‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Episode 2: How Sansa Stark is connected to that twins fight scene
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Contains spoilers for 'House of the Dragon' Season 2
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Episode 2 aired on Sunday, June 23, 2024, on HBO, featuring several iconic scenes that will resonate for years. Among the most memorable was the well-executed duel between the Cargyll brothers.
Fans who had read 'Fire and Blood' by George R.R. Martin were eagerly anticipating the fight between the two brothers, Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor) and Ser Erryk Cargyll (Elliot Tittensor).
The brothers found themselves on opposite sides of the war between the Green and the Black factions. Ser Arryk, loyal to the Greens, is ordered to kill Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D' Arcy), disguised as his twin brother Erryk.
The swordfight between the two brothers bears an uncanny connection to 'Game of Thrones' and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner).
Showrunner Ryan Condal reveals Sansa Stark's connection to the Cargyll brothers
The connection between Sansa Stark and the Cargyll brothers was revealed by 'House of the Dragon' showrunner Ryan Condal in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
He revealed that Sansa Stark's romanticized view of the swordfight between Arryk and Erryk Cargyll made the event interesting for him.
Ryan Condal said, "The book depicts a few different versions of that story. I was always fascinated by the Cargyll twins story because that was a story that Sansa Stark romanticized — going back to the Song of Ice and Fire books. And, of course, Sansa has this very Sansa-like romantic vision of what that fight was like and how they dueled for hours, as though it was the duel from The Princess Bride."
He further spoke about how the adaptation needed to intensify for television to make it closer to reality.
Condal said. "But the real thing would be much more brutal and gritty. We wanted to try to find the central line through it. There’s a version where they’re cursing each other’s names and calling each other “traitor,” and that just didn’t feel like the characters we’d set up."
He added, "We have these two people who found themselves on different sides of this conflict and not knowing what to do with this oath. I think that makes it more of a tragedy when you see these two brothers trying to hold to their oath but find themselves in literal mortal combat against each other in order to uphold it."
What happened in the swordfight between the Cargyll twins?
The swordfight between the Cargyll brothers ends with Erryk gaining the upper hand as he kills his brother while defending Rhaenyra Targaryen. The entire sequence is emotional, depicting a reluctant battle between siblings.
As Erryk kills Arryk, he feels guilt for his actions and apologizes to Rhaenyra before taking his own life. The brothers, born together, meet a poetic end by dying together as well.
The scene is even more emotional as both brothers fight for a cause that isn't their own and die as true knights defending the honor of the Kingsguard.
How to stream 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 started streaming on HBO Max on Sunday, June 16, 2024. Episodes of the series will continue to air every Sunday until August 4, 2024.
To watch the series, you will need a Max subscription. The streaming platform typically offers three packages that you can choose from depending on your budget.
The low-cost plan that supports advertising costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. The second package, which does not support advertising, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99 annually.
Meanwhile, the third package, titled Ultimate Ad-Free, costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually.
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Trailer
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 started streaming on HBO Max on Sunday, June 16, 2024.