House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal explains the fight between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) in season 2, episode 2, “Rhaenyra the Cruel.” Their argument occurs at Dragonstone in the aftermath of young Jaehaerys Targaryen’s death during the infamous Blood & Cheese incident, with Rhaenyra realizing Daemon’s involvement in the child’s murder, and that despite his loyalty to her claim, Daemon still longs to sit on the Iron Throne himself. The scene adds further complexity to the already tense relationship that the characters share.
While speaking with TVLine, Condal broke down the tense scene, emphasizing how it connects to unresolved tensions from season 1. He referenced several season 1 developments and specific scenes that still weigh heavily on both Rhaenyra and Daemon, proving that their argument is about more than the death of Jaehaerys or Daemon’s lingering desire to become the new ruler of Westeros instead of Rhaenyra.
