The House of the Dragon season, episode 2 was released on the weekend. The following contains spoilers.
King Aegon reacts with grief, and violence after the suspected murder of his heir Jaehaerys, destroying property and declaring war on Rhaenyra, whom he blames for the assassination.
Ser Criston Cole, driven by guilt and sexual frustration towards Rhaenyra, attempts to assassinate her but is appointed as Aegon's Hand despite his failures.
Otto Hightower and Alicent Hightower suggest framing Rhaenyra for Jaehaerys' murder to gain public support, despite Aegon's initial reservations.
Jaehaerys' body is paraded through the streets in a funeral procession orchestrated by Otto to incite hatred towards Rhaenyra.
Daemon Targaryen's potential involvement in Jaehaerys' murder is hinted at, straining his relationship with Rhaenyra.
An intense battle to the death between identical twin knights Erryk and Arryk Cargyll occurs, with Erryk joining Rhaenyra's Queensguard and Arryk remaining loyal to Aegon.
Rhaenyra confronts Daemon about his potential involvement in Jaehaerys' murder, leading to tensions and Daemon's departure to prepare for war.
Alicent grieves the death of her child and rejects Otto's attempts to comfort her, even slapping Ser Criston after finding him in her bed.
Ser Criston orders Ser Arryk to assassinate Rhaenyra, but the plan fails due to the intervention of Mysaria and Erryk.
Aemond, struggling with regret and deeper emotions, shares a vulnerable moment with a sex worker.
Sources include NPR, The New York Times, CNN, Forbes, Esquire, ClutchPoints, DM Talkies, The Daily Beast, USA Today, HeadTopics, Tech Advisor, and Lifestyle Yahoo.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
