House of The Dragon: A Son For A Son - S02E01 - RECAP

The very anticipated TV Series House of The Dragon is back with Season 2 and their first episode "A Son for A Son", it was a very good episode, would not call it a wild one but still production was very good as usual, this episodes almost feel like a half movie. The fist episodes focus on the consequences and actions to take from both sides, specially from the Blacks (Targaryen) after Queen Rhaenyra finds a wing of her son's dragon Arrax. Rhaenyra has been looking for prove that they both dead for days, going up and down close to Storms End castle where Aemond without intention killed Lucerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra son, after he lost control of Vhagar, an event that unleash the war upon.

The episode takes place through different locations from the the cold lands of the North at House Stark to the Read Keep at the royal palace in King's Landing. There is a lot of feelings display through out the episode, sorrow, conflict and rage, everyone had their own issues with what is going on from Daemon who can't just fly to King's Landing and burn it all because Rhaenyra is not there to command, Rhaenyra not finding prove of her sons death for days, Rhaenys living with certain guilt for not burning The Greens when she had the opportunity although was not her call, on this recap I will touch on this topics to lay down what might come next, consider I have not read the books at all so this is speculation of an average viewer probably just like you.

he episode starts with Prince Jacaerys Velaryon at the Wall, asking Cregan Stark for support for his mother, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen but is at this moment that Jacaerys is inform of his brother Lucerys’ death through a raven from Dragonstone, I was hoping for a more dramatic scene but it was cut off after Cregan gave him the look of bad news, like this is not meant for me, its you. Back at Dragonstone, Rhaenyra is missing in action, mourning her sons death but still uncertain until she found a group of fisherman who have found a wing of Arrax, next to the wing was Lucerys cape and its this moment that let her start her mourning and burst into rage, exactly what Daemon needs at the moment because he is ready to go but his Queen is not there to command, in the mean time Daemon is taking cheap shots at who ever is on his path this time been Rhaenys who in fact didn't wipe out The Greens when she had the chance, if she had then Lucerys would probably still be alive. At this point in time not many know about Lucerys death or at least not confirm, the first person to know is Daemon, there still not many reactions to this event, the Sea Snake is with Rhaenyra and has establish a blockade at sea along with Rhaenys and Meleys trying to starve Kings Landing, making almost impossible for any ships to deliver supplies to Kings Landing, at least by sea. Once Rhaenyra is back she intermediate ask for Aemond head, this unleash Daemon and I'm sure he does not explain his plans before action, been the dragon that he is, he takes justice by his own hand and showing the mad man that he is, same as he did on Season 1 at the Stepstones when his brother, back then the king offer him help and he felt it was not needed because only him could.

At Kings Landing Aegon II rules, there is tension and I really though he would be type of king Joffrey was on Game of Thrones but instead he is very kind or we can call it naive at the moment, with his people as he offers to return sheep to some and pay blacksmiths what they crown owes them even against his uncle recommendations. Aemon is extremely confident of Aemond and Vhagar but his mother Alicent and uncle Otto Hightower prefer caution, there is still a conflict of power between this two one been the mother of the king and the other been the hand, both want to have a grip on Aegon, there is division within the Greens that could let them to confusion and not acting on time.

Perhaps one of the most shocking events of the episode is the murder of Aegon and Helaena’s young son Jaehaerys by the assassins Blood and Cheese, who were basically two men who hate the Greens as much as they love gold. Daemon plans this act of revenge for the death of Lucerys and sends a strong message to their enemy, the outcome was not exaclty what he wanted since the target was Aemond but Cheese did ask "What if we can't find him....A Son for A Son". It is quite suspenseful and creepy, with Helaena being put in a position where she has to decide between her children, which results in the death of her son, this act of violence prolongs the war and guarantees that there will be no reconciliation between the two sides, the Blacks just killed the heir of the throne.

The event starts with Daemon getting information from Mysaria who is discovered to have sneaked into a ship heading to Dragonstone, she and Daemon were once lovers but always business partners, she handed information for him but also for anyone who would pay enough, Daemon confronts her for conspiring with the Hightowers but she tells him that they hired her. Later, Daemon offers Mysaria a deal, her knowledge in exchange for her freedom as she has now been accuse of conspiracy against the Blacks. With the help of Mysaria, Daemon is able to reach out to a castle guard who has a grudge against the Hightowers and a rat catcher who is familiar with the tunnels under the Red Keep and knowledge of how to get into the castle, these two men, known as Blood and Cheese were send out specifically to kill Aemond, if not any other son of Alicent but they ended up killing a way higher profile individual.

Blood and Cheese get into the Red Keep through the underground tunnels and walk through the throne room, almost near Aegon, they are just rat catchers doing their thing keeping the rats under control since there are rats all over the castle. Initially they get lost but after wondering around they finally get to the royal chambers, Aemond is not there anymore but instead Cheese arrive at the nursery where Helaena is looking after her children who are sleeping, Blood heard them. Blood is the one most desicive and tell her that they will let her and her daughter go if she tells him who of both is the son, they are after a male. Helaena got into a state of shock and desperation but after a couple of minutes had no other choice to agree and runs away to look for help while the men decapitate the child.

Lord Corlys Velaryon, also known as the Sea Snake is brought back after being severely injured in the previous season, he is seen at the seaport thanking Alyn, the man who helped him escape. Corlys was master of ship at Kings Landing, leaving them without a Navy he is now with the Blacks, both his Navy and his wife with her Dragon have taken a desicion, after all they are family and cant turn their back. Corlys Navy is heavily damage so its not like they can just go an attack Kings Landing at will, it will take weeks before he can get a good gripp of the sea and start planning an strategic move.

Lord Larys as is per usuall is cooking something with the help of Alicent, I really enjoy how the show briefly puts him on the scene and then he is gone, he does that when he tells Alicent the staff that was loyal or had any ties to Rhaenyra is now gone "they not breathing the same air" to what Alicent is very unconfortable, she has a problem with killing people none the less she allow it. There is the battle for power between Alicent and her father Otto to see who has more grip over Aemon, none of the two has so far accept it but thats how I see things, to this Larys also takes action asking Aemon for a few minutes that basically ended with a message "do you want people to see you as your father? Otto was his hand" not the exact words but his intention is to let him know that he might look weak to others having Otto as his hand been that is how many look at Vicerys when he was alive, so who is Larys favoring this time? is it all personal interest, is he helping Alicent or its all business as usual.

As you can tell it is very evident that the entire episode goes around the Blood and Cheese event that brought way more severe consequences than what probably Daemon wanted, I could probably see his face like "damn this guys went too far" decapitating a child?? come on, there was a lot of speculation if they would show this actions on the episode but it was obvious the would not, one thing was the Red Wedding on Game of Thrones where they were all adults and here we talking about decapitating a child, they didn't put audio of the child crying, this is what I was expecting.

There are internal conflicts on each house preventing a burst of war although the murder of the crown heir could be the event that unleash war and have the Greens start to move their army towards the Blacks territory, at the moment the Greens have a bigger army, the biggest dragon with two more of a good size too but the Blacks they have way more dragons, they are even short on riders for the amount of dragons at hand with the Sea Snake Navy and the support from other houses that could build up a good size army. Both house have certain amount of power but none have a total advantage over each other, what have change is the perception probably after Daemon got Jaehaerys murder, other houses will start to ask how is it possible that they got into the castle and kill the heir? during this situation Vahgar and the army are worth nothing and they could have done the same with the King.