House of the Dragon Season 2 Premiere Explained

It is time to go back to Westeros! House of the Dragon season 2 has premiered almost two years after the release of the first instalment. One of the biggest questions going into this season of the Game of Thrones prequel show is whether or not it can stand on its own. Judging from the first episode, it has all the makings of a show that can. Starring Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Eve Best and more, the plot focuses on the all-out clash between ‘The Blacks’ who want Rhaenyra on the throne and ‘The Greens’ who support Aegon II’s claim to the throne. It’s safe to say that an impending war looms large for House Targaryen.

Episode 1 titled A Son for a Son takes us into the fallout from the bloody ending of the first season. Within its runtime, the episodes set up some important conflicts while introducing new characters. If you’re having trouble keeping up, here’s a full breakdown of all the important plot points from the House of the Dragon Season 2 premiere.

Enter the Starks

Game of Thrones fans are in for a treat because Winter is Coming and the North is here to remind us. The Starks have officially entered the chat in House of the Dragon. The beginning of the episode takes us straight to the Wall. Harry Collett’s Prince Jacaerys Velaryon has been travelling to rally support for his mother, Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra. His venture takes him to the North where he catches up with Tom Taylor’s Cregan Stark. While there are few manning the Wall and even fewer that might make it through the bitter cold, it looks like the Starks are leaning towards The Blacks as Jacaerys manages to gain the house’s favour.

Rhaenyra is grieving the death of Lucerys



Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys dies in the finale of season 1 (he’s eaten by Aemond Targaryen’s dragon Vhagar) so naturally the main theme of House of the Dragon this season is revenge. And the wannabe queen is well on her way to get it. When we first meet her, she is understandably a mother in grieving. In a heartbreaking scene, she finds her son’s mortal remains in Dragonstone where a fisherman finds a broken dragon wing. But even as she crumbles under the weight of the tragedy, she vows to exact revenge on those she deems responsible, Ewan Mitchell’s Aemond in particular. Of course, Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon is quick to jump into action as we see later in the episode. Another ally for team Black is the Queen who never was, Eve Best’s Rahenys and her husband, Steve Toussaint’s Coryls Velaryon.

King Aegon II's reign 

King Aegon II assumes his spot on the Iron Throne where he begins to attend to business as usual. This includes hearing petitions from the smallfolk while Rhys Ifans’ Ser Otto Hightower rolls his eyes at the questionable decisions he makes ahead of the subjects and sitting on the small council where he undermines the sound suggestions of Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower. It already looks like they’re headed for some internal politics. In one scene foreshadowing what’s to come, Phia Saban’s Helaena says she is afraid, not of the dragons but of the rats in the castle. Aegon II dismisses the peculiar statement made by his young wife and carries on enjoying the powers granted to him as King. 

Blood and Cheese 

Daemon makes his move later in the episode with a cold-blooded ploy. He enlists two assassins, a rat-catcher with access to the Red Keep and a member of the Kingsguard to kill King Aegon II’s son, seeing it as the most befitting response to Lucerys’ violent death. In the books, these assassins are referred to as Blood and Cheese. When they break into the room where the twins - Jaehaerys and Jaehaera Targaryen are sleeping, they ask Helaena at knife-point to tell them which one is the son. When she points to the cradle where Jaeaerys is lying asleep, the men brutally murder the baby.

Well, that escalated quickly. It looks like that isn’t the last of the blood that will be spilt this season. The first episode of House of the Dragon season 2 is currently streaming with new episodes dropping every Monday.

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