House of the Dragon Actually Nailed the Real Horror of Blood & Cheese

House of the Dragon season 2 picked up right where Season 1 left off. While Team Black was grieving for Lucerys Velaryon, the Greens were planning their next move when war finally broke out. Many viewers thought that the premiere episode moved slowly until the finale.

The murder of young Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen, son of King Aegon, known to book readers as Blood and Cheese, changed the game and shocked many viewers. However, some found it underwhelming and did not live up to the hype created around it.

What Happened During Blood and Cheese?

In the series, it was Rhaenyra's order to get Prince Aemond's head as revenge for the death of her son Lucerys. Daemon was happy to comply, and organized a plot for two men to enter the castle and assassinate Aemond. However, things didn't go as planned, and instead of killing Aemond, Blood and Cheese beheaded young Pring Jaehaerys.

The scene was taken from the book, but not followed to the letter, which made the book fans a bit disappointed. Sure, the bloody murder of a 6-year-old wasn't an image anyone wanted to see on the screen, but many pointed out that the change in gender of the children made the scene a little less intense.

However, the true horror of the event was better shown immediately after the murder. The camera followed Queen Helaena as she ran through the dark and empty castle with her daughter in her hands, trying to find safety. Not only was she terrified, but her long run created the most chilling parallel.

If you look closely at the path Helaena takes, you can see how it mirrors the path Rhaenyra was forced to take with her newborn son, Joffrey Velaryon, to Alicent when she demanded to see him.

With Helaena now occupying the Queen's chamber and Alicent residing in Rhaenyra's old chambers, House of the Dragon shows yet another tortured mother trying to protect her child, this time on the other side of the war. The difference is that while Rhaenyra had the support and a castle full of people, Helaena had to run alone, scared and unprotected.

While the murder scene itself was as gruesome as anyone would expect, the real horror comes with this realization. To see how the Greens will avenge Jaehaerys, tune into House of the Dragon season 2 every Sunday on HBO and Max.