SPOILER ALERT! The article contains heavy spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2.
House of the Dragon season 2 episode 2 has fascinated viewers with different shocking scenes and one of them includes the killing and funeral wagon ride of Aegon and Helaena’s six-year-old son, Jaehaerys. The killing of Jaehaerys was orchestrated by Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith, as he hired assassins, Blood and Cheese to avenge Luke’s death. But the funeral scene of Jaehaerys entails a more grave essence to the narrative. House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal explained the primary motif behind the gruesome scene.
The Jaehaerys’ Funeral Wagon Ride Was Necessary To The Narrative
Jaehaerys’ father Aegon II Targaryen. Image Credit: HBO
It is almost impossible to predict what and how the narrative unfolds in House of the Dragon. In a twist of the show, the killing of Jaehaerys played by Michael Carter, has surprised many fans but his funeral wagon ride was more horribly gruesome. However, there was an utmost necessity behind the scenes despite the creator was not specifically looking for that.
“That was not a specific thing we were looking for. Just the danger of moving a body through a public square like that,” Ryan Condal told Variety in an exclusive chat with the outlet. “It’s a very moving sequence,” he added.
Prince Jaehaerys in season 2:
byu/Outside_Slide_3218 inHouseOfTheDragon
Sara Hess pitched the idea of the scene in the room, Condal explained revealing how they locked on the idea. “Making a funeral procession a public show and marching Jaehaerys’ body — and showing the fact that they had cut his head off and then stitched it back onto his body — through the public square as a way of diminishing Rhaenyra and her claim.”
So, essentially, the disturbing scene exists and is kind of necessary to exploit the case against Rhaenyra as it tries to create “a monster out of her.” Undoubtedly, Rhaenyra suffered a great deal because of the actions of her husband/uncle Daemon Targaryen. She realized that marrying was the worst idea but the suffering was inherent.
House of the Dragon Episode 2, Season 2 Was The Favorite Script of Ryan Condal
Rhaenyra Targaryen. Image Credit: HBO
House of the Dragon has several astonishing moments with twists and turns complementing the intensity of the story. The showrunner Ryan Condal shared that season 2, episode 2 of the series is his favorite. Sara Hess “wrote the script in episode two,” Condal told The Hollywood Reporter. “I think it’s one of my favorite scripts thus far, and Clare Kilner directed the hell out of it,” he added.
Condal further explained that the funeral wagon ride was just a propaganda scene, “What you mentioned was a Clare Kilner invention. Sara wrote the sequence that the funeral is basically a propaganda campaign that Otto uses the body of Jaehaerys to curry favor with the small folk to turn against her against Rhaenyra.”
He went on to add, “But the idea of the procession then going through the more down parts of King’s Landing and Flea Bottom and then getting stuck and pulling Helaena (Phia Saban) out of this reverie she’s in — that was pure Clare, and I love that sequence.”
Max has recently dropped a new preview trailer of season 2, episode 3 which revealed several interesting details including the dragon vs dragon war.
Stream House of the Dragon on Max.
