Spoilers for Home of the Dragon season 2, episode 4 forward. On Sunday, July 8, Home of the Dragon gave everybody what they have been ready for. From the fictional lords populating the Inexperienced and Black Councils to sure carnage-hungry followers, numerous voices have been calling for the Recreation of Thrones spinoff to deliver on the motion promised for season 2, because the Targaryens and their dragons face off on the battlefield. In episode 4, “The Pink Dragon and the Gold,” the conflict actually started with the highly-anticipated Battle of Rook’s Relaxation, which ended with each the primary main demise and the primary main cliffhanger of season 2.
The battle begins when Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and the Inexperienced Military assault one of many castles within the crownlands near King’s Touchdown, as a detour on his marketing campaign to retake Harrenhal. Ser Criston (who, regardless of being the worst, is a good tactician) makes use of the fortress as bait to lure out one of many Blacks’ dragons, at which level a hidden Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and his beast Vhagar will emerge and combat. When Princess Rhaenys (Eve Greatest) and her dragon Meleys arrive to assist defend the fortress, Criston sounds a sign for Vhagar to storm in, however they’re interrupted by King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) on his (a lot smaller) dragon Sunfyre. The chief of the Greens flies to battle with out alerting his household, his council, or his military, and subsequently will get smoked.
Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) sits at his Small Council and holds his dagger in Home of the Dragon.
(Picture credit score: Ollie Upton/HBO)
Home of the Dragon had spent episode 4 (and each Aegon scene because the season 2 premiere), setting the muse for this rash act. Even earlier than his son Jaehaerys II was beheaded by Blood and Cheese, he was hungry for bloodshed towards his aunt Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), chief of the Blacks and rival for the throne. Being a brand new king and a horrible strategist, Aegon had no thought what he was doing, and his whole council (together with his mom Alicent, performed by Olivia Cooke) selected to disregard him. Even his new Hand of the King Criston got down to battle as quickly as humanly doable. So, Aegon’s choice to journey into battle himself is a determined seize for respect and deference—gone horribly fallacious.
In the meantime, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) has already been pissed at his older brother Aegon all season. Positive, Aemond’s base state is intimidation, but it surely’s turn out to be clear that he thinks his sibling is an imbecile. In episode 3, there was additionally that scene wherein Aegon tormented Aemond on the brothel. So when Aemond and his beast Vhagar be part of the battle, Aemond chooses to assault Rhaenys and Meleys with none concern about Aegon getting caught within the dragonfire crosshairs. A fatally wounded Sunfyre crashes to the bottom, and several other minutes later, Rhaenys and Meleys additionally crash to their fiery deaths. (R.I.P. Rhaenys, the Queen Who By no means Was.)
Aemond holding Aegon’s dagger after the battle.
(Picture credit score: Theo Whiteman/HBO)
After that confirmed demise, the episode ends with Criston trying to find Aegon and discovering Sunfyre’s crash website. Aemond stands subsequent to it, sword drawn. He quietly picks up Aegon’s fallen dagger and makes use of it to level to his brother’s unmoving physique, framed by the dying dragon. Nevertheless, the episode ends earlier than it is confirmed whether or not the king who sits on the Iron Throne is definitely lifeless. May the Greens have already misplaced their chief within the conflict’s first main battle? The collection needs to maintain this a cliffhanger, however fortunately for impatient followers, George R.R. Martin’s novel Fireplace and Blood has the reply. Main spoilers for Fireplace and Blood forward.
Fireplace & Blood by George R.R. Martin
Miraculously, Aegon does survive a faceful of dragonfire on the Battle of Rook’s Relaxation, the place he suffers “damaged ribs, a damaged hip, and burns that coated half his physique.” As Martin explains, “His left arm was the worst. The dragonflame had burned so sizzling that the king’s armor had melted into his flesh.” Ouch.
Sunfyre additionally survives(!), however he is grounded for a protracted whereas, attributable to Meleys breaking considered one of his wings. The dragon stays close to Rook’s Relaxation to recuperate, with Ser Criston stationing males to guard Sunfyre and sending him sheep to eat, and ultimately, the dragon recovers sufficient to fly once more. Nevertheless, he is just a little off, with one historian later describing him as “an important golden fire-breathing rooster.”
Aegon presides over a Small Council assembly.
(Picture credit score: Ollie Upton/HBO)
So, whereas not lifeless, Aegon’s down for the depend. Per Fireplace and Blood, he stays on mattress relaxation for over a 12 months, sleeping “9 hours out of each 10” and affected by burns that “introduced him such ache that some say he prayed for demise.” He stays king in title, however Aemond takes over as Prince Regent and Protector of the Realm, with Cole remaining as his Hand of the King.
Contemplating conflict stats, the Battle of Rook’s Relaxation cannot be thought-about a win by both aspect; the Greens (briefly) misplaced their king whereas the Blacks misplaced their MVP and largest dragon. The query going ahead is whether or not having Aemond on the throne will flip the tides in both path.
In fact, there’s the dangling query of whether or not HBO’s televised model of the Dance of the Dragons will determine to kill Aegon off in spite of everything. It will be the most important change from Fireplace and Blood but, however Home of the Dragon has already made some huge book-to-film adjustments in season 2 to this point. Additionally, the main Home of the Dragon spoilers that have been included in Recreation of Thrones are imprecise sufficient that the prequel collection may meet its canon conclusion with or with out Aegon. Nonetheless, for the sake of some main story twists going ahead, the collection adaptation will hopefully determine to maintain its plot near the e book.