Season 2, Episode 1 : NPR

It is a recap of the latest episode of HBO’s Home of the Dragon. It incorporates spoilers. That’s what a recap is.

Welcome again to sunny Westeros, the place the fire-breathing dragons run free and the serfs are nervous. For those who need assistance re-orienting your self to the place issues stand, vis-a-vis precisely whose noble kiester now sits the Iron Throne and exactly which royal chump bought his idiot self royally chomped, right here’s a helpful refresher. And in case you’re in want of a fair deeper dive, listed here are the recaps for each season 1 episode. Let’s get to it.

Model new season 2 credit! Each the Sport of Thrones and the Home of the Dragon season 1 credit featured elaborate clockwork mechanisms that both telegraphed the place a given episode’s motion would happen (GoT) or helpfully traced the Targaryen bloodline over a number of generations — with literal blood (HotD).

We’ve switched to embroidery for season 2. I’m gonna go forward and conjecture that what we’re seeing right here is the handiwork of Queen Helaena, who’s at all times stitching one thing or one other. Definitely looks as if an all-consuming venture, stuffed with pictures so violent and actually blood-soaked they make the Bayeux Tapestry seem like your grandma’s “Bless this Mess” cross-stitch sampler. Perhaps that’s why Helaena at all times appears so distracted — it’s not centuries of Targaryen inbreeding, my lady is simply hyperfocused!

As to what the credit-embroidery really depicts, that there’s the Targaryen Dynasty in all its bloody, ignoble glory. Name it the “Die, you!” Tapestry.

First we get the Doom of Valyria, whereby the Targaryen household’s ancestral homeland throughout the Slender Sea was destroyed by fires and earthquakes. Subsequent we see Aegon’s Conquest, through which the Targaryens who’d left Valyria earlier than its destruction to take up residence on the island of Dragonstone proceeded to invade and conquer Westeros. We see Aegon I, aka Aegon the Conqueror; he’s the man who united the Seven Kingdoms and constructed the Iron Throne, the Purple Preserve and King’s Touchdown about 130 years earlier than the occasions of this season of Home of the Dragon. Subsequent we see the kings who got here after him – Aenys, Maegor (the dude with the blade at his neck), Jaehaerys (contentedly holding up a sword alongside his queen, Alysanne) and poor lifeless Viserys, glowering out at us, flanked by the assorted scheming members of his royal household who’re posing like they’re at an Olan Mills.

Subsequent we get stuff we noticed occur again in season 1: Alicent in her inexperienced robe, the royal wedding ceremony of Laenor and Rhaenyra. Then we see the schism that Home of the Dragon is all about — on the left, Aegon II on the Iron Throne; on the precise, Rhaenrya on her throne at Dragonstone. Lastly, we see the triggering act of the Dance of the Dragons — Aemond, astride Vhagar, chomping Lucerys and his dragon Arrax to bits over Shipbreaker Bay.

The North remembers. In case you forgot.

A raven flies north. A magnificence shot of Winterfell. And a Stark’s voice over all of it, whanging on about Responsibility and Honor, as is their wont, in that acquainted accent clotted with thick Northern dipthongs. It looks like Homecoming Week, Westeros-style.

Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) and Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) stroll and speak on the Wall.

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The voice and claggy vowels in query, this outing, belong to Cregan Stark, who’s Lord of Winterfell lately. He’s visiting the Wall, and taking an elevator trip as much as its fashionable rooftop bar, alongside Jacaerys — brother of the just lately dragon-chomped Lucerys, son of Queen Rhaenyra. Jacaerys is on a mission — he reminds Cregan of his oath to defend the realm, and asks for Northern troopers to rally to his mom’s trigger and defeat the usurpers. Cregan agrees to ship a bunch of aged troopers; no sooner has Jacaerys accepted this provide than he receives phrase of his brother’s dying.

Reduce to: Dragonstone. The good and good and at all times proper Princess Rhaenys returns from patrolling Workforce Black’s blockade of the bay that’s reducing King’s Touchdown off from meals and provides.

