House of the Dragon Episode 2 – now on HBO Max and Disney+ Hotstar – is titled “The Wicked Prince”. This clearly refers to Prince Damon Targaryen (Matt Smith), who, after being turned down by his brother King Viserys (Paddy Considine) at the end of Episode 1, has declared himself as the rightful heir to the Iron Throne and Camped at Dragonstone. A bit curious to name the episode after him though. Of all the main characters in the Game of Thrones prequel series, Damon has the least amount of screen time on Episode 2. But it’s also a clever title, something “Fire and Blood” readers will know best. House of the Dragon Episode 2 hints at this as well, with everyone talking about how Viseries should “produce” the new successor. Spoiler alert: He will — and one of them is the evil prince.
It’s been almost six months – as promised, the time jump has begun – since the events of Episode 1, when we pick up House of the Dragon in Episode 2. While Damon has made the boldest move yet, Viserys’ eldest princess, Rainera (Millie Alcock) is now trying to assert herself around the Red Keep, now that she has been named heir. At a small council meeting, where his job is to pour wine, Rainera suggests to his father that he should send Dragonriders to deal with the threat of the Crab Keeper, a new villain who has taken over Stepstone, Dorne’s former It is a chain of islands. West of Westeros and Essos. That would be seen as a show of force, she notes. (This moment actually foreshadows her own actions later in House of the Dragon Episode 2, in which she deals with Damon.)
But the all-male council is not pleased with her “suggestions” and she is quietly thrown out of the small council meeting. Instead, he is asked to participate in the selection of a new knight for the Kingsguard. There too, Rainera tries to assert himself by choosing a knight who had combat experience – Ser Kristen Cole (Fabian Frankel), one of the two new main cast members of House of the Dragon Episode 2 – a more political one. On sensible choice. It is the result of his own desires. Where females are expected to be happy and produce offspring for their husbands, Rainera is more interested in dragon riding and fighting. That’s why she leans forward and asks about Ser Kristen’s adventures in the Dornish swamp.
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Fabian Frankel as Ser Kristen Cole in House of the Dragon Episode 2
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Rainera’s boldest move to assert herself in House of the Dragon Episode 2 sees her acting on his own advice. When the small council learns that Damon has stolen a dragon’s egg, he announces the common-born Lady Massaria (Sonoya Mizuno) as his second wife and invites the king to their wedding. Two days, Viserys decides to confront his brother and go on his own. The Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower (Rice Ifans), pacifies him and tells him to let him go to his place. But Otto fails to see Damon reason, precisely because Damon has no desire to listen to reason. Despite Mysuria and her unborn child being in his presence, he is happy to open his sword and free his dragon Carax.
And were it not for Rainera’s move to demonstrate the force—her entrance with Syrax was truly epic on House of the Dragon Episode 2—Otto would have returned to King’s Landing with his tail between his legs. Even Damon is trapped by Rainyra’s unexpected arrival, with Rainera quickly uncovering his chain of lies. Damon not only has asked Mysuria to be his wife, he has no children in his stomach. Damon was just making it all up. In the end, it is Damon who walks away, reluctantly handing the dragon egg back to Rainera.
A 15 year old girl made love to her uncle, an older man. In a way, it’s the First Dance of the Dragons—the famous Targaryen War of Succession we’re headed toward, called the “Dance of the Dragons” by those who wrote the history books—as we see two Targaryens butt heads. Huh. While a display of their respective force sits on either side of the stage, two Dragonriders wander the arena, waiting for one of them to take out the first blood. Ultimately no fire is put out and no lives are lost, but the stage is set on House of the Dragon Episode 2.
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Matt Smith as Prince Damon Targaryen in House of the Dragon Episode 2
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
And when Otto attempts to object—be it in choosing a knight, and later, Ranera’s appearance at Dragonstone—he fails on both accounts in House of the Dragon Episode 2. In the first, he tries to give Rainera a lesson in politics, but she is not easily swayed. And with the other, it is Rainera who gives Otto a lesson in politics. If you’re going up against someone with a dragon, you better have one in your corner.
That said, House of the Dragon Episode 2 has a much bigger and more important political lesson for him. It comes from Viserys’ cousin and The Queen Who Never Was, Princess Rensis (Eve Best). As Viserys tours the Red Keep gardens with his daughter Lena, Raines tells Renera that her father will remarry someone or something. And as he gives birth to new children, one of them will be a son. And when Viserys is gone, the realm will expect him to be the ruler, not Runearia, because “this is the order of things.” Rainis summed up the patriarchy—also spelling out what was to come—as she adds: “Men will sooner torch this realm than a woman ascending to the Iron Throne.”
And by the end of House of the Dragon Episode 2, it’s clear that Rainera is not only going up against the boys, but her best friend as well. Alicent is making her own way through the Red Keep, though so far, she’s not acting as she expected from her father. After Queen Amma’s death, she is negotiating with the king over what she has, especially on behalf of Viserys. And of course, she is smart enough to say the right things and know what will impress her. But she’s also full of worry and anxiety—just look at the state of her nails—and it doesn’t help that King and her father pit her against her best friend. Alicent doesn’t want to destroy their friendship, but she is being operated on in ways that are beyond her control.
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Paddy Considine as Viserys, Eve Best as Renees, Steve Toussaint as Corliss in House of the Dragon Episode 2
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Taking the hightower over Valerion will cost Viserys. While they’re talking House of the Dragon Episode 2, Rainius tells Renera that his father isn’t a fool, yet it’s clearly a foolish decision, with some Ned Stark choices on Game of Thrones, I will argue Even though he is king, Viserys has his “duties,” and strengthening his line is top of them. Joining the blood in Valeria’s old houses – the Targaryens and the Valyrians – as everyone suggested, would be a smart move. But in marrying for duty, Viserys makes a pact and does it half-heartedly. (And the fact that the second lover was 12 years younger than his own daughter.)
But by choosing Alicent as wife, Viserys burns the bridges he was trying to rebuild with his only heir, Rainera, and Lord Corliss “Sea Snake” Valerian (Steve Toussaint), who is half of the fleet. owns ships. No wonder the sea snake turns to Damon to find his merit, with the evil prince plotting his way. House of the Dragon Episode 2 leaves us with a promise that it will be addressing Crab Feeders in the near future, possibly with fire and blood.
House of the Dragon Episode 2 is now streaming in India on Disney+ Hotstar and HBO Max wherever available. New episodes release every Monday at 6:30 AM IST / Sundays at 9 PM ET.
