‘Home of the Dragon’ Season 2 Premiere Recap: Daemon’s Massive Mistake

The primary episode of season two picks up shortly after that occasion, discovering Rhaenyra searching for out the stays of her son, the Greens strategizing, and Daemon making some extraordinarily poor choices that push the 2 factions nearer to all-out warfare.

Beneath, Enterprise Insider reporters Eammon Jacobs and Palmer Haasch and senior leisure editor Caralynn Matassa recap all the key occasions of the season premiere.

The opening credit had been modified for season 2

Caralynn: These credit are new, proper?

Eammon: Need to say I do just like the embroidery model over the board sport strategy.

Palmer: I actually just like the bleeding ink. Plus it feels thematically extra according to the entire “this can be a historic textual content” side of all of it.

A chilly (very chilly) open within the North, that includes… a Stark!

Eammon: Ah, the over-the-top northern accent. Because the group’s personal northerner, I can verify it’s dumb.

Caralynn: Is that this bowl-cut child who will get picked to go to the wall presupposed to be somebody? They hold reducing to him in a manner that feels purposeful, and on the “even by mine personal kin” line…. Are they making an attempt to suggest he is some type of essential Stark? Is that this a guide factor I am not getting?

Palmer: It is a web constructive intro for Cregan, at the least for me. Him versus Jacaerys is a really humorous juxtaposition. Jace is type of humorous (does not know his brother has been brutally killed by Vhagar), however Cregan is soooooo severe.

Caralynn: This complete scene feels extraordinarily “Sport of Thrones” fan servicey. “The Starks!!! ‘Memba them???”

Palmer: I agree, particularly having simply placed on season one among “Sport of Thrones.” As soon as once more, the complete “Southerners do not know something concerning the North” schtick! However much less enjoyable with out Tyrion Lannister.

I’ll say although, I do not hate it — I believe it is good to do some check-in with the prophecy/higher scope of the universe earlier than we get actually into it.

Caralynn: Extraordinarily true! A great reminder of the true stakes right here, aka, ice zombies.

Rhaenys v. Daemon

Caralynn: That is my favourite scene of the primary episode. I really like Rhaenys being deeply unimpressed by Daemon and all his posturing.

Palmer: I recognize that Rhaenys is among the individuals who has zero need to take Daemon’s shit.

Eammon: “Meleys should gorge and relaxation.” Temper.

Caralynn: Gotta say, it was extraordinarily useful modifying your dragon roundup proper earlier than this, Eammon.

Palmer: I recognize Rhaenys a lot right here — I do not suppose there’s any misplaced love between Rhaenys and Rhaenyra, and do not imagine that she’s absolutely absolved Rhaenyra of Laenor’s faux demise, however she additionally very intimately is aware of what it feels wish to lose the kid. Particularly when Daemon was tangential to each of her kids’s deaths.

Corlys talks to a beginner who appears essential

Caralynn: That is a kind of issues that was powerful for me with “Sport of Thrones” too — the place they’re clearly introducing a personality who’s gonna be essential down the road (Alyn, right here) however I really feel like I am lacking one thing as a non-book reader.

Palmer: Sure. It is a good introduction for Alyn, however jogs my memory of one thing that typically does irk me about this collection — it is so troublesome to maintain up with characters that the present is signposting as plot related however we can’t determine what is going on on with them for some time.

Helaena and Aegon’s alternate foreshadows what is going to occur on the finish of the episode

Palmer: Oh right here we go, even worse. Arryk vs. Erryk. Which one is that this?

Caralynn: Vhagar actually is essentially the most badass wanting dragon.

Palmer: Yeah, Vhagar is sick. My lovely massive lady. There’s nothing funnier to me although than Aegon all of a sudden desirous to be an concerned father.

Eammon: Tom Glynn-Carney units me on edge at any time when he is round his household.

Palmer: Poor sister-wife Helaena, who appears unfairly implicated in all of this.

Caralynn: Helaena’s line right here concerning the rats was good foreshadowing for what occurs later. However I believe there’s a fair subtler second of foreshadowing when Aegon goes to verify which child it’s within the room as a result of even he cannot inform his personal twins aside!

Alicole is a bit icky

Palmer: Oh, that is the bit that is going to make so many individuals mad. Welcome to Alicole, everybody!

Caralynn: This intercourse scene is perhaps the present’s least attractive ever. They appear so dispassionate. Additionally, “we can’t once more” — what number of instances do we expect she’s stated this?

Palmer: When Criston and Rhaenyra have intercourse, he additionally appears surprisingly light and lets her get on high, which is way completely different from a number of the different intercourse we have seen on this present.

It a bit bit looks like Alicole is popping out of nowhere, however it was considerably foreshadowed in season one — them all of a sudden having on-camera intercourse does not strike me as significantly egregious.

Eammon: Going from watching “Bridgerton” season three to this scene is the whiplash I didn’t count on this week.

Caralynn: The Barbenheimer of 2024, if you’ll.

Eammon: “Home of the Bragon”? “Dragerton”? That second one appears like a special present…

Palmer: Two very, very completely different collection involved with marriage, being pregnant, and features of succession.

