House of the Dragon Season 2 is when the Game of Thrones spinoff gets real. With both Rhaenyra and Alicent now grown up and at the head of their own vast armies, the land of Westeros is preparing for all-out war.

The war? The long-awaited Dance of the Dragons. On either side are ferocious beasts, each capable of turning the tide. The scaly monsters are responsible for some of the best moments in House of the Dragon Season 2.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all about dragons. Expect plenty of backstabbing, love affairs, and tragedy as we look back at Season 2 of House of the Dragon and count down our favorite moments.

Ser Criston Cole joins Alicent

Episode 1 – Son for Son

After rejecting Ser Criston Cole years ago, Rhaenyra takes revenge on him by allying herself with her nemesis Alicent. This is a shocking moment not only because it came out of nowhere, but it shows how salty and vengeful Cole still is.

Blood and cheese

Episode 1 – Son for Son

The murder of young Jaehaerys Targaryen by the outcast duo known as Blood and Cheese is a horrific moment as Jaehaerys’ mother Helaena is forced to watch. It’s not a quick deal either: Blood and Cheese takes a good ten seconds to cut off the boy’s head and collect it in a bag.

Prince Jaehaerys’ funeral

Episode 2 – Rhaenyra The Cruel

Besides the Blood and Cheese escapade, the second episode is also notable for Prince Jaehaerys’ street parade. It involves Jaehaerys’ body being paraded through the streets in a carriage. It was a political move by Otto Hightower, who used Jaehaerys’ death to target Rhaenyra and gain sympathy.

Hanging of the rats

Part 2 – Rhaenyra the Cruel

Aegon will not let the death of Jaehaerys go unpunished. When one half of the murderous duo, Blood, tells Aegon that his accomplice is a ratman, Aegon orders every ratman in King’s Landing to be hanged and displayed in the streets. Too brutal a move is not well received by the public.

Otto is exiled

Episode 4 – The Red Dragon and the Gold

After years of service as a King’s Hand, Otto Hightower is released from King’s Landing – and by his own grandson as well. Aegon does not appreciate being admonished by Otto for his actions (such as killing all of the city’s ratmen) and orders him to hand over his badge to Criston. To make things a little more complicated, Criston is sleeping with Aegon’s mother.

A fight between Arryk and Erryk

Episode 2 – Rhaenyra the Cruel

Ser Criston Cole may be Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, but he doesn’t always make the best decisions. One of his worst is sending Kingsguard member Arryk to Dragonstone alone to assassinate Rhaenyra. There, Arryk encounters Erryk’s twin in Rhaenyra’s bedchamber. The pair fight, with both losing their lives in a senseless bloodbath.

Bracken and Blackwood Abattoirs

Episode 3 – The Burning Mill

What an opening scene. It begins with two opposing factions clashing in an open field. At first, they exchange heated words, both supporting different sides in the brewing war. However, it soon descends into violence. Time passes and the camera captures hundreds of thousands of dead bodies.

Aegon embarrasses Aemond

Episode 3 – The Burning Mill

Aegon makes a decision that will come back to bite him. In the third episode, the king surprises his brother Aemond in a brothel. He barges in while Aemond is completely naked and currently occupied by a member of staff, then mocks him in front of his guards. Aemond rebels and takes revenge on Aegon in the very next episode.

Aemond attacks Aegon with his dragon

Episode 4 – The Red Dragon and the Gold

There are always casualties in a battle with dragons. Still, it seems like suspiciously good timing when Aemond uses his dragon to fry Rhaneys just as his brother Aegon is in the crossfire. Don’t forget, last episode Aegon seriously embarrassed Aemond in the brothel. Afterwards, Aemond tries to finish the job with his sword, but is interrupted by Ser Criston Cole.

Rhaenyra faces Alicent

In an attempt to avert an all-out war, Rhaenyra devises a plan to secretly meet with Alicent and resolve it diplomatically. They discuss the impending disaster in a quiet corner of the church, but even Rhaenyra revealing Viserys’ last words on his deathbed isn’t enough to change Alicent’s mind. Her son is the king after all.

Meleys’ head walks through King’s Landing

Part 5 – Regent

Meleys the dragon’s head is escorted through Kings Landing after the terrifying battle in the previous episode. However, what initially seemed like a show of strength soon turns out to be a very bad idea. This act shows that the dragons are killable, meaning that the same fate could easily befall the dragons protecting King’s Landing. Surprise surprise, another bad idea from Criston Cole.

Corlys’ illegitimate son

Episode 4 – The Red Dragon and the Gold

Corlys does have a son, but you wouldn’t guess how he treats him. In the fourth episode, the sea serpent refuses to show him any affection and blocks his rise through the ranks, simply because he was born out of wedlock. Rhaenys, Corly’s wife, barely bonds with him before she dies in the same episode.

Daemon has strange visions

Visions torment Daemon during his time at Harrenhal. The first of these is among the most surprising and involves a younger Rhaenyra sewing Jaehaerys head back on. Maddie Allcock’s cameo is hauntingly delivered and has a big impact on Daemon.

Alicent has an abortion

What are you doing in a world without birth control? In Alicent’s case, when she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, her options are either to give birth and complicate everything, or to drink herbal tea to destroy the fetus. As if she needs more to worry about while her sons are running around King’s Landing.

King Aegon’s battle scars are revealed

We get our first proper look at Aegon’s damage in the episode immediately following his life-threatening attack. He’s not dead, but he wishes he was as the medics remove his armor and his mother Alicent watches in horror. With severe facial scarring, body burns and broken limbs, it will be a long road to recovery.

Viserys returns

Okay, Viserys didn’t really come back. It’s another one of Daemon’s dreams. Still, it’s good to see long-dead King Paddy Considine again, even if it’s through the prism of Daemon’s own subconscious. Viserys reflects on the type of ruler he was and warns Daemon that there is a high price for pole position. The head is heavy.

Rhaenyra is looking for a dragon rider

Rhaenyra is not short on dragons; however, dragon riders are few and far between. So begins her search through the mountain of genealogical records for Targaryen descendants to tame and ride.

Vermithor sets everyone on fire

Dragons are notoriously picky about who gets to ride them. We saw this days before when Seasmoke fried Ser Steffon Darklyn. However, Vermithor’s response to the calling of riders trying their luck is even worse, killing dozens of Targaryen descendants before settling on Hugh Hammer as his riders.

Riots in King’s Landing

When Rhaenyra sends ships full of food to help King’s Landing, it causes a wave of anger among the citizens, who are unhappy with the current regime that has left them starving. Alicent and Helaena take the brunt of the impact and nearly die during the ensuing riot.

Mysaria kisses Rhaenyra

In a moment of surprising honesty, Mysaria opens up about her past and reveals a traumatic incident that shaped her life. Rhaenyra moves in to hug her and the pair eventually share a passionate kiss, only to be interrupted by one of Rhaenyra’s minions.