sons she wants dead. Overwhelmed with threats, Helaena names two-year-old Maelor, but Blood beheads Jaehaerys instead. The assassins flee with the Prince’s head,evoking a piercing scream from Helaena.
House of the DragonSeason 2: Release Schedule, Episode List
House of the Dragon- Season 2 has8 episodes in total. New episodes drop every Sunday on HBO and Max in the US and every Monday on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK.
House of the Dragon- Season 2
Written by
Directed By
House of the DragonSeason 2, Episode 1
June 16 at 6:00 PM Pacific/9:00 PM Eastern on HBO and Max 2:00 AM BST on June 17 on Sky and NOW
“A Son for a Son”
House of the DragonSeason 2, Episode 2
“TBA”
House of the DragonSeason 2, Episode 3
House of the DragonSeason 2, Episode 4
“A Dance of Dragons”
House of the DragonSeason 2, Episode 5
House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 6
House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 7
House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 8 (Season Finale)
Geeta Vasant Patel
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is HBO’s prequel series to Game of Thrones. Set hundreds of years earlier, the show follows the inner machinations and rivalries of the Targaryen royal family. The show was created by Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin, and stars Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, and Olivia Cooke.