Rhaenyra, in mourning, must see her lifeless son for herself

Eammon: Emma D’Arcy deserves all of the awards for his or her thousand-yard stare. They appear totally haunted.

Palmer: I liked Milly Alcock — liked! — however I’m so completely satisfied that this season we actually get to see Emma anchor the complete present.

That is one among my favourite moments of the complete episode — Emma is so on their sport right here, and it is heartbreaking to observe Rhaenyra have to choose up the items of Luke and Arrax’s demise.

We do not actually see Rhaenyra break like this — even when she misplaced Visenya within the season one finale, I really feel like. However I believe the contact with Syrax additionally clearly feeling grief may be very poignant. Bonus factors to the sound engineers engaged on these dragon cries!

Eammon: It is the truth that Rhaenyra does not actually have a correct physique to bury. That sense of loss goes a lot deeper and it is put throughout so effectively while not having to over-explain it with dialogue.

Aegon performs at being king (poorly)

Palmer: It is extraordinarily, extraordinarily humorous to see Tyland Lannister get so irritated with a small baby that he’s obligated to be nothing however well mannered to. And Aegon is so lethal severe about it! What humiliation, although — getting talked all the way down to by your boy king for making an attempt to cease his baby inheritor from bothering you.

Eammon: I do know Larys is principally the brand new/outdated(?) Littlefinger, however I believe Otto will get missed for all his scheming.

Palmer: I recognize everybody explaining that dragons are literally basically weapons of mass destruction to Aegon, and that they are extra invaluable as deterrence. However I additionally recognize that his response is “My brother will merely nuke anybody who will get in our manner on Vhagar.”

Larys Sturdy act like a traditional individual problem: failed.

Eammon: Effectively, at the least he did not make her get her ft out this time! Though it is telling that she immediately wants a shower after talking to him.

Palmer: Aegon listening to petitions is so extremely humorous. Man has no thought what it takes to run a kingdom and simply needs to please everybody.

Caralynn: This scene does an ideal job of exhibiting how Aegon actually doesn’t have any thought what he is doing. And likewise actually does not give AF.

Eammon: What number of sheep does it take to feed a dragon?

Palmer: Gotta be at the least three sheep. Perhaps 4. What number of [sheep] might a dragon want, Michael? Ten?

Eammon: Aegon’s by no means performed RollerCoaster Tycoon or Farmville, and it exhibits.

Caralynn: Ah sure, Hugh, one other THIS DUDE IS IMPORTANT long-held close-up.

Eammon: They’re simply hammering it house.

Palmer: You realize who wields a hammer? Thor. You realize who has the phrase Thor of their identify? Vermi — [I am immediately yanked off stage]

For all of Otto’s scheming, I do actually suppose that he simply doesn’t have sport anymore. Larys is DESTROYING him. Alicent entertains Larys regardless that he makes use of her as his personal private WikiFeet, however she is sooooo carried out together with her dad.

Alicent drives me a bit insane with this, and I do know it is the purpose, however my god, I am unable to think about that something will go fallacious together with her plan to make use of Aegon as a puppet King when he will get uninterested in ruling!

Caralynn: I do suppose it is so fascinating and efficient how they hold exhibiting Alicent and Rhaenyra as being of the identical thoughts about this however every having no thought the opposite feels this fashion — Alicent actually does not need all out warfare, and Rhaenyra must see her child’s charred physique with the intention to settle for it might must occur.

Palmer: Yeah, it is unlucky, as a result of clearly neither of them need it. However they’re in too deep!

Mysaria is revealed to be alive and Rhaenyra returns house

Palmer: Oh sure, it is our favourite ambiguously lifeless gossip maven, Mysaria.

Caralynn: Woman Whistleworm.

Palmer: I am no nice Mysaria fan, largely as a result of I really feel just like the present always deploys her to make half-hearted commentary concerning the frequent people, however free this poor girl from Daemon.

Eammon: She’s a kind of, “Oh yeah, I forgot about her” characters.

Caralynn: I’ll say I am inquisitive about what they will do together with her long-term.

Palmer: Yep, there’s clearly a motive to deliver her again, and I hope it is a good one!

Eammon: Can all of us simply take a second to understand Rhaenyra’s badass leather-based coat? I imagine that is what the youngsters name “a glance.”

Palmer: She’s able to “slay.” However sure, I actually love the Rhaenyra leather-based matches.

Caralynn: The costuming on this present is at all times flawless.

Daemon makes an oopsie

Caralynn: And ope, this is the second that units this complete mess in movement. Rhaenyra: I would like Aemond. Daemon: actively misunderstanding the project

Palmer: However this second is so impactful — present up, say you need your half-brother killed, stroll off. Rhaenyra, one episode in the past in season one, wouldn’t have hit that time, and it actually underscores the influence of Lucerys’ demise.

Caralynn: Ah, this second of mourning with Rhaenyra and Jace — so surprising and heartwrenching. They each do such an ideal job right here.

