'House of the Dragon': The Story of Blood and Cheese Explained
We break down the plot twists we'll see for the Red Wedding level in House of the Dragon Season 2.
Editor's Note: The following article contains major spoilers for the Fire & Blood book.
^ The first season of House of the Dragon was a huge success, and a second season is already underway. With a release date set for 2024, it's a long time before we see more episodes, but that doesn't mean people aren't thinking about it. Expectations are high for a Game of Thrones prequel, and with sudden and bloody plot twists, House of the Dragon has a lot to look forward to. But can Dragon House have its own red wedding moment? Luckily, the show is based on George RR Martin's cosmic history, Fire and Blood, so fans know there's going to be plenty of blood in the upcoming episodes. Still, with unreliable narrators writing acronyms into the novel, creators have to decide where the plot goes, and of course, as an adaptation, things are bound to change. Although they took into account the age of the characters and changed some things, the first season stayed mostly true to the original (or as close as possible to different versions of the story in the same book). But will it change going into season 2? fans are already looking forward to some Plot points they fear will be cut or forgotten. One in particular is called "Blood and Cheese".
Set to take place early in Season 2, the mysteriously named event bodes ill for new fans who find themselves out of the loop. Blood and Cheese's notoriety is well deserved. One of the most tragic events of Dance of the Dragons, it quickly became one of the most anticipated. But always fear it will disappoint. In a recent interview, House of the Dragon writer Sara Hess updated on where they are in the writing process, saying the final episode is in the works. She also assured fans that they would see the horrific events of Blood and Cheese in season two. Hess went on to say that the brutal plot won't disappoint, a statement that's both worrying and exciting. But her promise raises a major question: What should fans expect? For those who haven't read the book and don't want to be blinded or forget the details, it's time to research Blood and Cheese before the unexpected tragedy strikes strike.
Blood and Cheese is a response to the season one finale. When Alicente's (Olivia Cooke) second son Imond (Evan Michele) kills Rhaenyla's (Emma Darcy) son Lutheris (Eliott Grihout) When the war broke out. In a slight departure from Fire and Blood, the show blames this on accident, more on the dragon Vhagar than on Emond himself. But even accidents have consequences. In Fire and Blood, Luke's death brings blood and cheese like a dance of dragons. When Damon (played by Matt Smith on the show) learns of Luke's death, he plots a "child for a child" revenge. Instead of focusing on Emond, he seems to place the blame on Aegon (Tom Green-Carney) being the Grimm Lord. Unable to send an army to the castle, Daemon opted for a more ingenious method. Through his chief spy, Mesalia (Sonoya Mizuno), he employs two low-born assassins whose names have been lost to time but known as Blood and Cheese. Blood is a butcher and disgraced former city watch sergeant. He is known to have a powerful capacity for violence. Cheese is the rat catcher of King's Landing. The two are given a sinister mission.
What Causes Blood and Cheese?
What cheese knows about castles.s Tunnels allow them to enter without being detected. Every night, Helaena (Phia Saban) takes her three children, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor, to visit their grandmother, Alicent. Realizing this, Blood and Cheese hid in Alicente's room, killed the maid and imprisoned the queen until the arrival of Hylena and her children. They kill Helaena's guards and seal the exit, then tell Helaena to choose which of her sons they should kill as revenge for Luke's death. Helena offered her life but they refused, insisting it must be a son and threatening that if she refused to choose they would rape her daughter and then kill all three. With no choice, Helaena is forced to make a choice. She named her youngest son Mailer, who at the age of two didn't quite understand what was going on. Blood and Cheese killed Jaehaerys after telling Mailer that his mother had chosen him to die. With no further harm to the royal family, they departed, taking Jaehaerys' head as evidence.
What Do Blood and Cheese Do?
Mailer becomes heir to the throne, but he is forced to accept that his mother has chosen his death. Jaehaera is traumatized after witnessing the murder of her twin brother. Helena can't Can't bear to watch Maelor sink into a deep depression because of what she said. After suffering more losses, Helaena committed suicide. Rumors of her murder spread, causing civilians to riot against Rhaenyla, calling for justice for Helena and her sons. This makes Blood and Cheese the first event where commoners want justice. But the more immediate result was to make the Green Party meaner to blacks. After Luke's death, the war became personal to Rhaenyra, and after Jaehaerys' murder, so did Aegon and his family.
What Repercussions Do Their Actions Have?
The tragedy took a toll on the family. While the series is no stranger to violent deaths, Child Murder and Blood and Cheese's torture of Hilana reached new heights. House of the Dragon may decide to make some minor changes to the Blood and Cheese plot, especially given that Jaehaerys and Jahra are much younger than the six-year-olds in the books. Maelor himself has yet to appear, but there are three offspring of Aegon and Helaena in the opening sequence (not to mention they have a sibling who hasn't even appeared yet) not yet introduced). But even with some adjustments, Blood and Cheese will still be a terrifying and heartbreaking moment, and rightfully so. And with Hess promising not to disappoint, that must be the tragedy one would expect. This is just one of many shocks fans will have to look forward to in season 2.