She parks (moors?) her dragon Meleys at a form of dragon loading dock – a brand new set created for season 2! She’s met by Daemon, who desires her to saddle again up to allow them to fly to King’s Touchdown collectively and take out Vhagar, the dragon that killed Prince Lucerys. Daemon additionally complains that the Queen’s been neglecting her duties, having disappeared as quickly as she heard about Lucerys’s dying. Rhaenys tells Daemon that the Queen must see her son’s physique for herself. He tries to get just a few digs in about her failure to remove the Greens when she had an opportunity to, as a result of Daemon gotta Daemon. She refuses each to take the bait, and to accompany him on his vendetta, citing exhaustion. (As a consequence of Rhaenys’ utter and abiding fabulousness, stated exhaustion manifests as a barely windburned cheek and single stray strand of white wig hair.) Rhaenys heads to her chambers to wash and relaxation, as a result of the warfare will wait, however self-care is not going to.

We don’t have to attend to determine the place Queen Rhaenrya disappeared to. She’s landed close to Storm’s Finish, residence of Home Baratheon, the place Lucerys departed from simply earlier than struggling homicide-by-dragonjaw. She gazes at it intently.

On Driftmark, residence of Rhaenyra’s allies Home Velaryon, a recovering Lord Corlys inspects the repairs to his navy’s flagship. He exchanges just a few phrases with Alyn, a shipworker. Alyn mentions his brother Addam. For those who assume this complete dialog appeared weirdly weighted with unstated that means, you’re not incorrect. Watch this area.

Small Council, massive issues

Swap to Workforce Inexperienced. On the Purple Preserve, Ser Arryk walks the battlements. (Keep in mind: Arryk helps Aegon, whereas his twin Erryk helps Rhaenyra. Brother in opposition to brother! Ken Burns would plotz!) When a dragon is noticed, the troopers put together to defend the fort with scorpions. Which, simply to be clear, are big crossbow-thingies. If once you learn “defend the fort with scorpions” simply now, you pictured a bunch of troopers pelting the dragon with mean-tempered-by-nature arachnids, put that proper out of your thoughts.

As soon as they see that the dragon in query is hoary previous Vhagar, flown by Aemond, they stand down. (This scene exists to indicate us that Workforce Inexperienced is aware of they’re working at a definite dragon deficit, and have been planning accordingly.)

King Aegon the Aess enters his sister-wife Helaena’s room, the place one in all their twins, the lady Jaehaera, performs by the hearth. Heleana appears to be like up from her embroidery (see what I imply? In regards to the stitching?) lengthy sufficient to inform Aegon that their different twin Jaehaerys, who’s Aegon’s inheritor, is within the library. Additionally that she’s frightened in regards to the rats within the Purple Preserve. Look, I’ve been telling you and telling you that there’s a narrative motive why virtually each character in season 1 talked about the rattling rats at one time or one other. The payoff is coming. Not lengthy now. Maintain tight.

Dowager Queen Alicent and Criston Cole are collectively in her bedchamber, doing that factor that two folks do collectively in bedchambers that isn’t sleeping or scrolling on their telephones.

On the Small Council, it’s Convey Your Inheritor to Work Day, as Aegon encourages Li’l Jaehaerys to humiliate the obsequious Ser Tyland Lannister. These hijinks may distract you from the necessary data being conveyed on this scene, specifically that: They haven’t but heard if the North (Home Stark) or the Vale (Home Arryn) will be a part of their facet (spoiler: they gained’t). However they do have the Stormlands (Home Baratheon) behind them, and the Westerlands (Home Lannister) and the Attain (Home Hightower). Within the Riverlands, nonetheless, many Lords of that realm are flying Rhaenyra’s banner.

Aegon, predictably, desires to burn the Riverlords to ash, beginning with Lord Tully at Riverrun; Alicent and Otto, equally predictably, urge endurance.

Lord Larys stops Alicent on her method out of the assembly and informs her that A: He is aware of about her and Cole, and B: He’s slaughtered the spies amongst her servants who have been feeding data to Mysaria (bear in mind her? The White Worm?).

Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) gazes into the depths.

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Again to the shores of Shipbreaker Bay: Rhaenyra finds the stays of her son Lucerys and his dragon Arrax – and terrifies some locals within the course of.

“The taxation of commerce routes to outlying star methods is a supply of dispute …”

Within the Nice Corridor of the Purple Preserve, Aegon II will get all the way down to the boring enterprise of truly ruling a kingdom, however his each edict is quietly countermanded by Otto, who’s all about practicality and the wants of the realm and taxes and consuming his broccoli and managing his 401k and simply usually pumping the brakes on Aegon’s willfulness. That is observed by Larys, who vegetation the seed in Aegon’s tiny, tiny thoughts that maybe he ought to select a Hand of the King who’s much less of a irritating fuddy-duddy; somebody extra in step with Aegon’s daring imaginative and prescient for a brand new Westeros.

Take note of the blacksmith on this scene who petitions Aegon to pay up already for the weapons he’s cast. That’s Hugh; he’ll be again.

Alicent upbraids Otto for undercutting her on the Small Council; they proceed to debate Aegon and Aemond as in the event that they’re only a coupla impetuous little scamps who’ll develop up, relax and see motive quickly sufficient. It’s not working; you may inform that neither actually believes this, and are each desperately attempting to determine their respective roles on this new, wantonly violent Aegon Period.

Workforce Black once more: Lord Erryk finds Mysaria (she’s again) stowing away on a ship and brings her earlier than her previous lover Daemon. He’s livid at her for promoting secrets and techniques to Otto, however she professes to being unconcerned with the bizarre little reindeer video games performed by the Excessive Homes. Erryk asks Daemon to deal with her kindly, which causes Daemon to put into Erryk for not killing Aegon when he had the possibility. Erryk, being a educated knight, neatly parries this verbal thrust by mentioning that he was sworn to defend each member of the royal household, and as soon as they began turning on one another, his oath was rendered deeply, unresolvably moot.

Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria.

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Daemon’s not one to concede some extent, however he’s spared from having to take action when Rhaenyra returns. She makes her approach to the Painted (not really Painted, technically Glowing) Desk and receives updates: Daemon desires to fly to Harrenhal within the Riverlands and shore up the Riverlords’ help. Corlys’s naval blockade is stopping any provides from attending to King’s Touchdown by sea. They await her orders.

Rhaenyra’s solely bought one – it’s the one and solely line Emma D’Arcy will get on this episode, and so they promote the hell out of it: “I would like Aemond Targaryen.”

Daemon convinces Mysaria to provide him with details about the inside workings of the Purple Preserve in trade for her freedom. There’s a fleeting second when the present appears to recommend that Daemon will attempt to rekindle their relationship, however Mysaria, a girl who’s bought her head on shoulders (at the very least for now) is having none of it.

Jacaerys and his cheekbones return from his recruitment drive, reporting that the Vale is with them, as is the North, earlier than breaking down and needing a hug from his mommy. Aw. They grieve for Lucerys collectively.

The Aegony and the … extra Aegony

Again in King’s Touchdown, Alicent lights candles for the lifeless within the Grand Sept. She even lights one for Lucerys, which is – virtually actually! – the very, very, very least she will be able to do.

Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and her candles.

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In the meantime, on Dragonstone, Rhaenyra and her court docket stand vigil round Lucerys’s funeral pyre. At one level Jacaerys hoists his brown-haired youthful brother in his arms. That’s Joffrey Velaryon, he’ll be necessary later. (Additionally current, additionally necessary: The 2 children Rhaenrya had with Daemon. They’re full-blooded Targaryens, and so they’ve bought platinum hair to indicate for it. Maddeningly, their names are Aegon and Viserys, which is complicated, however put that apart for now; we don’t have to fret about them fairly but.)

King’s Touchdown. The again entrance. Synchronize your hourglasses, folks, as a result of Daemon’s fixing to place Operation: I Need Aemond Targaryen into impact.

