What happens in Season 2, Episode 4 – ‘The Red Dragon and The Gold’?
WARNING: Major spoilers for Season 2, Episode 4 – ‘The Red Dragon and The Gold’ ahead.
At Harrenhal, Daemon is still hallucinating a young Rhaenyra in his sleep, but is awoken by Simon Strong with news of a raven.
Hearing Ser Criston’s army has tripled in strength as more turn to support the Hightower faction, he becomes aware Harrenhal is in trouble and he needs to create an army quickly.
It doesn’t help that Lord Grover Tully is on his deathbed, and his young grandson has been sent in his place, and seems unprepared to unite his men for battle.
Princess Rhaenys arrives to meet Corlys on his ship, and runs into Alyn, noting he was handsome. Within seconds she realises he is the bastard son of Corlys, and encourages her husband to embrace, not hide him, especially after saving his life.
In King’s Landing, Queen Alicent requests a moon tea from the Grand Maester, suggesting that she is pregnant and wants to get rid of the child.
Still mulling over what she discovered from Rhaenyra about the Song of Ice and Fire, she questions the Grand Maester about Viserys’s intentions.
Baela returns to the Black Council to warn them about Ser Criston and his men’s moves, while Ser Criston continues to acquire an Army, beheading those who refuse to bend the knee to King Aegon. When he receives a letter, he changes course, heading to the Crownlands and Rook’s Rest.
As news Daemon has acquired Harrenhal reaches King’s Landing, Aegon continues to be out of his depth, and becomes infuriated with Aemond stepping up as a war planner, speaking to Criston without his input.
When Larys visits Alicent, he realises quickly she is undergoing an abortion, and speaks with her about her fears she has chosen the wrong fight with Aegon as King.
Daemon meets a woman named Alys Rivers, as he continues to struggle with his grip on reality and envisions his ex-wife, Laena.
Aegon speaks to Alicent about his frustrations with the Green Council, saying he’s not being listened to – prompting her to deliver harsh realities about his attitude towards being King.
As Ser Criston’s Army prepares to advance on Rook’s Rest to seize it, Ser Gwayne gives him words of hesitation, which go ignored.
Rhaenyra returns to Dragonstone and reveals she’s been to King’s Landing, but war is now a necessity in order to win.
Jacaerys encourages attack as they learn of Rook’s Rest, and Rhaenyra offers to head there on her dragon. While the others talk her down, Rhaenys offers to go in her stead.
A drunken Aegon, tired of doing nothing and opting to ignore his mother’s warning, dons armour, and heads to Rook’s Rest on his dragon as well.
As battle commences, Rhaenyra tells her successor, Jacaerys, about the Song of Ice and Fire, while Aemond secretly waits to join in the fight as well aboard Vhagar.
His plans change briefly after the arrival of Aegon on Sunfyre, but the unprepared King is quickly overpowered by Rhaenys on Meleys. When Aemond and Vhagar finally arrive, instead of helping his brother, he sets him ablaze, leaving Aegon and his dragon to tumble to the ground below.
Rhaenys and Aemond continue to fight, with the dragons landing on the battlefield, killing dozens and knocking Ser Criston unconscious. When Rhaenys believes she is safe, Vhagar attacks Meleys, killing the dragon. Defeated, Rhaenys accepts her fate as they fall to the ground, and through the castle.
As Ser Criston comes to, he sees the carnage left behind by the battle, and goes to seek Aegon, finding Aemond with his sword drawn. Asking where Aegon is, he’s horrified to see the King’s badly mutilated body, crumpled next to his dragon.
What casualties have Team Black and Team Green suffered so far?
Team Black – casualties and losses so far
- Lucerys Velaryon - Status: Death by dragon (eaten by Vhagar)
- Ser Erryk Cargyll - Status: Death by duel
- Rhaenys Velaryon - Status: Death by dragon fight
Team Green – casualties and losses so far
- Baby Jaehaerys - Status: Death by beheading
- Ser Arryk Cargyll - Status: Death by duel
- King Aegon II - Status: Unconfirmed (either dead or severely injured)
- Ser Gwayne Hightower - Status: Unconfirmed (was caught in midst of battle)
Who is Alys Rivers?
