Warning! Spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 and potentially Episode 5 follow.
HBO has released a teaser for House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5 that offers a glimpse at what to expect following the explosive events of Episode 4.
House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4, titled Dance of the Dragons, includes what some fans are calling one of the best battle scenes ever seen in either original show Game of Thrones or this prequel series.
Check out IGN’s House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 review for a round-up of what happens, but in short: there’s a big dragon battle that sees the apparent death of a major character.
HBO’s teaser for Episode 5 touches on one of the burning questions left hanging after the events of Season 4 (if you haven’t read Fire & Blood, anyway): did King Aegon die in the battle at Rook’s Nest?
In the battle, Aemond Targaryen commands his dragon, Vhagar, to take down his own brother, King Aegon, who rides Sunfyre, while fighting Rhaenys, who rides Meleys. Vhagar leaves Sunfyre so badly injured he falls out of the sky with Aegon on his back.
Post-battle, Aemond finds Aegon lying on the ground with Sunfyre curled around him.
Aemond was already sheathing his sword when Cole shouted, alerting him to his presence. Fratricide allegations are beaten. (Purposefully burning Aegon allegations are not.) A win is a win. pic.twitter.com/KsqUWepycD
— swolemond 💎 HOTD SPOILERS (@slaymond_) July 8, 2024
The episode deliberately leaves Aegon’s fate vague, but the teaser confirms he’s alive, although perhaps not so well, in a brief moment that shows the bed he’s lying in and many concerned faces beside it. Anyone who’s read Fire & Blood will know Aegon survives, of course, but barely.
Elsewhere, the teaser gives us a little more dragon time and shows us the cleanup operation that follows the battle. All the key players are discussing next steps which, since this is House of the Dragon, will inevitably end up in plenty more drama.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Aemond actor Ewan Mitchell called the battle a “seismic event” that changed the future for the characters.
“Going into Episode 5, you are going to see the fallout of Rook’s Rest, which I can’t wait for people to see,” Mitchell said. “It’s a massive blow for Team Black. The line in the sand has been drawn and Aemond just crossed that line. And there’s no going back. I’m sure there will be retaliation.”
Image credit: HBO Max.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
