*Spoiler*
According to Screenrant, House of the Dragon season two, episode four delivered a shocking twist with the demise of Rhaenys Targaryen, played by Eve Best (Fate: The Winx Saga), by Aemond’s dragon played by Ewan Mitchell (The Last Kingdom), Vhagar. Rhaenys had played a major role within the episode by giving support and protecting the forces within the stronghold.
According to Screenrant, Best explains why Rhaenys went back to fight despite knowing the outcome; in an interview with Variety, she said, “I spoke with [episode director] Alan Taylor (Game of Thrones). We’d had a session where we talked about what was going on with her emotions, because I felt very strongly that there were these really important beats that we needed to mark. In particular, the knowledge of the fact that it’s very likely a kamikaze mission,”
“Best continued, “It has to be, because effectively, she’s starting a nuclear war, and she has been the one character throughout who’s done everything she can to stop them. Because she’s the one that knows from bitter experience, and all the younger generation are running around, saying “Send in the dragons!” She and Corlys are really the only adults left in the room who know, who’ve been there and seen it — what they’re facing.”
Best added, “The context of nuclear war was very, very helpful, because that’s the equivalent for us. And I knew that when she had proposed herself, that she knew she had to take that responsibility, if anyone was going to have that weight. It couldn’t be Rhaenyra. She had to do it. I think she knows that she has to sacrifice herself for the team. Another journalist described her as Lancelot, Rhaenyra’s Lancelot, in many ways. I felt like that was very apt. There’s such a deep reluctance. In the end of Season 1, she makes that conscious decision not to start a war, not to nuke everybody. Everyone ever since has been saying, “Why didn’t you nuke them?” Everybody’s taking it personal, and she’s all the time looking at the bigger picture. All the time rising up, putting the personal aside, and rising above. The point is, ultimately, whatever we feel, however attached and however devastated we may be, the bigger picture is we must not send dragons into war, we must not go nuclear at all costs. So for her then to say, “I will be the one to do this,” she knows that there’s no living after that. The choice to go, that second return to plunge in with Vhagar — that’s an absolute kamikaze mission.”
According to Screenrant, the Black faction isn’t the only side that suffered a major loss, as King Aegon, played by Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk), was critically injured when his brother purposely attacked him. Time will only tell how both sides will react to these losses and what action they will take. Four episodes are currently available to stream on Max, with new ones premiering every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.