Twitter Can’t Deal With the Second Episode of ‘House of the Dragon’

Chelsey Sanchez

Welcome back to King’s Landing.

The second episode of House of the Dragon, HBO’s epic prequel to Game of Thrones based on the George R. R. Martin novels, is officially out—and Twitter has a lot to say about it.

First, a quick recap on the explosive events of episode 2. (Be warned, spoilers are ahead.)

Lord Corlys of House Velaryon (Steve Toussant) storms a small council meeting, imploring King Viserys (Paddy Considine) to take action against the so-called Crabfeeder, a prince of the eastern Free Cities who has taken down ships under Corlys’s fleets. Viserys, however, refuses, instead aiming to maintain a tenuous peace between that region and Westeros.

Later, Corlys and his wife, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), approach Viserys with the intention of having him unite their houses by wedding their daughter, 12-year-old Laena Velaryon (Nova Foueillis-Mosé). Rhaenys—Viserys’s cousin and the dubbed Queen Who Never Was—reminds the reluctant king that he is expected to remarry soon to fulfill his royal duties, even if a year has yet to pass since Queen Aemma’s (Sian Brooke) death.

Meanwhile, Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) has stolen a dragon egg from the Red Keep, leaving in its place an invitation for the king to attend his wedding at the occupied Dragonstone to Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), a woman who worked at a brothel in King’s Landing. The Kingsguard and the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), confront Daemon at Dragonstone. Right as tensions begin to escalate between the Kingsguard and Daemon’s forces, Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) arrives via her dragon. She ultimately deflates the conflict and retrieves the stolen egg with no bloodshed.

Upon returning to King’s Landing, Viserys and Rhaenyra speak candidly about each other’s grief over Aemma’s passing. Rhaenyra, who understands that her father must remarry, gives him her blessing to wed Laena.

At the next small council meeting, Viserys announces his engagement—but instead of marrying Laena, he has set his eyes on Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), Otto’s daughter and Rhaenyra’s best friend.

Appalled at the betrothal announcement, Corlys appeals to Daemon to take action against the Crabfeeder in the east.

Ahead, Twitter offers their commentary on tonight’s action-packed episode. To see reactions to the previous episode, make sure to scroll on.

Episode 1

Here’s a quick recap on the explosive events of episode 1. (Be warned, spoilers are ahead.)

Tensions are high in King’s Landing as the small council that advises King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Consindine) debates about the line of succession to the Iron Throne. Viserys and his wife, Queen Aemma (Sian Brooke), have only one living child: Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock). With no precedent set for a woman sitting on the Iron Throne, some fear the ascent of the king’s younger and increasingly violent brother, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith). Aemma, however, is expecting another child—and Viserys has a premonition that the unborn baby will be a boy and his rightful heir.

But tragedy befalls the Red Keep. After suffering through a bitter fifth pregnancy, Aemma undergoes life-threatening issues during labor. Desperate for his heir, Viserys allows the physician to cut open Aemma’s stomach to save the baby. A gruesome scene follows, showing her horrific death—only for the baby (indeed a boy) to die with his mother.

Daemon celebrates the baby’s demise by buying out a brothel and toasting to the “heir for a day.” Viserys catches wind of his inappropriate festivities and orders him to leave King’s Landing. Revoking Daemon’s heirhood, the king then names Rhaenyra not only to become the ruler of Westeros but also to be its first reigning queen.

He also warns his daughter of a dream seen by their prophetic ancestor, the first king of the Iron Throne, Aegon Targaryen. Aegon had foreseen “the end of the world of men” that began “with a terrible winter gusting out of the distant north” that possessed a darkness capable of “destroy[ing] the world of the living.” This secret prophecy that Viserys bestows onto Rhaenyra hints at the events of Game of Thrones, nearly 200 years later.

Ahead, Twitter offers their commentary on House of the Dragon’s premiere.


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