Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 1, and for the book Fire & Blood.

Summary

• House of the Dragon season 2 includes Blood and Cheeses killing Prince Jaehaerys, one of the show's most shocking moments.
• Blood and Cheese are hired by Daemon Targaryen to enact revenge for Lucerys Velaryon's death.
• The scene is taken from the book, but there are some notable changes.

Blood and Cheese kill Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 1's ending. That itself directly inspired Jaehaerys' death, with Daemon Targaryen seeking revenge, or "a son for a son."

Although the episode doesn't outright name them, House of the Dragon season 2's cast introduces Blood (played by Sam C. Wilson; Hanna, Dodger), a member of the Goldcloaks, and Cheese (Stobbart; Line of Duty, The Devil Outside), a ratcatcher. In the show, they're hired to kill Aemond Targaryen... but end up killing Jaehaerys instead. Their names have become shorthand for the event itself to book readers, simply described as "Blood and Cheese," and it's not only a major moment, but one that truly begins the Dance of the Dragons.

Jaehaerys' Death In House Of The Dragon Season 2 Explained

Why Did Helaena Choose Her Daughter Over Her Son?

After successfully making their way into the Red Keep's royal chambers - and after a few near-misses - Blood and Cheese eventually find themselves in the room with Helaena and her twin children, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. With Cheese holding a knife to Helaena's throat and orders from Daemon ringing in their ears (not to mention the promise of gold), Blood beheads Prince Jaehaerys, the heir to the Iron Throne (as Team Green views it, at least).

There was no chance Blood and Cheese, having got in so deep, were going to leave without killing someone, and unfortunately, that meant a young child. It was initially unclear who they'd killed - with the two men themselves uncertain - until Helaena finds Alicent and reveals "they killed the boy," 100% confirming Blood and Cheese did indeed murder Jaehaerys. That then raises a bigger question: why did Helaena choose to save Jaehaera?

There's not one simple answer to that, especially with Helaena herself being, as Aegon puts it, "an enduring mystery." Perhaps it was fear that they would double-check, and then kill both of her children. But there's also a clue earlier in the episode, when Aegon wants Jaehaerys to attend the Small Council meeting; Helaena asks "what if he doesn't want to be King?"

Helaena knows one of her children is going to die at that moment, and so sacrifices the one who is going to be pushed into a role that, to her, only begets either misery or cruelty.

That may be telling: Helaena knows one of her children is going to die at that moment, and so sacrifices the one who is going to be pushed into a role that, to her, only begets either misery or cruelty. It is not to "save" him from it but, given the options she has in this Sophie's choice scenario, she may see it as the "better" option. It is also, arguably, the one that better fits the show's themes, rather than having the girl die to save the boy and heir.

Did Daemon Tell Blood & Cheese To Kill Jaehaerys If They Couldn't Find Aemond?

House Of The Dragon Avoided Answering This Big Question

The other major question about Blood and Cheese is what, exactly, their orders from Daemon were. He is quite clear that he wants Aemond dead, but the show interestingly cuts away when he's asked what they're to do if they can't find him. Did Daemon say only Aemond was to be killed? Or did he tell them to kill someone else, maybe even specifying Aegon's son?

Daemon may be a father himself, but he's also been shown to be cruel, vicious, and not above killing people who have wronged him.

As it stands, there's no firm answer to that question (although Cheese does say they were told to make it "a son for a son"), which is presumably the point: it will create a mystery for audiences and for Rhaenyra, never quite certain of how far Daemon took things. He is, however, certainly capable of it - Daemon may be a father himself, but he's also been shown to be cruel, vicious, and not above killing people who have wronged him.

This would be a leap even for him, of course, so there may be a temptation (especially for fans of his) to believe he didn't do it, which is itself an interesting way of the show fitting with Fire & Blood. The book is told from multiple historical perspectives, and the truth is not always certain. The show has typically been more definitive, but this is a way it can have its own take on that.

