House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4: TV series vs. book comparison

House of the Dragon season 2, Episode 4 titled The Red Dragon and The Gold, premiered on July 7, 2024. With this episode, the Dance of The Dragons has finally begun and the show-runners didn't disappoint. Aemond enters the battle with Vhagar and tries to take down both Rhaenys and Aegon and their dragons.

In House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, Aemond’s attack seemed more intentional than what's mentioned in the books. Although most of this episode followed the course of Fire and Blood, there were some major deviations and developments from the original story.

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House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4: TV series Vs. Book comparison

Aegon was not informed

House of the Dragon Season two, Episode Four ~The biggest difference between the book and the series starts with the Battle at Rook's Rest.

During a council meeting on the show, it was shown that after Ser Criston Cole won Duskendale and Stokeworth, he was supposed to move to capture Harrenhall. But instead, Ser Criston Cole and Aemond decided to turn and capture Rook’s rest without informing Aegon.

This incident in House of the Dragon is different from what's given in the books. In the books, this decision was taken by all three ~ Aegon, Aemond and Ser Criston Cole.

The plan was to capture Rook’s rest so that Rhaenyra was completely cut off from the land. Rook’s Rest was important for Rhaenyra, as the Lord of Rook’s Rest sat on Rhaenyras council.

Criston knew that when Rook’s Rest would be under attack, Rhaenyra would send her dragon. Aemond and Aegon would fight and take the dragon and the rider out, delivering a big blow to the Blacks, as mentioned in the books.

Although the intent was the same in the show, in this episode Aegon was not informed. Aemond ridiculed Aegon in the council meeting by speaking in High Valyrian to make sure only Aegon understands that he was not cut out for the job.

After the council meeting, Aemond flies to Rook’s rest, and Aegon drinks and asks his mother what he should do. After she tells him that he should do exactly what he was placed on the throne for - nothing - ridiculing him for his past actions that were shown in the last episodes, killing the ratcatchers and firing Otto Hightower as the Hand of the King.

After this confrontation, Aegon drinks, and when the pitcher gets empty, he decides to enter the battle on his dragon Sunfyre. When Meleys and Rhaenys are sent by Rhaenyra to help at Rook rest, Cole signals Aemond who was waiting with Vhagar nearby.

As they are about to fly, Aegon enters and Aemond is shocked to see him and calls him stupid for coming to fight.

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The death of Rhaenys

He decides not to fly immediately and waits until the last moment when both Aegon and Sunfyre are critically wounded by Rhaenys and Meleys.

The first thing Aemond does is to instruct Vhagar to spit fire while both Aegon and Sunfyre and Rhaenys and Meleys are in close proximity to each other. That leads to fatally injuring Sunfyre as he falls from the sky. Aegon also gets burned along with his dragon.

In House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4, Aemond fights and Vhagar kills Meleys. This tragic incident is the same in the books, but, in the series, Rhaenys dies due to the fall after Vhagar chomps the neck of Meleys, while, in the book she dies before falling to the ground.

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Aemond Targaryen the Kinslayer

After killing both Rhaenys and Meleys, Aemond goes to check on Aegon, whose dragon is mortally injured but still breathing.

The show shows Aemond sheathing his sword with what the viewers expect is to kill the already burnt Aegon but is found by Ser Criston, who calls Aemond from the back and decides to pick the dagger of Aegon the Conqueror, which just shows where the king (Aegon) is and leaves.

This is a very different character trait than what was explained in the books. The show almost wants us to think that Aemond wants to kill Aegon and take his place on the throne, which would do justice to his name as Aemond Targaryen, the Kinslayer. In the book, though, none of the brothers wanted to slay each other.

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