House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal explains the fight between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) in season 2, episode 2, “Rhaenyra the Cruel.” Their argument occurs at Dragonstone in the aftermath of young Jaehaerys Targaryen’s death during the infamous Blood & Cheese incident, with Rhaenyra realizing Daemon’s involvement in the child’s murder, and that despite his loyalty to her claim, Daemon still longs to sit on the Iron Throne himself. The scene adds further complexity to the already tense relationship that the characters share.
While speaking with TVLine, Condal broke down the tense scene, emphasizing how it connects to unresolved tensions from season 1. He referenced several season 1 developments and specific scenes that still weigh heavily on both Rhaenyra and Daemon, proving that their argument is about more than the death of Jaehaerys or Daemon’s lingering desire to become the new ruler of Westeros instead of Rhaenyra. Read Condal’s explanation below:
I think it’s interrupted a bit, the argument that was clearly going on between Daemon and Rhaenyra in episode 10 of the first season where he actually put his hands on her in a really disturbing way because he felt like he’d been kept out of the loop with Viserys and the secret of the Song of Ice and Fire. I don’t think any of that has been resolved. It was just put on hold when Luke died. So when Rhaenyra comes back and Daemon reacts, it opens up all these papered over wounds and forces them into a real analysis of their marriage.
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Rhaenyra has always been insightful and has not been blind to Daemon’s true nature, but their fight laid bare some of the worst parts of him that can no longer be overlooked and ignored.
From their argument, Rhaenyra realizes she can no longer fully trust Daemon. Throughout the many tragedies and betrayals she has endured, Daemon has been one of the few people she felt she could trust and rely on. Without Daemon’s trust, Rhaenyra may feel more alone than ever before as she continues to grieve the death of her son, Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault), and grapples with the Greens proclaiming that Jaehaerys was murdered in the name of “Rhaenyra the Cruel.”
The unresolved tension also makes Daemon more unpredictable, as seen by his sudden departure from Dragonstone in episode 2. With Daemon now headed to Harrenhal, he is still fighting for Rhaenyra’s cause, intent on capturing the castle, which is a strategic location to control in the Riverlands that will give Rhaenyra and her forces a tactical advantage over her enemies. His involvement in Jaehaerys’ death proves that even though he won’t be switching sides, he is prone to sometimes making reckless and consequential decisions that will further complicate Rhaenyra’s ascension to the Iron Throne.
Rhaenyra has always been insightful and has not been blind to Daemon’s true nature, but their fight laid bare some of the worst parts of him that can no longer be overlooked and ignored. This may cause the House of the Dragon character to withhold more sensitive information from him, which will not sit well with him, as his brother Viserys and Rhaenyra previously withholding information from him contributed to the fight in the first place. This perpetuates the unresolved cycle of conflict between them as House of the Dragon season 2 continues.