How Blood & Cheese Is Different In Fire & Blood

HBO's Show Makes Some Significant Changes To George R.R. Martin's Book

After Lucerys' death in the book, Daemon hires Blood and Cheese - via Lady Mysaria - to carry out revenge. Notably, Mysaria is more involved, and still in King's Landing, rather than a reluctant and more ive participant from Dragonstone like in the show. Blood and Cheese sneak into the Red Keep and into Alicent Hightower's chambers (and, no, she is not having sex with Criston Cole). She is bound and gagged, and her maid killed.

When Helaena brings her three children - Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor (who doesn't appear to exist yet in the show) - to see their grandmother, they are seized by Blood and Cheese. Holding her at knifepoint, Blood and Cheese tell Helaena she has to choose which one of her sons will be killed, forcing her into an impossible choice. Helaena tries to refuse, begging them to kill her instead. However, Blood and Cheese insist she picks one, even making vile threats of assault at Jaehaera.

Eventually, Helaena picks Maelor to die, on of him being the youngest child.

Eventually, Helaena picks Maelor to die, on of him being the youngest child and less likely to understand anything that's happening. Instead, Blood kills Jaehaerys, cutting off the prince's head. The duo then escape from the Red Keep, leaving Helaena in a complete state of devastation and successfully carrying out the revenge that Daemon had wanted to be enacted.

How House Of The Dragon Seasons 1 & 2 Set Up Blood & Cheese

There Has Been Lots Of Foreshadowing Throughout The Show

Blood and Cheese isn't just something out of nowhere, but an event the show has long been building towards. Indeed, there were several clues to Blood and Cheese in House of the Dragon season 1. These include:

• Rhaenyra sneaking out via the Red Keep's tunnels established secret ageways.
• A rat drinks from a pool of blood at the end of House of the Dragon season 1, episode 5.
• Several more rats were shown across season 1, after scurrying around the Red Keep, teasing the scene and explaining why a ratcatcher would be around.
• Mysaria's spy network was well-established, providing a clear means for it to happen.
• Helaena's prophetic lines, "there is a beast beneath the boards," (which played out with Rhaenys and Meleys in the Dragonpit, but still fits Blood and Cheese) and "If one possesses a thing, the other will take it away.”
• Lucerys Velaryon's death set up the need for revenge.

Since then, there were several clues in the marketing for season 2, as well. House of the Dragon's trailers and posters actually showed glimpses of Blood and Cheese and its aftermath, including some direct scenes from it:

• Two men in the Red Keep, one holding a torch and another a club.
• Helaena being held at knifepoint by Cheese.
• Blood and Cheese appearing behind Helaena in her individual season 2 poster.
• A maid carrying an extremely bloody sheet.
• Alicent with a veil covering her face.
• Alicent and Helaena in what appears to be a funeral procession.

What Happens After Blood & Cheese In House Of The Dragon Season 2

Prince Jaehaerys' Death Is A Huge Moment In The Dance Of The Dragons

Blood and Cheese is yet another turning point in the Dance of the Dragons; there was already no turning back, but this ensures there will be no mercy, and nothing that's too low for either side. In of the immediate aftermath, in the book, Blood was found just a couple of days later, and was tortured for information. He gave up the names of Daemon and Mysaria, and died from torture. Cheese seemingly escaped King's Landing and wasn't found; Aegon had every ratcatcher in the city killed instead. Whether that is the same in the show remains to be seen.

Blood and Cheese serves to push the Dance of the Dragons into overdrive, with both sides desperate for vengeance and blood.

Blood and Cheese serves to push the Dance of the Dragons into overdrive, with both sides desperate for vengeance and blood. Much of the warring in House of the Dragon season 2 will be fought in the Riverlands, both by armies and dragons. Perhaps the biggest impact, though, is on Helaena herself. She sinks into depression after Jaehaerys' death, and later in the story will take her own life; Aegon himself becomes more reliant on drinking alcohol after the event.

House of the Dragon season 2 set photos and videos have revealed that Blood and Cheese will be used to try and turn people against Rhaenyra. They reveal the funeral of Jaehaerys, with Helaena and Alicent both present, and a person leading the procession telling the citizens of King's Landing to "look upon the work of Rhaenyra the cruel." There's no confirmation that she actually has anything to do with it, but it's clear this will be used to further press Aegon's claim as the rightful King in House of the Dragon.

New episodes of House of the Dragon season 2 release Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and Max.