He sneaks into King’s Touchdown by bribing a burly soldier of his acquaintance who, within the ebook anyway, is named Blood. Collectively they rent one of many Purple Preserve’s ratcatchers to guide Blood into the fort via secret, rat-infested corridors. This ratcatcher? Based on the ebook? Is named Cheese.

Yep. Blood and Cheese. Weirdest vaudeville act ever. Or the title of a grim n’ gritty Wallace & Gromit reboot. Or the results of a ghastly industrial accident in Camembert, France. Blood and Cheese, people!

Cheese asks Daemon what they need to do if they’ll’t discover Aemond. The scene cuts away earlier than his reply, which doesn’t appear even remotely ominous or something.

Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell).

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Someplace within the Purple Preserve, Aemond is making battle plans with Criston Cole. Their plan — to march an awesome host out of King’s Touchdown, with Vhagar as air cowl, forcing the close by castles to facet with King Aegon II. Aemond frets that Queen Alicent and Ser Otto stay too keen to hunt peace.

Otto exhibits up and, none too happy to see them plotting, urges Daemon to “hold a grip in your impulses.” Which is a bit of like urging the grass to perhaps deprioritize this complete “rising” agenda it appears so invested in.

Cheese leads Blood into the Purple Preserve. They’re not notably stealthy, as they enter into the Nice Corridor, the place a drunk King Aegon II is, somewhat unwisely, reclining on the famously pointy and rusty Iron Throne, surrounded by the Westerosi equivalents of Turtle, Drama and E.

Collectively Blood and Cheese make their approach to the ground the place the royal household lives, by way of a secret door within the room that Aemond and Cole have been simply plotting in. (This room appears to be Rhaenyra’s previous bedchamber – it’s this similar secret door that Daemon used to spirit younger Rhaenyra out into the streets of King’s Touchdown, final season.).

Cheese captures Queen Helaena, holding a knife to her throat. Blood reminds him that Daemon’s orders have been to take Aemond’s head – “A son for a son, he stated.”

Cheese factors out that the twins – the lady Jaehaera and the boy Jaehaerys, inheritor to the Iron Throne – are asleep on this very room. They ask Helaena which ones’s the boy. She (ultimately) factors. Blood suspects she’s mendacity – “She’d by no means hand over the King’s inheritor so simply!” – however Cheese can see that she’s telling the reality. So emotionally clever, that’s our man Cheese for you.

They then proceed to kill and behead younger Jaehaerys (Notice: We don’t see this, however then we don’t actually need to, because the present’s Foley crew goes full ham on the sound results thereof. Kudos, I suppose?) Helaena sweeps the still-alive and still-fully-headed twin Jaehaera up in her arms and flees. She makes her method via the completely (Utterly! Totally! Inexcusably!) guard-free hallways, to Alicent’s bedchamber, the place the Queen is busily, um, conferring with Criston Cole.

“They killed the boy,” Helaena says, within the exactly the identical method you and I’d say, “The caesar salad with rooster, please.”

Parting Ideas

• For those who assume that Lucerys’ physique washing up on shore, and Rhaenyra so simply managing to search out it, by some means strains credulity, I remind you that you’re watching a present on which flying, fire-breathing dragons determine largely.
• What are we to make of Helaena’s giving up her son Jaehaerys so rapidly? She definitely appears to see her brother-husband Aegon for who he’s. Perhaps she noticed an opportunity to finish his bloodline? To, briefly at the very least, “break the wheel?” 
• Within the ebook, Helaena’s selection is a little more difficult, in that it includes a 3rd child, Maelor, not current within the present. Finish consequence’s the identical, nonetheless.
• King Aegon II is completely repellent, sure – however Tom Glynn-Carney is having a number of enjoyable with him, so I’m too.
• I like that we’re attending to see extra of Dragonstone this season. But it surely’s nonetheless not sufficient; holding out for an Architectural Digest tour.
• Actually thought the Blood and Cheese stuff would play out final season, however I’ve to confess it’s a hell of a approach to kick off season 2. The homicide of Jaehaerys will forged an extended shadow over all eight episodes of this season … and past.