House of the Dragon Episode 2 is out now, and it helped connect a lot of missing threads that we may have had after watching Game of Thrones. The first two episodes were not just a treat to the eye but full of various Easter eggs and references connecting the two shows.
House of the Dragon is set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen and the events of Game of Thrones. It focuses on House Targaryen and its rise and fall, eventually leading to a civil war, popularly known as the Dance of Dragons.
The first two episodes set up the key characters well, along with delving into succession politics within House Targaryen. Here are some Easter eggs or references from Episode 2 of the series.
1. Ser Ryam Redwyne
Episode 2 begins with King Viserys getting the news of Ser Ryam Redwyne’s death. Ser Ryam was the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
Ryam has been mentioned several times in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series and is considered to be a true hero in Westeros. Jon Snow pretended to be Ser Ryam in sword fights with a young Robb Stark. Bran Stark, too dreamt of becoming a knight like him. There are also instances where Jaime Lannister and Varys call Ryam one of the greatest soldiers to have lived.
Ser Ryam’s mention in the episode places him in the Westeros timeline and connects the series to Game of Thrones.
2. The Silent Sisters
The Silent Sisters were seen frequently in Game of Thrones. In Season 1 Episode 1 itself, they were seen preparing Jon Arryn’s body for his last rites and funeral. They were again seen in Season 4, preparing Joffrey Baratheon’s body after his death.
In Episode 2 of HOTD, it was mentioned that the Silent Sisters are preparing Ser Ryam Redwyne’s body for his funeral. So, the tradition of the Silent Sisters was still prevalent 172 years ago.
The Silent Sisters is a part of the Faith of the Seven, responsible for dressing and preparing the dead for their funeral. Their brief mention shows that the tradition that we see in Game of Thrones dates back to a much earlier period in Westeros.
3. The Free Cities in Westeros
The Free Cities seem to be quite powerful during King Viserys I’s reign. The King tries to avoid war and conflict with them at any cost. These Free Cities were mentioned several times in Game of Thrones, and a few of them were locations of huge significance.
The Free Cities of Essos include Braavos, Lorath, Norvos, Pentos, Myr, Qohot, and Volantis. We’ve heard at least two of these cities mentioned in Game of Thrones. Braavos is the city where Arya Stark travels to join the Faceless Men.
Volantis was where Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen lived after the Mad King’s death. Tyrion and Varys revisited it in Season 5.
4. Mention of the Wall
In Episode 2, Viserys mentions the Wall for the first time in the series. The Wall is not unknown to any Game of Thrones fan and has tremendous significance in the series.
In the episode, Viserys discusses what his course of action should be regarding the antics of his brother, Daemon Targaryen. The King questions the possibility of sending him to the Wall or putting his head on a spike.
Both methods of punishment were frequently seen in Game of Thrones. Jon Snow was sent away to join the Night’s Watch and protect the Wall. The Night’s Watch had a significant role to play throughout the series.
Moreover, Ned Stark ended up with his head on a spike. It seems like these were common punishment methods practiced in Westeros even during King Viserys’ reign.
5. Dreamfyre’s Egg
In Episode 2, Daemon Targaryen steals a dragon egg that belonged to a dragon named Dreamfyre. This caused great conflict between Viserys and Daemon, which was resolved by Rhaenyra without bloodshed.
In the books, Dreamfyre belonged to Aegon the Conqueror’s granddaughter, Rhanea Targaryen. Rhanea’s lover, Ellisa Farman, stole three of Dreamfyre’s eggs after trouble with the Targaryens. The story goes that she sold three of those eggs, which are the same as the ones that were gifted to Daenerys in Season 1 of Game of Thrones.
6. Dragonstone
In Episode 2, we see Daemon Targaryen settled in Dragonstone. This place last appeared in Game of Thrones Season 8, where Dany decided to attack King’s Landing. The long walkway of the castle is reminiscent of Jon Snow’s walk before meeting Dany for the first time.
We can hope to see Dragonstone in its full glory and prime in House of the Dragon while House Targaryen is still ruling.
7. Vhagar, Aegon’s Last Dragon
This one isn’t directly connected to Game of Thrones but is an Easter egg hinting at what could come in the future. In Episode 2, Viserys talks about one of Aegon’s three dragons, Vhagar, to Lady Laena Velayron.
Vhagar was one of three dragons that the Targaryens rode during Aegon’s conquest. The other two dragons were Balerion the Black Dread and Meraxes. Vhagar was ridden by Visenya.
According to Viserys, Vhagar is the biggest dragon alive in Westeros during the time when House of the Dragon is set and is Aegon’s last surviving dragon. In the books, Lady Laena is also Vhagar’s dragonrider for a while.
8. The Second Sons
Towards the end of the episode, Daemon Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon are seen having a crucial conversation. They ended up joining hands against the Crab Feeder. During this conversation, Corlys tells Daemon that they are “the realm’s second sons.” This line has two important GOT references.
Firstly, Daario Naharis’ sellsword company was called the Second Sons. But more importantly, “Second Sons” was the title of Game of Thrones Season 3 Episode 8, where Tyrion Lannister marries Sansa Stark.
Daemon Targaryen has characteristic similarities with both Tyrion Lannister and Stannis Baratheon. Like Stannis, he too has a brother for a king, deems him unworthy of ruling, and wants to become King himself. Stannis also believed he should have been made Hand of the King, while Robert always trusted Ned Stark more. Daemon shares a similar grievance about Viserys.
Daemon’s similarity with Tyrion is more factual than characteristic. Daemon seems to be in love with a whore, which reminds us of Tyrion Lannister’s love story with Shae. However, apart from that, Daemon does not seem to have too much in common with Tyrion.
Philosophically speaking, the “second son” statement is of great significance. It shows how, historically, one brother ends up being less favored by the family as well as the council compared to another, while there’s always a question about their capability.
Daemon and Lord Corlys both fall into such a category. They seem to believe themselves worthy of much more than they have. However, it does not end well for such figures in most cases, if we go by history.
9. Choosing Violence
When Otto Hightower marches to Dragonstone on behalf of the King to confront Daemon for stealing a dragon’s egg, he says “choosing violence” now would mean declaring war against the King.
This might be reading too much into it, but it seems like a callback to Cersei Lannister’s iconic line in Game of Thrones Season 6, where she told the Faith Militant that she “chooses violence” when she was forced to come to court by High Sparrow.
10. About House Of The Dragon
House of the Dragon is the prequel series to HBO’s blockbuster Game of Thrones based on George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.
Set three hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will show Westeros under the Targaryen family’s rule before the dragons went extinct. It will follow the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra, who fought for the throne after the death of their father, Viserys I.
Directed by Ryan Condall and Miguel Sapochnik, the show stars Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Craney as Aegon II Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, and Graham McTavish.
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