‘Home of the Dragon’: The Battle of Rook’s Relaxation Takes Out Extra Targs

Warning: Spoilers forward for Home of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, “A Dance of Dragons.” Do not learn on till you have watched!

House of the Dragon continued the vicious “Dance of Dragons” on Sunday with a pivotal battle seeming to assert the lives of much more central characters. 

After episode 3’s reveal in regards to the late King Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) true alternative of inheritor, the brutal battle between the splintered Targaryen dynasty culminated at episode’s finish when Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) continued his epic streak of questionable choices. After taking Rosby, Stokeworth and Duskendale for the greens, Ser Criston and his military arrived at Rook’s Relaxation, making ready to take the subsequent stronghold on their march in direction of Dragonstone.

The blacks know that they should reply with power, however Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) refuses to let her son, Jacaerys (Harry Collett), lead the cost — as a substitute sending Rhaenys (Eve Best) and her dragon, Meleys.

With Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) questioning his command upon Rhaenys’ arrival, Ser Criston reveals his secret plan. Out of the woods rises the Targaryens’ most formidable dragon, Vhagar, and his rider, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell). 

Nevertheless, a wrench is nearly instantly thrown within the plan as a drunken and reckless King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) additionally exhibits up on dragon again — desirous to show himself after a disquieting dialog along with his mom, Queen Regent Alicent (Olivia Cooke). 

Sunfyre and Meleys start to spar, nonetheless, when Aemond takes flight on Vhagar, he goals his dragonfire indiscriminately, declaring “Dracarys!” in direction of each his enemy and his brother, the king.

Vhagar blasts a flame at each of his fellow dragons and their riders, knocking Aegon and Sunfrye right into a patch of smoking woods, whereas Rhaenys and Meleys proceed to fly. The 2 remaining dragons lock in a dying spiral and fall to the bottom, knocking out lots of the advancing troops — together with Ser Criston himself. 

Nevertheless, as Rhaenys and Meleys return to the sky, surveying the battlefield, Aemond and Vhagar take them abruptly as soon as once more, with the Queen of All Dragons snatching and beheading her smaller counterpart, inflicting Meleys and Rhaenys to plummet to their deaths.

In contrast to Vhagar’s killing of Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon, Arrax, in House of the Dragon’s season 1 finale, it is clear that this slaying was intentional on Aemond’s half as he flies away, smirking. However to what finish?

That query is left open-ended as a newly-conscious Ser Criston hikes away from his assumed victory at Rook’s Relaxation and in direction of the still-smoking space of the forest the place Sunfyre fell. Upon arriving, he sees Aemond drawing his sword, solely sheathing it when he calls out his title. 

“The place is His Grace?” the Hand of the King asks Aemond, who factors to the fallen dragon — curled across the king’s physique.

So, how does this episode evaluate to the characters’ destiny in George R. R. Martin’s sequence of books? And what does all of it imply?

The Battle of Rook’s Relaxation performs out in largely comparable style in Fireplace & Blood with one notable distinction being that Aegon was a part of Ser Criston’s secret plan of assault all alongside. Within the present, the shock when he arrives appears to point that Aegon took it upon himself to fly out and take part within the battle.

Aemond’s betrayal can be made extra express within the present — significantly the second Ser Criston noticed, the place he brandished a sword over his fallen brother and king, maybe that means to complete the job?

In Fireplace & Blood, Aegon doesn’t die from the battle, however is left gravely wounded, leaving Aemond to take over as regent for a lot of months whereas his brother recovers. Was that the youthful brother’s plan all alongside?

Rhaenys’ destiny, nonetheless, appears to be set, because the Battle of Rook’s Relaxation can be the place the Queen That By no means Was dies within the ebook sequence. When ET spoke with Best ahead of the season, she clearly could not tease something about her date, however did trace on the intense moments to come back, sharing, “There’s various dragon driving that I used to be in no way ready for bodily or emotionally.” 

At Home of the Dragon‘s season 2 premiere, showrunner Ryan Condal instructed ET how the present’s inventive teamed deliberate to remain as trustworthy as doable to Martin’s historical past of Home Targaryen as they explored the household dynasty that dominated the seven kingdoms of Westeros a whole bunch of years earlier than the occasions of Game of Thrones.

“There are completely different calls for within the present on condition that it is an adaptation of a historical past ebook,” he stated. “However the plan is to faithfully render George’s historical past as it has been given within the textual content.”

New episodes of Home of the Dragon season 2 premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. PT/ET on HBO and streaming on Max.

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