We recall and discuss what we saw in the first episode of the second season of House of the Dragon: Rhaenyra's mourning, the return of the Wall, and Daemon's bloody revenge.

After almost 2 years, House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, has returned to screens with a new season that promises to be even more epic, intriguing, and ambiguous.

As we remember, the previous season left viewers witnessing the prelude to a major civil war among the Targaryens (and a bit of the Hightowers and Velaryons). And now it's no longer time for preludes – it's time to act! Or not. Let's discuss in the breakdown of the first episode titled "A Son for a Son" (not a spoiler at all, yeah), directed by series veteran Alan Taylor.

Warning: spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 1

New Opening Credits

The creators decided to surprise from the very first seconds, as the show presents a new opening credits sequence, albeit to the familiar melody by Ramin Djawadi, which has been giving chills for nearly two decades.

The bloodline on the stone, representing the Targaryen dynasty from the first season, is gone, replaced by a tapestry depicting the events of the "Dance of the Dragons" that we are witnessing directly in the series House of the Dragon. It is likely that in the future, from episode to episode, the intro will be supplemented with new events of the war.

Meeting Cregan Stark and Returning to the Wall

To the equally captivating Stark musical theme, the Starks finally enter the story of House of the Dragon. Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor), Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, already during the Dance of the Dragons, shows Jacaerys (aka Jace) Velaryon (Harry Collett) his home and, more importantly, the Wall.

By the way, if you're confused about who's who in House of the Dragon or forgot the names of all the Targaryen children, check out , where we've laid out the characters of the divided family.

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Open material

In the conversation between Cregan and the young Velaryon prince, familiar Stark themes emerge: duty and honor. Standing atop the Wall, he tells Jace the story of how Jaehaerys I Targaryen and Queen Alysanne once visited it with their dragons – Vermithor and Silverwing – and both great beasts refused to cross the Wall. That is, the hint of the White Walkers' threat was already there.

Their meeting is cut short because Jace receives a raven informing him of the murder of his brother Lucerys by Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell). But beforehand, Cregan confirmed that Winterfell would support Rhaenyra with an army of 2,000 seasoned warriors.

The Complicated Relationship of Alicent and Criston. Saga

The relationship between Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) has certainly heated up since the end of the first season. Now they constantly take time away from their duties in the Red Keep to... sleep together. Although, as we well know, members of the Kingsguard swear vows of celibacy and all that. But, as we know even better, this "ser" doesn't care too much about his oaths and vows. And then he himself talks about Alicent's kind heart in conversations with Aemond...

And How is King Aegon?

Aegon II brings young Jaehaerys to a small council meeting with the phrase "One day he will be king. I'm not sure about that!" Remember this.

At the meeting, we get a summary of forces in King's Landing. The Baratheons in the Stormlands, the Lannisters at Casterly Rock, the family of the Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) in Oldtown – all have bent the knee to Aegon.

Aegon II himself is impatient. The young man wants to personally ride out on dragons and strike at Rhaenyra, but the council warns him that the kingdom cannot risk its king. By the way, Tom Glynn-Carney, who plays Aegon, not only resembles Vanya Dmitrienko but also acts brilliantly, noticeably strengthening an already excellent cast.

In the next scene, Aegon II sits on the throne to hear the pleas of common people. And although the character somewhat resembles the late Joffrey from Game of Thrones, he is not a tyrant and a psycho, at least not always. He genuinely wants to do something good for his people, even though the Hand curbs his desires at every step.

Rhaenyra Finds Arrax's Wing – Confirmation of Her Son's Death

At the beginning of the second season, Queen Rhaenyra is missing. After news of Lucerys's death, Daemon informs Rhaenys (Eve Best) that the queen took Syrax with her on a flight and has been absent for some time.

Where did she go? She scours the coast around Shipbreaker Bay in search of any trace of Arrax or Lucerys. Until she finds them, she refuses to believe her son is dead. Eventually, she notices a group of men pulling something large from the ocean with a net. She flies down, scatters them, then runs to the net and sees that it is one of Arrax's wings.

This is the proof she needed, and she and Syrax mourn their losses on the shore for the first time. Then she returns to Dragonstone, ready for revenge and demanding that Aemond Targaryen be brought to her.

Aemond's Willfulness

While Otto Hightower and other members of the Small Council secure the support of other families and methodically prepare for a major war, Aemond discusses with Criston a plan for a sharper and harsher seizure of power in the Seven Kingdoms. He calls what is happening now "the war of quills and ravens," hinting that his allies prefer words to action. But Otto Hightower, as with Aegon's impulses to help common people, urges the prince to hold his horses, while buttering him up with phrases about how he and his dragon are the main and most fearsome force in Westeros.

Blood and Cheese, or A Son for a Son

Many book fans talked about this moment when the series was first announced, and we finally got it at the end of the season two premiere. Rhaenyra wants Aemond for Lucerys's death – "a son for a son," as the episode title suggests. Daemon also craves vengeance throughout the episode. He eagerly takes on the task – dons a hood, sneaks into King's Landing to find a former ally from the City Watch (Blood) and a ratcatcher (Cheese) who knows how to get into the Red Keep to find and kill Aemond. He bribes them to kill Aemond and bring him the prince's head.

Everything goes awry, and they end up stumbling upon Helaena Targaryen with her six-year-old twins – Prince Jaehaerys (the very future king according to Aegon) and Princess Jaehaera. "Blood" and "Cheese" force her under threat of death to reveal which of the twins is the king's heir, which she eventually does. The moment may not play out exactly as in the books, but it has the same bloody end – the beheading of Prince Jaehaerys. For added effect, it all happens off-screen, while we see Helaena's face, and then Alicent's.

Right from the start, the new season of House of the Dragon feels like a significant step forward for the project. The pace is faster, the characters more interesting, winter war closer. This is a battle no one wants – and no one is ready for. But it's already too late to turn back, and we are in for the indescribable horror of a bloody conflict. And even minor flaws, like the fact that any ordinary ratcatcher can freely roam the royal castle, do not spoil the overall impression.

Teaser for Episode 2: