“All rulers are either butchers or meat”, Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman) warned Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) when she still wanted to believe and insist on the campaign of the savior of the world, not the conqueror.

The simplicity of the explanation of extreme political depth echoes over episode 5 of season 2 of House of the Dragon when Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) parades Meleys’ head as a prize and symbol of the Greens’ victory. The people were frightened and considered it a bad omen. So much so that a young man comments to Hugh (Kieran Bew): “I thought dragons were gods” and the answer, which is a future spoiler, is “They’re just meat”. Well, this fight has barely started and people are already fed up!

But don’t worry, there are only three episodes left until the new hiatus. And in time we barely completed a month of civil war. Of course, with so many deaths, it seems like a lot more. Let’s understand what we saw today.

The pain has been numbing on both sides. The Blacks lost two children and Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) main supporter, Rhaenys (Eve Best). The greens lost a prince and almost the king himself, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carey), but the conflict continues in inertia, with no time to waste for tears or reactions. Bunch of psychopaths!

That’s why it’s a bit strange that he seemed “calm”, returning to the Council meetings that many complain about. Political maneuvers are more dangerous than they might seem. That’s where we’ve been hearing for five episodes that the people of King’s Landing are starving because Rhaenyra’s supporters have disrupted trade, but no one in a Castle takes that into consideration.

The return of the “victorious” Greens is practically ignored by the hungry citizens, which is good because no one noticed that the king returned in pieces (and toasted) in a coffin-looking box. But don’t celebrate yet, Aegon is very bad, but he is alive. Deformed, in a coma, and in pain, but alive.

No one, even those who weren’t at Rooks Nest, doubts that Aegon is the way he is because of Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). He doesn’t even fool his mother, Alicent (Olivia Cooke), or Helaena (Phia Saban), but, as expected, he is now the regent and wants to be agile in more attacks.

Alicent demands from Ser Criston an account of the battle, and what he limits himself to telling is the count of 900 dead men and that he left a small garrison to protect the conquered castle and the injured Sunfyre, Aegon’s dragon.

He remains silent about what happened to Aegon, which is the answer she wanted to confirm that her children are turning against each other. No surprises here! Alicent does not cry or despair when she sees her firstborn returning like coal. Her children are almost strangers to her. And yes, seeing her humiliated when she applies to conduct in her son’s place, only to be told that because she is a woman she is no good, was delightful.

Unfortunately, Rhaenyra is not dealing with a different scenario, the Council is angry with the defeats, the lack of news from Daemon (Matt Smith), and the lack of a male leader at the table. She asks Baela (Bethany Antonia) to convince Ser Corlys Velaryion (Steve Toussaint), devastated by Rhaenys’ death, to be her Hand and return to Dragonstone. He hesitates, is devastated, but ends up accepting. Taking away this negotiation that in the book belongs to Jacaerys (Harry Corlett) sounded a bit “oh no!”, but Jace – irritated with his mother – wins another important negotiation for Rhaenyra, this time with House Frey, and suggests that they look for the “dragon seeds” to tame riderless dragons. It was a show!

Meanwhile, Daemon continues to go crazy, defies Freud with an erotic dream about his own mother, and continues to have difficulty guaranteeing his loyalty to the blacks. Here, away from his wife-niece, he of course takes action and declares himself king, suggesting that Rhaenyra will only be his consort. He says it is for practicality, since even he understands, accepts, and agrees that the succession must be male, but in this case, he counts on the woman being the legitimate heir, even if it is just to legitimize him in the position he always wanted and considered it to be his. And curiously, all men have the same problem: they are males wanting battles, but the details that are really part of governing (paying for the renovation of Harrenhall, dealing with family fights, etc.), they hate. At this point, four Targaryens are fighting for the Iron Throne, it’s difficult to root for one of them.

And so it seems not, but we are moving towards civil war. And yes, the feeling is that we are just seeing butchers sharpening their knives. Carnage is part of House of the Dragon!

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