House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 5 – Book vs Series Comparison and Easter Eggs

The second season of House of the Dragon continued on a somber note with its fifth episode, which delved into the aftermath of the tragic events at the Battle of Rook’s Rest. Titled “Regent,”the episode premiered on Monday, July 15, 2024, and explored the repercussions of Rhaenys’ death. The audience was left mourning the loss of Rhaenyra’s most trusted council member and skilled warrior, Corly’s beloved wife.

The episode served as a peaceful interlude following the chaos, setting the stage for future events in the latter half of the season. In a calculated maneuver, Rhaenyra and Jacaerys Velaryon will now actively search for individuals with Valyrian lineage to become riders of the unclaimed dragons.

Book vs Series

The Generational Rivalry

In episode five of House of the Dragon, the initial shift takes place when Ser Aemos Bracken, the leader of House Bracken, encounters Willem Blackwood. This meeting was arranged by Daemon Targaryen to unite the Brackens and the Blackwoods.

At the meeting, Wilem Blackwood had instructed Ser Aemos to pledge his loyalty to Daemon and submit his house. Tragically, Ser Aemos Bracken passed away during the Battle of the Burning Mill in Fire & Blood. This led the show’s creators to take some creative liberties with the plot and scene.

HOTD S2 E5 Easter Eggs and Book Comparison — Matt Smith in House of the Dragon | Source: IMDb

II. The Story of King Arthur

Alys Rivers and Aemond Connection

The Story of King Arthur

During episode 5 of House of the Dragon, Alys Rivers witnesses Daemon’s attempt at carpentry while he works on repairing Harrenhall. She discovers that Daemon is not particularly skilled at his job and confronts him, even bringing up Vhagar.

Alys also reminds Daemon to behave like a lord and not a woodsman. In response, Daemon implores her to hope and pray that she never crosses paths with Aemond, the one-eyed Targaryen.

According to the events in Fire & Blood, Aemond has relocated to Harrenhall where he develops a romantic relationship with Alys Rivers and they have a child together. However, the show takes a different direction and deviates from this storyline, as depicted in Episode 5.

III. Lord Corlys as the Hand of the Queen

In episode four, Lord Corlys and Rhaenyra mourn the loss of Rhaenys and her Dragon Meleys, who perished in the Battle of Rook’s Rest. This battle marked the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, which Lord Corlys shared with Baela in episode five. It was then that Baela revealed to him that Rhaenys had willingly joined the fight.

At this point, the novel and series share similarities; however, a divergence arises when Lord Corlys is appointed as the Queen’s Hand. In the fifth episode, Rhaenyra asks Baela to appoint Lord Corlys Velaryon as Hand, while in the book, it is Jacaeys Velaryon who does so.

IV. Daemon’s personality

In the latest episode, Daemon shows his power by threatening the Brackens with Caraxes by his side. However, the Brackens remain defiant and do not give in to his threats. This differs from the books, as the conflict between the Blackwoods and the Brackens did not take place in Fire and Blood. Therefore, Daemon did not attempt and fail to intimidate the Brackens, as portrayed in the episode.

The episode similarly portrayed Daemon experiencing visions, mainly due to the medicine provided by Alys Rivers.

Despite this, Daemon’s visions in Fire & Blood were frequently linked to the cursed Harrenhall, a castle constructed from Weirwood trees. Additionally, Alys Rivers had little to no romantic involvement with Daemon in the books and was instead fiercely devoted to Aemond, the one-eyed Targaryen.

2. Easter Eggs From Episode 5

Respecting a dead dragon’s skull

During a conversation between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), the dragon Meraxes is appropriately positioned in the background.

The shot takes place when Criston Cole (Fabian Frankel) parades the slain dragon Meleys through the streets of King’s Landing, enraging the residents who worship dragons as deities.

The Greens’ treatment of Meleys, a supposedly respected and honored dead dragon, may have played a role in their eventual downfall.

II. Keeping Alicent Away from War

Criston Cole casts his vote against Alicent Hightower (played by Olivia Cooke) and instead selects Aemond Targaryen as the Prince Regent. This decision is motivated by his desire to protect Alicent from the inevitable chaos and destruction that will ensue.

Despite her decreasing involvement in the war, Alicent’s fate in ‘Fire and Blood’ is to lose all of her children to the conflict. Despite this tragedy, she manages to survive the war and outlive her offspring, ultimately succumbing to Winter Fever at a later date.

HOTD S2 E5 Easter Eggs — Olivia Cooke in House of the Dragon | Source: IMDb

III. Royal Food vs. Small Folk’s Food

The episode makes a significant comparison between the food consumed by the royals and that of the ordinary people. While the commoners have limited options, the likes of Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) have a wide variety of dishes to choose from.

The annoyances of the small people will greatly contribute to the downfall of King’s Landing during Rhaenyra’s reign as queen, and later in the fall of Rhaenyra Targaryen’s rule as well.

Fourth Eyrie

The show centers around Eyrie and Lady Jeyne Arryn (played by Amanda Collin) as they welcome Rhaena Targaryen (played by Phoebe Campbell). Eyrie plays a crucial role in both the show and ‘Game of Thrones.’

In the show, Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) is hosted by Eyrie and Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin). Eyrie plays a significant role in both the show and ‘Game of Thrones.’

In George R R Martin’s world, the setting of Eyrie holds great significance as it was where Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark first met as young men and formed a strong friendship. This bond would later lead to their involvement in a major rebellion.

About House Of The Dragon

The prequel series to HBO’s popular Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, is adapted from George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.

Taking place three hundred years prior to the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will depict the Targaryen family’s reign over Westeros before the extinction of dragons. The series will center on the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra for the throne following the passing of their father, Viserys I.

The show, with direction from Ryan Condall and Miguel Sapochnik, features a star-studded cast including Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Craney as Aegon II Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, and Graham McTavish.