The second season of HBO's "Game of Thrones" prequel, "House of the Dragon" premiered Sunday. The story picks up shortly after the death of King Viserys, with Rhaenyra seeking revenge for the death of her son Lucerys at the hands of Aemond, while her uncle/husband Daemon hires assassins in a plot known as "Blood and Cheese" to kill Aemond, with unexpected consequences.
The episode explores the escalating war between the Greens (Aegon II's faction) and the Blacks (Rhaenyra's faction), with Rhaenyra being portrayed as the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
Jacaerys Velaryon successfully gains the support of 2,000 Stark fighters for Rhaenyra's cause, while Cregan Stark provides background on the Starks' allegiance to Rhaenyra due to duty and past oaths.
The episode features a grim and bleak narrative, staying true to George R.R. Martin's dark writing style, with the shocking "Blood and Cheese" scene closing the premiere.
The show takes some creative liberties from the source material, "Fire & Blood," by toning down the explicit violence and evil intentions of the assassins in the "Blood and Cheese" incident.
Sources: The Washington Post, The New York Times, Business Insider, Time, NPR, The Independent, USA Today, Forbes, CNN, and Slate.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
