House of the Dragon S2: Episode 2 Review 

Rhaenys was wearing the hand of king pin in the black council meeting!

Interesting that Rhaenyra was able to comfort her grieving child, whereas Alicent couldn’t show any real compassion or provide comfort to neither Aegon nor Helaena.

I think Aegon didn't hate his father. I think he was just desperate for his fathers approval and love and he thought that with Viserys naming him his heir he finally got the approval and love he always wanted. But then Otto distroys this by saying that Viserys choosing him as king was a lie.

I think that the Rhaenyra wathcing the dust in the air ties her back to Helaena in her grief, watching the little petals that the smallfolk threw during the funeral floating in the air. Two queens who have just lost children, on opposite sides of a struggle but grappling with the same emotions.

Even though I tend to have a strong bias toward the Blacks, I have to say that I really disagree with Sean re:Aegon’s grief. I believe he is genuinely emotionally devastated, and that both his reaction here and his parenting in the past is more of a reflection of the poor parenting he received than a lack of caring for his children.

Rhaenyra being a fan of Visenya may have changed now that Visenya's dragon ate her son. May also be why she's reading up on Vhagar

Is Rhaenyra asking about Mysaria’s scar her questioning if Daemon did it? She just remembered who Mysaria was in that scene. We have seen him grab Rhaenyra by the throat before. She spent a lot of time this episode coming to realisations about him after all. That’s how I took it.

it’s so devastating how none of the greens know how to embrace or comfort each other. This is such a huge theme in the episode, and i’m glad you’ve pointed it out. Aemond curling up in the lap of the Madam shows his starvation for physical comfort. The lack of warmth for Aegon from Alicent was apparent to me from the first time we see him on screen as a baby. She doesn’t look like she wants to be holding him - she is rocking him impatiently. we never see her cuddle him or any of her children. Which is understandable, given everything she has endured, from being forced into this marriage as a young teen girl, to having to endure marital r*** ( likely how her children are conceived, which makes it even more understandable). I don’t think her loss of her mom explains this as much as the trauma she’s endured - particularly at the hands of men - as she and Rhaenyra were affectionate before she married Viserys. (also note she gives some affection to Helaena, again, the girl child. I think she harbors a ton of resentment towards men in her family due to…everything. Yet, i believe, had he just been given affection and acceptance from are least one parent and felt safe from infancy, he would be completely different and so much of this could be avoided. Instead, generational patterns repeat. (Cole, by contrast, is a man Alicent has power over. I think this is a not insignificant piece her attraction for him & an insight into her character)

I read the Alicent not comforting Aegon scene as if she went in there to lay down the law about him demoting Otto, and then deciding to let him grieve instead of chastising him in that moment. All the scenes with Aegon in that scene remind me of Viserys III.

Erryk Cargyll & Arryk Cargyll it's too bad none of the monarchs are worthy of their service and sacrifice

I just watched the episode tonight, since I missed it last night, I feel bad for Helana and Aegon. They lose their son and feel lost without any real guidance.

1:19:40 - Daemon waited for days to hear what Rhaenyra wanted him to do. If he was only pretending to be loyal, he would have just gone and done what he wanted from the beginning.

I only just started the video, but if it's not mentioned....I'm pretty sure Helaena has already had visions of what happens to King's Landing at the hand of her descendent, Dany. She very much does not want to be involved with or get to know the smallfolk (I think she knows what happens to them), and the visual shot of the flowers falling down around her as she stares up the sky is VERY evocative of the ash falling on King's Landing after Dany burns part of it. They held that shot for an extremely long time for a reason.

not sure why Arryk didnt just defect after Cole questioned his honor like that and it seemed like he suspected Cole wasnt where he said he was anyway. the brothers fight was fine on paper, but it makes no sense lol these castle security in shambles all around

Great discussions guys thank you for the content!

I felt like Alicent didn't console Aegon cause she was disappointed that he just fired his grandfather

Love the alliteration like Snow and Savages, Wildlings and Weather. How about Iridescent light and Interlopers, if they attack during the aurora borealis.

Great show. Is there a land blockade or something stopping Kings Landing from getting food from The Reach? It’s the breadbasket of Westeros.

In episode 1, Otto counseled Aegon in the throne room that "When the king speaks, all hear it."

Catching up on these. Sean4ever. Love you guys ❤

Thursday and this still isn't in my podcast feed (I use Overcast, not sure if that contributes to it). I'm fine listening to this at work over YT (especially if YT is more lucrative for HoW than the podcast feeds). But that seems like a longer delay than usual.

Watching this episode, so many things from season 1 came back to mind. Alicent and Otto wanted Aegon on the throne so badly out of ambition and hate and they're surprised at the product of that. A big theme of season 1 was bad decisions and their unwanted consequences. It seemed like they've come face to face with the real consequences. It's hard not to feel bad for the two of them because things have turned so awful, but Alicent has learned nothing and Otto worked hard to set things in motion that led to this. Rhys Ifans did a fantastic job of conveying everything that must've been going thrive Otto's mind this episode.

Daemon has strangled both of the women that’s how Rhaenyra identifies it although she doesn’t have a scar that we can see

Awesome stream ya'll! 🙏Thank you HoW! I name Crispin Lord CommHander

I think daemon saw an opportunity to kill vagars rider which he thought would sway the war if not completely end it

I know there's alot of team black biases out here but aegon is a better father than we would like to believe while daemon gets away with all types of vile things!!!

I wish aagon with have taken blood to sunfyre !to get eaten by him it could’ve of been a call back to what rhaenyra did to vaemond and a great way to introduce sunfyre!!! Also a hint to end won’t spoiled what but if y’all y’all know

Oof. I wonder if aging Daeron down means they will make in Cole's. Or at least conspicuously brunette.

Does show Rhaenyra have agency? Just asking...

would be great if the hosts stop cutting each other so often...we'd like to hear longer thoughts and reasonings

Im sorry i cant with Sean anymore

You corrected yourself for calling a British actor an African American last episode. You gunna correct yourself for saying conservative religious families don’t love each other this episode?

Conservative religious families don’t know how to love each other? Tell me you spend too much time on Reddit without telling me you spend too much time on Reddit.