House of the Dragon has found a new way to shock in its season 2 premiere.

Welcome to Questionable Characters of Westeros! After each House of the Dragon episode, Slate’s writers gather to ponder an important question: Who takes the crown of most shady character in Westeros? This week, senior editor Sam Adams and contributing writer Nadira Goffey rise to the challenge.

Sam Adams: Welcome, fellow viewers. A staggering 22 months have passed since we last gathered to identify the field’s most underappreciated individual, and here we are once again. In this age of streaming, there is a lot of variation between seasons. To spice things up, I tried an experiment – ​​diving into the Season 2 premiere without any prior preparation. Needless to say, this was a huge mistake. The opening scene transported me to the familiar courtyard of Winterfell and then to the Wall, where a startling conversation between two characters unfolded that I couldn’t place, despite the weak aid of the introductory recap. Ultimately I consulted the Dance of the Dragons entry on the A Song of Ice and Fire Wiki to understand the plot. Still, it raises a bigger question: How can we uncover Westeros’ most questionable character when half the cast remains a mystery? Before we start our nominations, Nadira, how was your return to the House of the Dragon universe?

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Nadira Goffe: I tried to do something similar, but barely four minutes in I realized I didn’t even remember that young Penn Badgley (aka Harry Collette) was playing Rhaenyra’s son, Jacqueris. So, I defaulted to my trusty YouTube. A quick recap (thanks to the Man of Recaps for saving me once again). Now that I’m stuck, the House of the Dragon is back in full swing where we left off, it’s just been a few days since Aemond accidentally killed Rhaenyra’s youngest son, Lucerys, taking over Westeros effectively. Apparently plunged into a full-blown dragonfire showdown, Rhaenyra now searches for proof of Lucreyes’ death, while her allies prepare for what’s to come when the proof is found, so she demands Aemond’s head as retribution – after all, they’ve already taken one of his eyes, so why not his other eyes too? Daemon vows to fulfill her request as #TeamRhaenyra strengthens their alliance Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, Aliscent struggles to control her troublesome son who wields significant power, Ser Crestine Cole Enjoying your relationship with.

Alicent’s father, Otto – who ignited the feud between Alicent and Rhaenyra years earlier – acts as the Hand to the King, ensuring no further missteps are made as the Hightowers aim for unopposed rule. Aemond is stubbornly unapologetic, adopting an ‘all’s fair in love and war, mother’ mentality. Basically, everyone in Westeros appears to be morally bankrupt. My only sympathies go to the bereaved Rhaenyra and young Jace, who has just learned of her brother’s tragic death. But the scariest thing of all is that there is no shortage of contenders for the baddest person in Westeros. I have my doubts, but let’s consider all the top suspects this week.

What do you think of Daemon and Aemond in this episode? To me, they’re like two sides of the same coin – ironically, their names are even made up of the same letters – and both display a disturbing lack of empathy (Daemon towards Rhaenyra’s grief; Daemon towards his own Emond), which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Adams: Let’s dive into Emond first, shall we? He is perhaps the most villainous character in House of the Dragon, almost cartoonishly evil, with his slanting one-eyed gaze and no hint of remorse. Accidentally killed his nephew and established an empire -the widespread crisis didn’t bother him much. Still, as despicable as he is, I’m not sure his worst crime this week – disrupting the small council to eagerly advocate war – is certainly unpleasant. But this pales in comparison to the depth to which he is capable of corruption. So, strategically speaking, let’s hold off on that assessment for a week when his true monstrosity will take center stage.

I see Damon the same way – when someone is consistently exposed to that level of malice, he starts to lose his shock value – although this week he hatches a particularly sinister plan. But before we delve into him, I propose another contender from his lineage: Emond’s brother, the newly crowned King Aegon.

In a sense, Aegon is trying to live up to the name of the Conqueror, burdening this Aegon II with the less intimidating epithet ‘the Magnanimous’, though his generosity is greater. Stemming from his weakness. (He’s not even the brightest; he doesn’t even understand the meaning of ‘liberal’.) When ordinary people come to him with complaints, his tendency is to cater to their every wish, motivated more by the desire for popularity.

It occurs sense of justice. His father Viserys may not have been the most obedient of kings, but on the other hand, he did have a moral compass that would be swayed by whatever he whispered in his ear for the last time and we all know the potential of King’s Landing. How many were there? Aspiring climbers love a flexible monarch. This week, at least, he’s less of a deadly threat and more of a scheming little rodent: Her major crimes include inviting a child to the Small Council and humiliating Tyland Lannister by telling him that the eve of war is not ideal for ‘Bring your Princeling to Work Day.’ This is extremely unpleasant, yet I suspect that his current actions are only setting the stage for future atrocities. Nadira, where do you stand on this? Who is your least favorite Targaryen this week?

Goffe: Oh my god, if sheer incompetence and the pain of dealing with shit were enough to earn someone the title of worst, Egon would undoubtedly take the crown. Watching Tyland Lannister struggle with a child wearing a 613 lace-front 18-inch wig is amusing, but Aegon has definitely earned my vote for least favorite Targaryen this week, though, being the area’s biggest doormat in its highest seat isn’t enough to earn him the ‘worst’ designation, so, we find ourselves another villain worthy of the title. Otto is an attractive candidate, but at this point most of his Betrayal feels residual, surprisingly, Alicent is doing her best like a tired mother – isn’t this relevant to potential suitors on the sidelines, Larry Strong strikes me as the most intriguing plotter, having demonstrated his ruthlessness by plotting the deaths of his own father and brother last season, though he is barely featured in this episode. 

