It's safe to say that House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4 upped the ante in the Targaryen civil war. As Aegon and the Greens continued to try and rally the Houses of Westeros to their cause, a fiery battle broke out at the castle of Rook's Rest. But, before we get into all of that, now's your chance to turn back if you're not up to date – there are major spoilers for this week's episode of House of the Dragon ahead!
If you're still with us, then, you'll know that the battle at Rook's Rest ended with the death of Rhaenys (Eve Best) and her dragon Meleys, with Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his dragon Sunfyre potentially fatally injured, at the hands of Aegon's younger brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and the mighty Vhagar when he ordered the dragon to unleash her fury on them both.
As House of the Dragon season 2 has already seen the return of Milly Alcock as young Rhaenyra in the haunting visions of Matt Smith's Daemon, Variety asked Best if there could be a chance for Rhaenys to make a comeback in a similar way. The actor told the publication, "I’d love her to. I think she should haunt him like crazy. She should pop up everywhere he goes, giving him all kinds of advice and a piece of her mind. We’ll see. Who knows?"
Rhaenys flew into battle willing to die for Rhaenyra, the daughter of her cousin King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and, in her eyes, the rightful queen of Westeros. Rhaenys herself was known as the 'Queen Who Never Was,' due to being passed over as heir for her younger cousin because of her gender. Is she at peace with that decision, finally, by the end of her life?
"I don’t think it gives her peace, but I’ve felt like the trajectory of season 2 was a kind of increasing detachment, letting go and letting go and letting go," Best continued. "She just felt like she was getting lighter and lighter until that final moment on the back of Meleys. I think that’s the one moment that she suddenly – she finds peace. Literally, letting go. She’s been carrying all her own stuff, and pretty much everybody else’s too, certainly for season 2. The weight of this unimaginable burden, and just letting it go."
House of the Dragon season 2 airs weekly on HBO and Max in the US and Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK. For more, check out our House of the Dragon season 2 release schedule and the rest of our coverage:
- House of the Dragon season 2, episodes 1-4 review
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner on why Blood and Cheese is nothing like Game of Thrones' Red Wedding
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner doesn't feel the pressure of following the controversial Game of Thrones season 8: "Our challenge comes from within"
- House of the Dragon showrunner teases season 3: "You don't want to end up in that place where you're doing the same thing again and again"
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner breaks down the complicated relationship between Daemon and Rhaenyra: "Conflict is the order of the day"
- House of the Dragon season 2 showrunner says Rhaenyra and Alicent's bond is still the heart of the show: "We understand that these two women are connected"
- Aemond Targaryen actor Ewan Mitchell breaks down that House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4 ending: "He very much knew what he was doing"
- House of the Dragon star Ewan Mitchell on why Aemond Targaryen lives to the same code as Robert De Niro in Heat
- House of the Dragon star Ewan Mitchell talks Aemond and Daemon's rivalry: "There's almost a romantic element to it"
- House of the Dragon star Ewan Mitchell explains how Michael Myers inspired Aemond Targaryen
- House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1 recap and Easter eggs
- House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2 recap and Easter eggs
- House of the Dragon season 2, episode 3 recap and Easter eggs
- House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4 recap and Easter eggs
- Hugh Hammer explained
- How Blood and Cheese is different from the book
- How Rook's Rest is different from the book
- Cregan Stark explained
- Addam of Hull explained
- Daeron Targaryen explained
- Alys Rivers explained
- The dragonseeds explained
- The House of the Dragon dragons, listed and explained
- Greens vs. Blacks, explained
- The White Worm, explained
- The Targaryen family tree
- The House of the Dragon timeline
- Who wins the Dance of the Dragons?
- The history of Vhagar
- The Song of Ice and Fire prophecy
