Summary of Season 2, Episode 4 of “House of the Dragon”: Deception and Death in Dragon Land

After last week House of the Dragonthe tension of that secret sept meeting remained. It was brave enough for Rhaenyra to just walk in, brokering the entire operation through Mysaria’s whispers, leaving her advisory council lost in their endless discussions of strategy. But what really stuck was how Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke played it. The shock of that first contact as it gave way to the shared intimacy of their past lives as friends before a total collapse into the personal and political realities of the current schism. Death was definitely a participant in Rhaenyra and Alicent’s dialogue. But what will be expected from HOT Season 2, Episode 4 is all about dying at full volume as dragons and their riders charge at each other like beasts on a traditional battlefield. In the old days, you could bring your own battering ram, outlast your target’s archers, and breach a castle’s defenses. But winning a battle with siege weapons, infantry, and cavalry isn’t so easy when there are no fewer than three dragons battling in the sky. The Battle of Rook’s Rest is pure spectacle and promises to be a thrill. But its outcome has massive implications for the rule of Westeros and the deadly dramas of this fantasy world that we can’t stop watching.

But first! Milly Alcock returns to HOT as the ghost of Rhaenyra Past, and she puts into words the thoughts Daemon doesn’t want to deal with. “You created me,” she tells him, sitting on a version of the Iron Throne. “And yet now you’re out to destroy me. And all because your brother loved me more than you.” This final jibe causes Daemon to draw his sword and strike down the ghost, but it’s clear that Harrenhal has played him. At night, he is lured from his bedchamber by visions of himself crossed with Aemond and his eyepatch. And he meets the mysterious Alys Rivers as she brews potions and predicts further dangers. Does Daemon even know that the bed he sleeps in is made from the wood of a heart tree? Dripping walls and prophecy! Harrenhal doesn’t treat Daemon well. Nor has he managed to rally any forces to the Black cause. It’s like Larys Strong says at the council in the Red Keep. “Harrenhal is more crippled than I am, Your Grace.” And it could well drive Daemon mad.

What sibling hasn’t switched to High Valyrian, that beautiful old language, to more effectively spite their brother for being out of his element as a military ruler? “Have you a smarter strategy, my king? If so, you should share it with your council.” It’s an open challenge to Aegon II’s authority and position, made worse by the fact that Aemond is already making tactical moves with Ser Criston Cole, and he knows Aegon’s mastery of High Valyrian is limited. Later, in her chambers, Alicent will also highlight Aegon’s impulsiveness and naivety. The inaugurated king can’t just drink this problem away. Taunting a naked Aemond in a brothel doesn’t diminish his brother’s power. Aegon sees only one way to properly cement his authority. He will seek glory by donning the armor of Aegon the Conqueror, jumping onto Sunfire, and joining Ser Criston Cole’s forces as they rampage through the Riverlands. As it turns out, that decision is… hasty.

“Either I win my claim or I die.”

“The significance of Viserys’ intentions died with him.”

These two statements from members of the royal family of two warring parties prove that after the failed diplomacy of their secret sept meeting, any reservations Rhaenyra and Alicent still had about a Westerosian war of succession have evaporated. In the Red Keep, Alicent sips medicinal moon tea – is it Ser Criston’s baby that she wants nothing to do with? – while on Dragonstone, Rhaenyra decides to send Rhaenys and her dragon veteran Meleys to the besieged Rook’s Rest to support Lord Staunton. “I inherited 80 years of peace from my father. Before I could end it, I had to know there was no other way. Now I know.” But Rhaenyra also shares a song of ice and fire with Prince Jacaerys. A dream of union and protection that is passed on from king to heir. Last week, she removed dragon eggs and the Targaryen babies from the valley for protection. This week, she shares an important generational secret with her heir. Rhaenyra prepares, knowing that the casualties in this war are ever-increasing and no one is safe from harm.

And now for the battle. Cole and Aemond have slyly planned a broad-daylight attack on Rook’s Rest as a decoy. But while the castle’s proximity to Dragonstone brings Rhaenys into battle on Meleys – one second you’re a mercenary pushing a battering ram, the next you’re molten human mush – Aemond ignores Cole’s signal to come out of cover. He waits with Vhagar in the forest when a brisk Aegon II appears on Sunfyre, whom Rhaenys immediately attacks, and Meleys’ claws tear the smaller dragon’s throat. His impulsive decision to fight has completely overwhelmed Aegon. But Aemond will not be his brother’s savior. Instead, he tries to incinerate him. Vhagar does not hesitate to send a blast of flames at Sunfyre and Meleys. And as the badly wounded Aegon II and his destroyed dragon crash and burn in the forest, Rhaenys and Meleys penetrate the smoke of the battlefield, only to be surprised by Aemond and his giant mount.

Before she flew to war this time, Rhaenys deliberately touched Alyn of Hull’s face in Driftmark. Almost like a mother would. “I know who he is,” she said emphatically to Lord Corlys. But the short scene remained questionable. Was it simply because Alyn had saved Corlys in a sea battle? Or because she knew he meant more to her husband? We will have to see what Lord Corlys Velaryon does next, because Rhaenys, the queen who never was and a talented dragon rider of yore, will not survive this dance of dragons alive. One of the coolest characters in House of the Dragonplayed with dignity and grace by Eve Best, one of the first clues of this war-torn season is that we shouldn’t become attached to any of these people.

Hot D’s:

• Now that we’re at war with all these dragons in flight, it’s incredibly cool to take in the details in each rider’s style and saddle. We’ve already caught a glimpse of Daemon in full armor on Caraxes, and when Lady Baela pursued Cole and Gwayne on Moondancer, her crossbow was visible, strapped on at the ready. When Rhaenys fights Sunfyre and Vhagar, we see the metal buckles and stiff leather straps that keep her in the saddle. Rhaenys’ saddle setup and personal armor are contrasted with Aemond, who might as well be riding Vhagar bareback. It’s a testament to his dragon’s enormous size, which is a plus for defense. But it must also be a matter of style for the cocky one-eyed prince, right? At Aegon II’s crash site, his brother doesn’t say a word. But Aemond fishes the famous Valyrian steel catspaw dagger from the bubbling, burnt flesh of a king and his dragon.

• Ser Gwayne Hightower appears to have survived the battle at Rook’s Rest. But just before both sides released their dragons, the Dowager Queen’s brother had his usual argument with Ser Criston Cole. “Tired of life?” Gwayne, who obviously had to know the real battle plan, rightly called for a frontal assault in broad daylight. They don’t seem to like each other. What role Gwayne will play in Cole’s further tactical plans will certainly change with the latest bloody developments.

Johnny Loftus (@glennganges) is a freelance writer and editor based in the Chicago area. His work has appeared in The Village Voice, All Music Guide, Pitchfork Media, and Nicki Swift.