While she may not have cut much of a dominating figure so far, in the books Alys Rivers becomes a key player in the Targaryen civil war.
Although she looks young, according to the books she is around 40 years old at the time of the Dance of Dragons.
According to some, she is considered a witch – and similar to Heleana Targaryen, appears to have prophetic abilities.
She proves to be cold when Daemon has his talk with her, especially as it seems she knows he’s having hallucinations.
Showrunner Ryan Condal explained: “Alys Rivers is written about quite a bit in the book.
“She’s described as a kind of woods witch that lives at Harrenhal [and] has possibly been there for hundreds of years.
“You don’t really know immediately whether she is what she says she is.”
Matt Smith, who plays Daemon, added: “She instils a sort of curiosity in Daemon. What is she? Was she here? Is she influencing me? Am I beholden to her?”
Condal added: “She understands things about him, whether because she's just a good reader of people, or there's something else going on. And she penetrates him in a way that I think fascinates him but also makes him very uncomfortable.
“I think it’s really up for debate whether Alice is shaping Daemon's journey in terms of his kind of spiritual awakening, or if he's doing that himself.”
Prior to meeting Daemon, she was believed to be the secret daughter of Lyonel Strong, and history notes that she was a wet nurse for his legitimate sons, Larys and Harwin.
While we won’t give away too much about what the future holds, the books dictate she has a particular role in Aemond Targaryen’s life.
The Fall of King Aegon
At the end of the episode, King Aegon’s life has been left hanging in the balance after his attempt to face battle at Rook’s Rest.
It seems he’s been taken down by his brother, Aemond, who commanded his dragon Vhagar to open fire on him when also facing Rhaenys.
At the end of his episode, his body lies broken next to that of dragon Sunfyre, with his future left uncertain.
For actor Tom Glynn-Carney, who plays him, he was spurred on to make his drunken decision due to his desire to be accepted - and after being shamed by his brother Aemond at the Small Council, and shunned by his mother in their discussion, it was a spiralling moment.
He said: “Contrary to many people's beliefs, Aegon is a very sensitive individual. He wants his mum's love. He wants his mum's validation. He wants her to believe in him.”
Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent, said: “Alicent can quote her words in honey a little bit more to Aegon, if she chooses. But the tension is bubbling.”
Tom added: “It's the first time we see Alicent, point blank, tell him everything that he can't hear, especially with the way how fragile he is at that time too, and how he's just becoming more and more naked and more and more alone.
“And that's one of the final straws for him I think before he fully, fully spirals.”
The first Dance of Dragons
As episode four comes to a head, we see the devastation of a dragon in war could be – with the Battle At Rook’s Rest proving soldiers are nothing but collateral damage when they get involved.
Showrunner Ryan Condal explains the move was deliberate, with Rook’s Rest inconsequential, but a move by Ser Criston Cole to draw out Rhaenyra, who is positioned just across the bay at Dragonstone.
The Queen falls for his plan, but Rhaenys goes in her place - ultimately leading to the character’s demise.
Eve Best, who plays Princess Rhaenys, said: “Rhaenys chooses to step in, having said, for the whole season, we mustn't use dragons. Anything but using dragons. If it has to be done, if this action has to be taken, then it's better that she does it than anybody else.
“Ultimately, she is expendable, where Rhaenyra is not.”
Condal added that Ser Criston’s shock proves just how over his head he is in this battle.
He explained: “Cole has been in battle before. He's seen people die. He's seen people crushed beneath horses, and so Cole had to be particularly touched by the distinct and specific nature of Dragon war and how insignificant it made soldiers like him on the battlefield.”
As for the potential losses both sides have suffered, he added: “You just have to regard it as a great emblem and example of how horrible and awful dragon war is, and the reason that it needs to be waged with great restraint.”