(Alert). This story contains major spoilers for the season two premiere of House of the Dragon from HBO.
House of the Dragon returned for its second season with a shocking and brutal premiere that deviates significantly from its source material, Fire and Blood of George R.R. Martin. The surprising death of Jaehaerys Targaryen, grandson of Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), sets a dark tone for the season and highlights the show’s bold narrative decisions.
After the dramatic finale of the first season, where Lucerys Velaryon, son of Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), met a tragic fate, the new season delves into the Targaryen civil war. The opening episode shows Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) commissioning two men, Blood and Cheese, infiltrate the Red Keep and kill Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) in retaliation for the death of Lucerys. However, the plan fails, resulting in the gruesome murder of young Jaehaerys Targaryen.
The pair, consisting of a former member of the City Watch and the palace rat catcher, fail to find Aemond and instead stumble upon Queen Helaena (Phia Saban) and his sleeping twins. Under duress, Helaena is forced to identify which of her children is the boy, which ultimately leads to Jaehaerys’ death. This chilling scene underscores the increasing brutality within the Targaryen feud and differs from the book’s account in several key ways.
In Fire and Blood, Jaehaerys’ death, while equally tragic, plays out differently. The book portrays Blood and Cheese acting independently of a direct order from Daemon Targaryen. The horrendous event occurs in Alicent’s bedroom, where she is tied up and used as a decoy. In contrast, the show places the murder in Helaena’s chambers, adding an intimate and personal horror to the scene. Additionally, Helaena’s choice in the book to sacrifice her youngest son, Maelor, in hopes of saving Jaehaerys, only to have the assassins kill Jaehaerys anyway, is omitted in the adaptation.
The showrunner Ryan Condal explains the creative decisions behind these changes, emphasizing the need to condense timelines and adapt the book’s conflicting historical narratives. Condal sought to provide a clear and emotionally resonant story for viewers. “We feel that Rhaenyra, despite being grieving, is seeking revenge, but she would choose a target that had some strategic or military advantage,” Condal says. This logic justifies Rhaenyra’s explicit call for Aemond’s death in the show.
The depiction of Helaena’s forced choice and Jaehaerys’ subsequent death is a moving moment that actress Phia Saban describes as “heartbreaking.” Saban points out the devastating impact of Helaena’s honesty in the face of mortal danger, adding depth to her character’s trauma.
Visually, the show chooses to depict the murder in the shadows, focusing on Helaena’s distraught reaction rather than the act itself. This decision, according to Condal, was made to avoid gratuitous violence while maintaining emotional intensity. “We knew it would be horrible and brutal, but we didn’t want it to be gratuitous or over the top”says Condal, highlighting the delicate balance the screenwriters sought to achieve.
The episode also introduces a subplot set in the North, a nod to the original series Game of Thrones. This serves to reintroduce Winterfell and establish the link between Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) and Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor). Condal notes the importance of this scene in expanding the reach of Westeros and foreshadowing future alliances.
As the second season progresses, the show promises to delve deeper into the complexities and dark themes of the Targaryen conflict. The premiere sets a heartbreaking precedent, indicating that no character, no matter their age or innocence, is safe from the brutal policies of Westeros. The adaptation choices, while controversial, seek to offer a compelling and coherent narrative that honors the spirit of the source material while making it accessible to a broader audience.
You can see this episode on the platform MAX and next Sunday the second episode.