Eammon: That is the bit that bought me a bit bit. He is making an attempt to take care of his sense of responsibility as a person, when he is nonetheless only a boy himself actually.

Palmer: Yeah — I really feel like we so not often get to see Rhaenyra be a mom, and Jacaerys doing his greatest to step up is heartbreaking. He is nonetheless a toddler! One who hasn’t actually seen battle.

I really feel like we would not have gotten one thing like that in season one — the present was at all times transferring at such a breakneck tempo that there wasn’t a lot time really develop the youngsters an excessive amount of.

Eammon: Yeah, I am happy they’re letting moments like this breathe as a substitute of simply leaping straight into “HEY, LOOK IT’S THE DRAGONS.””

Palmer: It is a collection that’s at its core, concerning the grief of moms, and these are moments the place it is actually well-executed (versus, say, gratuitous childbirth sequences)

Eammon: Additionally Ramin Djawadi’s rating is gorgeous right here.

Palmer: If I had been Daemon Targaryen, personally, I might not entrust a job like this to These Guys, really helpful to me by my ex-lover who hates me.

Caralynn: That is like Taskrabbit from hell. Blood and Cheese have a 4.3 ranking from 3 jobs and Daemon’s like “Appears nice!”

Again in King’s Touchdown, the assassins that Daemon despatched after Aemond shut in

Eammon: Aemond appropriately taking inventory of his mother state of affairs: “She blames me for beginning this warfare.” To be truthful, mate, your dragon did make a midnight snack out of Lucerys.

Palmer: I do suppose it is humorous as a result of Aemond isn’t faultless, however he is additionally not significantly fallacious — he does appear to have the clearest head out of the entire bunch.

Caralynn: Ewan Mitchell is nice as Aemond. He has a lot extra perception than the others. It is fascinating how he is the one to clock that Alicent nonetheless has love for Rhaenyra and it is holding her again.

Palmer: He is extraordinarily perceptive! Criston, nevertheless, is a bitch.

Caralynn: Criston’s long-held grudge is, at this level, a bit a lot. For him to nonetheless be this pissed that she did not wish to marry him is so unhinged. It is giving fragile male ego.

Palmer: I really like Aegon and his shithead mates consuming on the Iron Throne. Because the individuals supposed!

Caralynn: They’re like a bunch of frat bros.

Palmer: I used to be making an attempt to consider a Westerosi frat home identify however was not fast sufficient on the draw.

Eammon: Alpha Beta Valyria. And oh hey look, a rat. Symbolism!

Palmer: This whole Blood & Cheese bit is so foolish, however not essentially in a foul manner? It is horrifying to observe these guys bumble their manner into one of many worst inciting incidents of the complete warfare. They don’t have any clue what they’re doing. Finally, very efficient.

Caralynn: This whole scene is so irritating, and the music is so efficient.

Palmer: C’mon guys, does that baby appear like he has an eyepatch, or can maintain his personal in a battle?

Eammon: The belief about what’s about to occur is simply horrifying.

Palmer: Terribly horrifying, and I really feel prefer it’s worse as a result of it is Helaena, who’s about as near an harmless as we get apart from the literal kids.

Caralynn: Her weakly making an attempt to discount with them and realizing it is pointless — Phia does phenomenal work right here. You may virtually see her dissociating.

Palmer: It is also so brutal that Helaena tells the reality when she factors out her son — what do you even do? It simply feels just like the worst type of intestine response.

Caralynn: OK, not the vibe, however this bit with the working did make me snort a bit — she’s so clearly working with a faux child.

Palmer: I do suppose that these pictures of her working down the hallway, limp child apart, are very efficient.

Eammon: This second, with Helaena interrupting Alicent and Criston throughout intercourse and blowing the duvet on their affair, irritated me. It is so tonally mismatched — the goofiness of getting barged in on mid-intercourse, and the brutality of what simply occurred.

Palmer: I’ve but to really reckon with Helaena strolling in on Alicent and Cole. It feels prefer it muddies the second a bit, however I can even rationalize it as this transition level the place the warfare actually, actually turns into severe.

Caralynn: It additionally units the stage for an fascinating stress between Alicent and Helaena as a result of wasn’t Criston, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, presupposed to be, y’know… guarding them? However he was too busy getting his rocks off together with her mother!

Palmer: Most likely! Him or another person on the Kingsguard who was slacking off. However it’s worse to see one of many household’s protectors having an affair as a substitute of defending!

Eammon: Though, to be truthful, this is identical franchise that ended its pilot with Jaime and Cersei having intercourse in a tower when Bran walked in on them.

Palmer: That’s…. a particularly reasonable level. It’s a type of twist on that inciting incident.

Caralynn: That is a extremely good level. Intercourse actually screws all the pieces up!! Particularly like, illicit intercourse that these individuals are undoubtedly not presupposed to be having

Palmer: Sure, that is the ethical we needs to be taking from “Sport of Thrones”https://www.businessinsider.com/”Home of the Dragon”: By no means Have An Affair.

Caralynn: Intercourse: Merely not definitely worth the bother (i.e., a number of wars).