Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Fire & Blood, and spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2.
One of the biggest moments upcoming in House of the Dragon season 2 could compare to the Red Wedding, though a notable character’s absence from the trailers may reduce its impact. The House of the Dragon season 1 ending saw war in the Seven Kingdoms become inevitable after the slaying of Lucerys Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s son. As the Dance of the Dragons unfolds, Rhaenyra will now have vengeance in mind and will take swift action to retaliate. The show’s reduced eight-episode count indicates an increase in action going forward.
The season 2 trailer provided a glimpse at much of the main House of the Dragon cast, showing how their characters will progress into the growing conflict. Events will continue to escalate, with characters like Daemon and Aegon serving as aggressors on their sides, urging hasty, violent action. One of the most compelling aspects of the show, as opposed to Game of Thrones, is that there are few sympathetic characters on either side. However, the Dance of the Dragons takes its toll on the innocent, especially for one important Targaryen.
Helaena Targaryen was introduced as a minor character in season 1. She’s the daughter of King Viserys and Alicent Hightower and the sister-wife of King Aegon II. As Queen, Helaena is beloved by the people of King’s Landing for her kindness and generosity, strictly contrasting her husband’s and Rhaenyra’s reputations. Season 2 will see an incredibly dark moment for her when hired assassins Blood & Cheese are sent into the Red Keep by Daemon to claim vengeance for Lucerys’s death, taking Helaena hostage and killing one of her babies in front of her.
Blood & Cheese is one of the most devastating House of the Dragon moments and one of the few instances in George R.R. Martin’s universe that can rival the Red Wedding in shock value and disturbing violence. This should happen very early in the season, as episode 1 is titled “A Son for a Son.” To increase the emotional impact of such an event, it would be wise to show Helaena in the trailers, reminding audiences of how likable a character she is. Yet, she’s barely been seen in any of HBO’s marketing for season 2.
Helaena is a fairly minor character in House of the Dragon, but minor characters can be unforgettable in the Game of Thrones universe if they’re handled correctly. The time to demonstrate Helaena’s wonderful personality is before Blood & Cheese, as afterward, she’ll become largely reclusive and begin to lose herself. If the event is to happen early in House of the Dragon season 2, the premiere episode should dedicate some time to showing the differences between her and Aegon, adding to the atrocity when she’s the one who suffers for her brothers’ actions.