House of the Dragon, the popular Game of Thrones spin-off, is back for its second season with the same dark and twisted storytelling that fans love.
In the first episode of season two, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) wants to avenge her son Lucerys's (Elliot Grihault) death, which was caused by her half-brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) in the last episode of season one. To carry out her plan, her husband Daemon (Matt Smith) recruits two assassins named Blood and Cheese (Sam C. Wilson and Mark Stobbart) to secretly enter the castle and eliminate Aemond.
The assassins inquire Daemon about their next move if they are unable to locate Aemond. While Daemon's answer is not depicted, it is suggested by the episode title: “A son for a son.”
Blood and Cheese go into the castle but can't find Aemond. They come across Helaena (Phia Saban), Rhaenyra's half-sister, with her twin children. Since they can't distinguish between the twins, the assassins make Helaena point out her son. The killing isn't depicted; instead, the camera shows Helaena and her daughter running away, with subtitles indicating off-screen sounds of “Flesh and bone being sliced,” suggesting the boy was beheaded.
Viewers were left stunned by this shocking scene, which drew comparisons to the infamous Red Wedding from Game of Thrones.
Many viewers were more disturbed by Cheese kicking a dog at the Red Keep than the murder scene. This cruel act led to a wave of outrage on social media.
House of the Dragon keeps bringing the intense drama fans love from Game of Thrones. But it was a small act of animal cruelty that really got to fans, showing that even tiny actions in Westeros can cause big reactions.
