WARNING! This article contains MAJOR spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1 and future spoilers from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book, on which the show is based.
Summary
- The Blood & Cheese moment in House of the Dragon leads to a horrifying death streak for Team Green characters.
- House Targaryen’s history during the Dance of the Dragons becomes ruthless and catastrophic after this pivotal event.
- The unofficial curse from that tragic night impacts the Targaryen family for generations to come, leading to devastating consequences.
This article contains potentially distressing discussions of graphic violence, child death, and suicide.
After Blood & Cheese, House of the Dragon has now introduced one of House Targaryen’s most devastating death curses throughout the family’s history in Westeros. Once King Aegon I Targaryen conquered Westeros, the Targaryen family tree ruled from the Iron Throne with 18 kings and queens, though each generation was riddled with its own set of tragedies and devastations. One of the most catastrophic eras in House Targaryen’s history was their civil war, the Dance of the Dragons, which led to the deaths of numerous Targaryens and their dragons as King Viserys’ heirs vied for the Iron Throne.
Game of Thrones already prepared audiences to expect their favorite characters to die brutal deaths at one point or another, and House of the Dragon is arguably even worse. While numerous House of the Dragon characters will die in battle or at the hands of their family members, more than might be expected end up taking their own lives. Horrifyingly, several of these deaths stem back to the agonizing moment featured in House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1’s ending, with the curse of being involved in this tragedy staying with every character present that night.
House Of The Dragon’s Blood & Cheese Moment Leads To A Horrible Death Streak In House Targaryen
The Greens present on that night have terrible fates
Considering everything that transpires after the brutal murder, House of the Dragon’s Blood & Cheese moment essentially creates an unofficial curse for the Greens. Including young Prince Jaehaerys, everyone there on the night of Blood & Cheese on the Greens’ side ends up dying horrifically – and it’s already even worse in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood book. Furthermore, all of these horrifying deaths end up happening in a 3–4 year span of House of the Dragon’s timeline, taking the lives of Criston, Helaena, Jaehaera, Alicent, and – in the book – Maelor.
Team Green Character | How They Die In Fire & Blood |
|---|---|
Prince Jaehaerys | Beheaded by Blood & Cheese |
Ser Criston Cole | Killed by Northern soldiers in the Butcher’s Ball |
Prince Maelor | Killed either by mob, accidental crushing, or murder trying to flee King’s Landing |
Queen Helaena Targaryen | Dies by suicide after the Fall of King’s Landing |
Queen Alicent Hightower | Killed by the winter fever shortly after the Dance of the Dragons ends |
Princess Jaehaera | Dies by suicide shortly after Alicent’s death |
According to Fire & Blood, King Aegon has all ratcatchers hanged to ensure Cheese’s death, with Blood also being captured and fatally tortured. The next character related to Blood & Cheese to die is Criston Cole, who is killed by Northern soldiers in battle. In the book, the following death is Helaena’s son Maelor, who was killed trying to flee King’s Landing, though he was cut from the show. Helaena then dies by suicide after the trauma of Blood & Cheese before the war’s end. She’s followed in death by Alicent Hightower, who dies of a fever shortly after the war, and finally, Jaehaera, who dies by suicide after marrying King Aegon III Targaryen.
Related
Just Wait: Criston Cole’s Death Is Going To Be So Satisfying
Criston Cole is one of House of the Dragon’s most hated characters, which will make his death scene all the more satisfying to see in the show.
How Blood & Cheese Completely Changes The Dance Of The Dragons’ Targaryen War
The Dance becomes a ruthless and catastrophic event
With so many Targaryens from Team Green dying after being closely tied to the events of Blood & Cheese, it’s clear that the horrors of this atrocity didn’t end on that night. Rather, it sent the Dance of the Dragons to a point of no return with ruthlessness and full-out war being waged on both sides. Trust and any attempt at reconciliation was gone on both sides, with Aegon being hellbent on violent vengeance and quick retaliations. Consequently, Rhaenyra is forced to show her hand as well after Aegon seeks his revenge in battle, sending the Targaryens down a devastating path that costs them for generations after House of the Dragon.
New episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 release Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
House of the Dragon
Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.
- Cast
- Jefferson Hall , Paddy Considine , Fabien Frankel , Ryan Corr , Eve Best , Gavin Spokes , Graham McTavish , Steve Toussaint , Olivia Cooke , Sonoya Mizuno , Bill Paterson , Matthew Needham , Emma D’Arcy , Matt Smith , Rhys Ifans , David Horovitch
- Release Date
- August 21, 2022
- Seasons
- 2
- Directors
- Miguel Sapochnik , Clare Kilner , Alan Taylor , Greg Yaitanes , Geeta Vasant Patel , Andrij Parekh
- Showrunner
- Ryan Condal
