The following article contains MAJOR spoilers for House of the Dragon.
Last Sunday’s episode of the HBO hitHouse of the Dragonhad a surprising conclusion, as one of the show’s major characters was killed in what was one of the most epic dragon scenes in the entireGame of Thronesfranchise.Rhaenys Targaryen (played by Eve Best), the Queen Who Never Was, the wife of Lord Corlys, and one of Rhaenyra’s allies in the quest for peace in the Seven Kingdoms, was the victim of a horrendous attack by one of the most lethal dragons in the entire show; Vhagar. Aemond’s dragon viciously attacked her dragon Meleys and beheaded the creature, who succumbed to the ground, bringing Rhaenys' demise along with it.
Best addressed the death of her character while speaking onThe Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon. She said,“Somebody had to plunge in, and somebody had to press the red button, and start the nuclear war, effectively. It became like her final piece of wisdom, like her final gift to Rhaenyra, which is, you know, this is how you are a good leader, this is the way.”
What Happened In House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 4?
In Season 2, Episode 4, titled “The Red Dragon and the Gold”, war is still looming.Rhaenyra has just accepted her fateand will lead her side in a horrific war that, as Alicent Hightower has confirmed, will kill many. Daemon, her partner, is still in Harrenhal trying to fight what’s essentially a period of atonement in which he faces ghosts from the past and the wit of one clever “witch.” He still hasn’t returned to Dragonstone, where everyone expects him to return. In King’s Landing, Aegon is still suffering from his lack of experience and skill to be a formidable king.
House of the Dragon
Taking place about 172 years before the events ofGame of Thrones,House of the Dragontells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.
While sitting among his advisors, the young man is ridiculed by Aemon, his own brother, who suffered Aegon’s own mockery in the previous episode. This sparks a very important conversation in which Alicent shows her true nature. She doesn’t think Aegon is fit to be a king, and she shows it to him. In return, he will do what’s best to prove his worth. He decides to join Ser Criston Cole as he advances his armies in a strategic move that no one seems to understand. Well, at least, in theentirecouncil.
Cole advances on Rook’s Rest, and draws the attention of Rhaenyra, who decides it’s time to act using dragons. The location is proper enough to plan an attack on Cole, and who better thanRhaenys (played by Eve Best), an excellent dragon rider, to carry out the attack? As it turns out, it was all a plan by Cole and Aemond, who have found a way to get together and strategize on their own without the king’s knowledge. Unfortunately, Rhaenys falls into the trap. But then, so does the brave Aegon.
In what was literally a dance between the fire-breathing creatures, Sunfyre, Aegon’s dragon, and Rhaenys' Meleys fight to death with the acidic blood raining down on the innocent soldiers on the ground. Suddenly, Aemond approaches the battling duo with his behemoth pet, Vhagar, and throws a Dracarys at them. This sends Aegon and his dragon down, and both crash down in an explosive setting that will be clarified in the next episode. Meanwhile, Rhaenys is able to escape with a wounded Meleys. Nevertheless, she decides to attack Vhagar in a very quick fight, where the bigger dragon bites Meleys' neck until his head is removed. Rhaenys watches and apologizes to the dying creature, and seconds later, they both fall to their demise.
What Could Rhaenys' Death Mean for the Future in House of the Dragon?
Rhaenys undoubtedly agreed withRhaenyra’s agendaof trying to stop the war, no matter what. If she weren’t, she would have probably burned off everyone during the king’s coronation.Thatwould have stopped everything. Rhaenys was also one of Daemon’s most powerful opponents as, more than once, she was able to control his grip over the queen. But now that she’s gone, what could happen in Dragonstone? Will Daemon go back and finally convince Rhaenyra’s council that they have a shot?
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The future is perhaps controlled by Lord Corlys' decision from now on. Rhaenys usually talked him into trusting Rhaenyra’s path, but she’s gone now, and he’s able to make some decisions of his own. In the past, he’s shown signs of trying to get to the Iron Throne, so maybe he’ll keep trying. Regardless, the episode also revealed Aegon could be about to die (in the previews, we saw he’s not “dead”), and this could change the plans of the Hightowers in King’s Landing. There’s one thing we can agree on: Aemond’s rise to the throne is inevitable because of one simple thing: he has absolute power, and its name is Vhagar.
House of the Dragon’sepisodes are released every Sunday and are available to stream on Max.
