House of the Dragon S2 Most Heartbreaking Moment Is Even Sadder Than You Thought
You wouldn't know that if you hadn't read the books.
The two-year wait is over: the first episode of the second season of House of the Dragon has premiered on HBO. The debut episode is called A Son for a Son. It was a solid start that successfully quenches the fan's thirst, does not overload the storyline with new characters and makes a confident step forward literally one minute before the end credits.
Lucerys' Death Was the Most Heartbreaking Moment in The Show
In the first season, before the final episode, there was a glimmer of hope that war could be avoided. Rhaenyra was willing to sacrifice her pride and give up her claim to the throne in exchange for high positions for her sons. But when Alicent's arrogant and self-righteous son, Aemond, accidentally kills Rhaenyra's son, Lucerys, during an aerial dragon battle, war becomes the only solution.
One of the episode's most emotional moments is the farewell to Lucerys. Rhaenyra is grieving, having recently buried her father and now her son. The dead prince's things burn, and the viewers realize that there is no way back. The only words Rhaenyra speaks in the premiere episode are an order to kill the one-eyed Aemond, who caused her son's death.
Rhaenyra's grief broke many fans' hearts, but the fact that many were unaware will break your heart again.
It Was Not Only Rhaenyra Who Grieved for Her Child
Remember how Rhaenyra wept over the remains of Arrax, Lucerys' dragon, and Syrax roared as if to release her rider's pain? As it turned out, it wasn't that dragons sense their riders' emotional states, but that Syrax, like Rhaenyra, was grieving for her own son.
“Arrax (Lucerys' dragon) is also [the] son of Syrax (Rhaenyra's dragon)... so both mothers are mourning in this scene,” X user RON1NSenju pointed out.
Although the only thing known for certain from the books is that Rhaena Targaryen's dragon Morning was from Syrax's clutch, it is also believed that all of Rhaenyra's sons' dragons were also Syrax's children.
Apparently, the writers decided to confirm this information by showing Syrax's reaction to Arrax's death, making the scene even more heartbreaking.