SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers for HBO’s “ House of the Dragon ” Season 2 finale, titled “The Queen Who Ever Was,” now streaming on Max. Rather than a destructive battle to end Season 2, “House of the Dragon” closes with a fiery exchange of words between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) that will leave you on the edge of your seats as much as any dragon duel would. Instead of beginning in Westeros, the Season 2 finale kicks off in Essos, the sandy, pirate-filled continent off to the east.
Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) is there to negotiate with the Triarchy to support the Greens in exchange for the Stepstones islands. Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn) agrees to lead the naval fleet, after she beats Tyland in a mud wrestling fight, and they set sail to break the blockade around King’s Landing. In the city, Prince Regent Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) returns from burning down an entire town with his dragon Vhagar.
His sister Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) and mother Alicent are appalled at what he’s done, and even more so when he demands Helaena take flight on her dragon Dreamfyre to aid in the war. Alicent stands up for her daughter, who reveals that she knows Aemond severely burned their brother King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) during the Battle of Rook’s Rest. And Aegon is not doing well.
He can barely walk, he’s depressed and he can’t pee without urine running down his leg. His mast.