“House of the Dragon” finally gets down to business with episode 4 of season 2. With tragic fates for its characters.
The Dragon War will never be the same after this episode of House of the Dragon. Episode 4 of season 2, available since Monday July 8 in France on the Max streaming platform, offers fans their first major dragon battle with the siege of Repos-des-Feux, which has decisive consequences for both the Black and Green camps. Warning, the rest of this article contains spoilers on episode 4 of season 2 of House of the Dragon.
Rhaenyra’s Clan in Trouble
The episode opens with Daemon still at Harrenhal Castle, suffering from hallucinations of guilt toward Rhaenyra and his inner dilemma. He then discovers from Alys Rivers, the maester of the castle, who warns him that the castle is haunted. Meanwhile, Ser Criston Cole continues his campaign in Westeros, defeating the forces allied to Rhaenyra, forcing them to submit or die. The Green army has tripled in size, and Ser Simon Strong worries that Harrenhal will be his next victim.
Daemon then meets Oscar Tully, heir to Riverrun and future overlord of Riverlands, but their exchange ends in failure, as he refuses to take his grandfather’s place and raise an army. Daemon then summons Ser William of House Nerbosc to raise an army, but he is distracted by the hallucinations.
Meanwhile, Rhaenys meets Alyn, and we learn that he is the one who saved Lord Corlys when he disappeared at sea. Rhaenys assures that she “knows who he is” and that he “is not responsible for his past”. Rhaenys and Lord Colys then leave for Dragonstone, in order to help Jace and Baela appease the council, which is fighting for power in Rhaenyra’s absence.
Aemond gains ascendancy over Aegon
In King’s Landing, Alicent is distracted after Rhaenyra’s revelations about Viserys’s last wishes. She also asks the Grand Maester for a remedy, supposedly for another woman, but which she ends up ingesting. We then understand that it is probably a remedy to abort, probably the child she would be expecting from Sir Criston Cole.
At the council, King Aegon complains about Daemon’s capture of Harrenhal and demands that his army march on the building. But Aemond regains power, convincing his brother to attack Firerest instead, where Sir Criston Cole’s army is already headed. Aegon is furious to discover that his brother and the Hand of the King have been preparing battle plans without consulting him, but is unable to assert his power against Aemond in front of the council.
Furious at not being listened to or taken seriously, Aegon drowns his sorrows in alcohol. He finds his mother, Alicent, who advises him to listen to his advisors more and to stop trying to do as he pleases without thinking of the consequences. Injured, he decides to take his dragon, Sunfire, to join the battle of Firerest.
A destructive dragon battle
Episode 4 ends with the first dragon battle of this season 2. Sir Criston Cole leads Aegon’s army to besiege Firerest, held by an ally of Rhaenyra. When Rhaenyra learns of this, she decides to enter the battle. But after Jace’s protests (to whom she also transmits the Song of Ice and Fire), it is finally Rhaenys who decides to mount her dragon Meleys and go defend the fortress.
But of course, this was a trap set by Clan Hightower, as Aemond and his dragon Vhagar lurk in the forest, waiting to attack. They are interrupted, however, by the completely unexpected arrival of King Aegon, who rides his dragon Sunfire and enters the battle unplanned.
The three dragons then end up fighting each other. Without really knowing if it is intentional or accidental, Aemond orders Vhagar to burn his opponents, causing his brother and his dragon to fall into the forest. He then attacks Meleys, who is torn apart and causes Rhaenys to fall to his death.
At the end of the episode, the Hand of the King, who fainted during the battle, awakens to find Aemond, his sword drawn, in front of Aegon’s dragon. The king lies on the ground before him. Upon his arrival, Aemond walks away, leaving Sir Criston Cole alone to contemplate the consequences of his plan.