Which leads me to my main complaint about this series: a lot of the villains are bad, but where are the really bad guys? Perhaps it’s time we looked at the Daemon’s evil plot you describe, and consider that this week’s most despicable person may not even be a Targaryen.To appease his niece-wife, Daemon hatches a plan to eliminate Aemond by hiring two mercenaries – a classic pairing of bravery and cunning – to infiltrate the castle and assassinate the prince. Is. Needless to say, things don’t go according to plan. What are your thoughts on this episode’s big debacle?

Adams: I have to admit, I found it quite tempting. If my memory serves me right, Daemon has always been one of the more capable and less affected by the Targaryen tradition of inbreeding. However, he makes a major error in judgment by entrusting an incredibly delicate task to two extremely delicate individuals. (Historically known as Blood and Cheese, although here they’re just regular people.) While Rhaenyra, despite bearing the burden of her son’s death, demonstrates wisdom and restraint in pausing, gathering her thoughts, and uniting her forces before making a decision about herself. Taking the next step, Damon is determined to seek vengeance – specifically, “a son for a son”, as the episode aptly states. (Given the presence of Aemond Targaryen, it’s best to stay away from any discussion involving the Eye altogether.) Thus, he dons his top secret costume, seizes a bag of coins, and sneaks into King’s Landing. Enters.

His plan seems simple enough: Blood, a disgraced former lawman, and Cheese, an experienced rat catcher, are tasked with infiltrating the castle and eliminating a blindfolded white man.

Simple and, in the case of revenge, absolutely straightforward. But as they say, you get what you pay for, and a handful of coins is not enough compensation for a properly executed royal assassination. Damon’s new recruits prove adept at avoiding detection as they infiltrate the castle, but fail to identify their intended target.

Mistaking Aegon’s wife and sister, Helena, and her young children as their quarry, they only recall the mention of a son by the white man with the bag of gold, who murdered 6-year-old Jaehaerys as alleged proof of their successful mission. Was formally beheaded. I find both the cruelty and unpredictability of this act strangely compelling.

Game of Thrones was famous for its complex storylines and counterplots, which often culminated in shocking, last-minute revelations, before some unfortunate soul suffered their gruesome fate – whether by having their throat cut or served in a hot pie. Has gone. However, House of the Dragon sheds more light on the unintended consequences – the terrible consequences that arise when weapons of mass destruction fall into the hands of people with unlimited authority and insufficient genetic diversity.

Daemon’s plan is crude and impulsive, yet it succeeds in robbing the king of his male heir and pushing the realm dangerously close to full-scale war. (The fact that there’s not a single guard stationed outside the queen’s chambers in a state on high alert strains credibility to the level of “Danny forgot about the Iron Fleet”, but we’ll get to that detail for now.) Will ignore.)

Not since Tywin Lannister’s end on the privy has royal blood suffered such a humiliating blow. Royal lineage may confer certain privileges, but it is no protection against one’s death at the hands of those of the lowest rank. It seems we have limited it to a two-way debate. So, Nadira, in your eyes, is blood worst, or is it cheese?

Goffe: I completely agree, Sam. The closing moments of the episode left me simultaneously disappointed and strangely thrilled — though upon reflection, I realized how compelling it was from a narrative standpoint. Sheer cruelty aside, it effectively hooked me into a show I’ve been vacillating from the beginning. When Daemon hires those two bad guys to assassinate Aemond, the thing raises the important question: ‘What if we can’t find him?’ Damon’s response, open to interpretation but hinting at ‘find her or suffer the consequences’, added a layer of dark humor as the pair bickered over their target (until it became ridiculous, of course), Damon has probably made a mistake offscreen (beyond your bad state). Mercenary’s choice) by uttering the words ‘A son for a son’. If he really did say this for Blood and Cheese – those names now seem ridiculously incongruous with the havoc they’ve caused – then Damon deserves more condemnation for failing to make it clear that this was a complete deal. Kind of belonged to a specific son.

I appreciate your distinction between the two series, especially how House of the Dragon is ‘D’oh!’ Sets itself apart with moments like! Events. What strikes me about this particular act of violence is its reflection of the underlying immaturity shared by almost all the players in the drama of the house. The animosity between Rhaenyra and Aliscent stems from childish grudges, Daemon and Aemond act driven by instinct, and Aegon displays the authority of a spoiled child. Even claimants to the throne, descendants of playground fights that turned deadly, demonstrate naïveté or trust others unworthy of the actions they have taken. Their collective inability to unite and fulfill their duties underlines their lack of maturity. They crave power intensely, yet consistently abuse it – far more intensely than any player on Game of Thrones.

It’s no wonder they miss important moments so often. Now, the conflict is not about loyalty, duty, rules, dying wishes or prophecies, but purely about vengeance – a cycle that is far more destructive, because generational vengeance has no clear endpoint. But back to your question: between the two intruders who tragically decapitated a child, I lean toward Blood as the worst culprit, because he actually committed the heinous act.

Adams: Check this out: Cheese gives his cute little terrier a solid kick to the ribs, which I can’t take for granted. But the thirst for blood drives him to the throat, and while the episode spares us from seeing his crimes directly, the sound design ensures we hear the spray of arteries and the horrific severing of tendons as a child’s head is torn from its body gets separated. ( it happens ) On the one hand, he’s just a pawn, and the fact that these dopes let the queen stroll out of the room to alert the guards while they’re still laboriously beheading her son makes it likely they’re about to be shown the more sadistic side of the king’s justice. But his sheer lack of restraint, the depraved determination with which he carries out his task, is somehow worse than Daemon’s bloodlust. Say what you will about Westerosi nobility’s thirst for vengeance, but at least it’s an ethos.

So thank you, Nadira, and congratulations, Blood. Until King Aegon’s dragon slowly roasts you alive, you hold the title of the worst person in Westeros.