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The fourth episode of House of the Dragon season 2 premiered on Sunday, July 7, 2024, bringing forth a packed premise that was not short of anything but marvelous. The episode pushed the gears up as the two sides waged the first of the wars, and we even got a battle involving dragons, that too, three of the big ones.
Among the events that transpired, one eye-catching segment was when Aemond entered the battle to fight off Princess Rhaenys and her veteran dragon. This was when Aegon II was already fighting (and losing) against Rhaenys.
In an odd turn of events, Aemond came with his humungous Vhaegar and, seemingly, quite intentionally, shot the flame at Rhaenys and Aegon's dragons, taking them down. Though Rhaenys survived due to her battle experience, Aegon was consumed by the flame of his brother's dragon and fell down. His fate is yet to be revealed.
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This brings to question whether Aemond targeted his brother intentionally. In the novel Fire and Blood, Aemond does not purposefully attack his brother, but it seems like an informed decision in the show. Perhaps Aemond did not want to kill his brother, but he did not mind taking him down in a battle for victory. It was just collateral damage for him.
Ewan Mitchell also broke this decision down in his latest interview with TV Line. He admitted that Aemond Targaryen was completely composed as he took a shot at his elder brother in House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4.
House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4: Ewan Mitchell says the attack on Aegon was "very much intentional"
While the episode already seemed to have clarified that Aemond knew what he was doing when he asked his dragon to shoot fire at Rhaenys and Aegon, Ewan Mitchell further confirmed it in the latest interview with TV Line.
"What you see at the end of Episode 4 was very much intentional. He’s very composed in that moment, and he’s very assured with what he did. Whether or not he believed that Aegon was just collateral in that moment is another thing. Maybe he didn’t intentionally burn Aegon in that moment, or he didn’t plan to, because Rhaenys was always there," Mitchell said.
He compares the scene with Lucerys' murder in House of the Dragon season 1, where he is slightly surprised and confounded by the result. But this time, it seemed to be a completely different Aemond.
"But it raises the argument or whether or not [Aegon] was just collateral and he was in the way… The first time he does it, it was a mistake. He let the emotions get the better of him. What you see at the end of Episode 4, it makes me think that Otto Hightower’s words rang true at the beginning of Season 2, you know? “You must get a grip on your emotions, Aemond.” And maybe he did, a little bit."
Though this episode did not depict whether Aegon lived or died, those who have read the novel already know where this leads us.
In a nutshell, this attack on Aegon may push Aemond's rank all the way up. He might become a far more important character in the coming days of House of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4 is currently streaming on Max. Read our full review here.
