SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “Home of the Dragon” Season 2 Episode 5, titled “Regent,” now streaming on Max.
After last Sunday’s fire dragon battle killed Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Finest) and Meleys dragon, this week’s “Home of the Dragon” episode eased things up a bit, showing the aftermath of Rook’s Relaxation.
The battle may have been won for the greens, but no one was celebrating at King’s Touchdown. Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and his men march on Meleys head through the streets, but the audience is more scared than impressed by the useless dragon. The troops bring in King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) for medical therapy after he and the dragon Sunfyre are ambushed and set ablaze by his brother Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and the vicious dragon, Vhagar.
Aegon didn’t try as hard as usual. His armor melted into his pores and skin, his bones shattered and the maesters weren’t sure how long he would live. Along with his comatose brother, Aemond goes on to the Iron Throne and becomes prince regent – which could be his plan. He jumps his mother, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), who doesn’t like being passed over in the line of succession.
Across the ocean, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) mourns the death of his wife Rhaenys, and Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) must strategize after defeating the greatest dragon of the black. Her son Jace (Harry Collett) continues to gather allies, but Rhaenyra doesn’t need to risk her oldest child’s life to fight.
In Harrenhal, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) keeps his eye on the terrifying goal of the haunted castle hall. After being tormented by the revelations of the younger Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) and his late wife Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell), this time he targets his mother Alyssa Targaryen – but while she is having an affair with him. The chilling Oedipal episode shows that Daemon resents being a young brother to King Viserys and not claiming the Iron Throne for himself. At the same time, Rhaenyra realizes that she wants the Daemons and the dragons to fight, so she sends Ser Alfred Broome (Jamie Kenna) to send them home.
The episode ends with Aemond trying ominously on the Iron Throne, Aegon mendacity pitifully in bed and Jace and Rhaenyra brainstorming the right way to stop Aemond and Vhagar. The Blacks have dragons, but they want extra riders, so they decided to look for “dragonseeds” – strange people with Targaryen blood lineage who can Mount animals. Rhaenyra’s forces are 0-2 against Vhagar, so this could be a shot as far as percentage goes.
Glynn-Carney doesn’t have much to do as Aegon in this episode, as he’s covered in third-degree burns and confined to a bed, but his presence still looms large in Westeros. with Electiontalking about the disaster after the war, the betrayal of Aemond and what happened next for the broken king.
What is it like to see the make-up and prosthetics for Aegon look after Rook’s Relaxation?
The test phase is long, and it will take some time to work out what to do. A lot of totally different variations. That we settled there was gnarly, to say the least.
How do you do the makeup for almost every episode? Is there a level of space where you mention waking up for a short scene? In “Hearth & Blood,” Aegon is out for a year, so I wonder how much Aegon is worth?
Actually, no, we can’t give Aemond a year or two to enjoy his place. We need to speed things up a bit. But that’s good. It limits in all appropriate ways. It’s claustrophobia. It knows the way I breathe and transfer and speak, every time I do it. I used to be very grateful to be included in the dialogue course, from conception stage to tip.
Have you made a new voice for Aegon when he can communicate again?
I’m not making a new sound. I did a lot of analysis on how intense heat and burn can affect your vocal folds, and it just blew it all away. Obviously I couldn’t do this for myself, so I had to find an option to replicate it. That’s one of the things I’ve noticed about this new phase of Aegon. He must feel transformed, like he has moved on. And I hope the reader eventually.
In his incapacitated state, Aegon knew Aemond deliberately attacked and burned him? How do you interpret the main scene of Episode 4, when it looks like Aemond is sharpening his sword as he approaches Aegon, or he’s going to kill him?
The viewer to solve the problem. I can’t touch it. I don’t need to tell people what to think. That’s up for grabs.
Aegon and Sunfyre had a great scene in Episode 4 when they were riding. What level of responsibility does Aegon feel for what happened to the dragon?
He was important to Aegon. What I love about the second is that there is a bit of a little lightness proven in the relationship to each other, and the vulnerability between the 2 of them. It’s a joke, I have an exquisite golden retriever, and the day we had that scene, it seemed to have Ziggy, my canine, a form of chest pressure. It felt more like her. So any interaction I have with Sunfyre is like having my own dog.
There is understanding and appreciation of each other, they usually do not see each other as they usually want, but there is in all probability a good reason for that. It lends itself to exhibiting Aegon’s vulnerability and that soft facet that I have tried to carve out a bit extra from this season.
So Aegon will feel responsible for what happened?
In fact. It’s like taking your dog for a walk and he gets hit by a car. That was my fault.
How does taking Aegon from the place have any effect on Alicent and the greens?
Actually, from Aegon’s bed, in all probability thought to give him a bit of extra room to be extra from the dominant pressure in the small council. It frees up the chair at the end of the desk. I don’t think in Aegon’s bed he was thinking “Oh, chances are Aemond will be sitting there as prince regent.”
So you don’t think Aegon thinks Aemond intends to sit on the Iron Throne? Again in Season 1, there is another place where Aegon does not need the throne, but Aemond is introduced again to serve.
I believe it is the place that the concept in the first season 2 was born, the place where Aegon spoke about how Aemond is loyal as a canine and can attack the enemy on command and see where he is in the world. But the coin can be released at any time. We are all dancing on the edge of a knife, and all it takes is one small push from one aspect. With the volatility inherent in Targaryen blood, there is every potential moment for betrayal. But then again, was it intentional? Who knows?
What will Westeros be like with Aemond as king?
They’re going to be metal fists, aren’t they? I believe that he will be a cold king, and he may be a cold king. At least from the beginning, they need someone to care about. He usually talks about being bullied as a child, so he needs to recover as a safe and effective person who can’t be bullied, which can be dangerous in the royal arena.
In Episode 4, Aegon joins the Rook Relaxation Battle because he seems to be neglected in the council, and he should be a very good king. They make some questionable choices, but it looks like they’re trying to do the right thing. How did you play him during that time?
He must be seen as a very good king. That’s totally different become a wonderful king. It’s about the impressions and the way they are perceived. The best way I take part in people is about how they are perceived by King’s Touchdown and Westeros usually. They should appear to be doing the right thing. That for me has a sell-by date when he realizes that some of these choices he makes do not serve him.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
