Warning: This article contains spoilers from ‘House of the Dragon’ season 2, episode 4. The highly anticipated Battle of Rook’s Rest has arrived, marking a pivotal moment in the Targaryen civil war as depicted in Season 2 of ‘House of the Dragon’. While the Season 1 finale teased dragon-on-dragon combat with the chase between Vhagar and Lucerys Velaryon’s Arrax, this mid-season clash brings full-scale aerial warfare to the forefront. “This is the first nuclear conflict,” series co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal explained to Entertainment Weekly. “At the end of this, the world has effectively seen mushroom clouds on the horizon, and they know we’ve now moved into a different era of the war. The entire strategy changes after this because everything is so different. This is what Viserys feared and what Rhaenys dreaded.” Adapted from George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire and Blood’, the Battle of Rook’s Rest is one of two major battle sequences in the eight-episode second season. Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), now the Hand of the King to Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), lay a trap for Rhaenyra’s forces by besieging Rook’s Rest, held by Lord Simon Staunton (Michael Elwyn), an ally of Rhaenyra. Read more: New Shrek film in production, Donkey to get standalone movie: Eddie Murphy reveals Princess Rhaenys (an unforgettable Eve Best), known as the “Queen Who Never Was,” mounts her dragon Meleys, the Red Queen, to confront Criston. Unbeknownst to her, both Aemond on Vhagar and Aegon on Sunfyre join the fray. The ensuing dragon battle results in the devastating deaths of Rhaenys and Meleys, leaves Aegon dead or critically injured, and reduces Rook’s Rest to ruins. Initially, the Greens planned to ambush one of Rhaenyra’s dragons defending Rook’s Rest. Aemond, hiding in the trees, would attack with Vhagar to thin the ranks of Team Black’s dragons. But then Aegon and his dragon unexpectedly show up. Aemond delays his ambush, allowing Rhaenys to engage Aegon in a fierce combat. When Aemond finally commands Vhagar to attack, the largest dragon’s fire engulfs both Aegon and his adversary. While Rhaenys escapes the initial onslaught, Aegon and Sunfyre plummet to the ground, causing a fiery explosion. Aegon’s fate remains uncertain, and his dragon Sunfyre is gravely injured. However, the sequence highlights Rhaenys’ heroism. After surviving Vhagar’s assault and having the chance to flee, she chooses to confront Aemond again. This decision, rooted in past grievances and the death of her grandson by Vhagar, underscores her determination. She knows she may face death, but believes that if she can defeat Vhagar, it could end the potential for further catastrophic warfare. This epic dragon battle at Rook’s Rest is a game-changer, reshaping the landscape of the war and setting the stage for the ensuing chaos in ‘House of the Dragon’. Read more: Most Hyped South Indian Movies Releasing in August 2024

In the “Game of Thrones” universe and the prequel “House of the Dragon” – season 1 of which just finished airing – members of the Targaryen family possess some distinguishing features. The most striking among these physical features is their silver or white hair. But, many viewers have wondered, why does every Targaryen have silver hair? It is obvious that Targaryens anticipate their offspring having white or silver hair when they are born. In fact, Viserys and Alicent Hightower’s true-born children all inherited their father’s silver hair. Meanwhile, based only on their brown hair, Rhaenyra Targaryen’s children are assumed to be “not of pure Targaryen blood”. What is it about the Targaryen silver hair? Can Targaryens have hair that is a different colour at birth? Based on George RR Martin’s books, the answer is not as simple as you may expect. So, what really causes the Targaryens to have silver hair? Read more: House of the Dragon: Did you notice this actor swap in season finale? The Targaryen family hails from Old Valyria, where lighter skin tones and hair colours were particularly common. As a result, the family had white or silvery blonde hair. The Targaryens have been able to keep their distinguishing Valyrian characteristics due to years of inbreeding. George RR Martin might have given the Targaryens such an unusual hair colour out of the blue to set them apart from the Westerosi people and suggest a certain otherworldliness about the royal lineage, underscoring the idea that they do not really belong in the Seven Kingdoms. But not every Targaryen has silver hair. In “Game of Thrones,” Jon Snow is a Targaryen, and his hair is dark. And he is not the only one. In George RR Martin’s books, characters with black hair include Baelor Breakspear and Aegor Rivers. All these instances include those who chose not to “keep it in the family.” Read more: ‘Game of Thrones’ prequel keeps dragons, adds diversity Long story short, as per genetics, it is most likely because dark hair is a dominant gene in the real world and light hair is recessive. Targaryens in “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon” who were not born through incest have darker hair, it seems. Therefore, it is less likely that offspring born to a single Targaryen parent will exhibit Valyrian characteristics, such as silver hair.

The prequel to “Game of Thrones” is set to forge its own storytelling path, with a new set of characters and a more diverse team behind the scenes. “House of the Dragon” takes place two centuries before the events of the original series, which ended its hit eight-season run in May 2019. The 10-episode prequel begins Sunday on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The story focuses on House Targaryen, made famous in “Game of Thrones” by Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys and her fearsome dragons. But don’t expect “House of the Dragon” to be a remake of “Game of Thrones,’’ cast member Steve Toussaint said. “It’s been done and they did it exceedingly well,” said Toussaint, who plays the very rich Lord Corlys Velaryon. “You know you’re in that world, but you’re seeing a different story, different characters, different motivations.” Among the new faces in the clan is Prince Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith. His villainous character is a lot more complex than he appears to be on first viewing, the actor said. “I think the reason I’ve had fun is because he’s maybe not just a villain,” he said. “I think there’s actually a huge amount of fragility and depth and inner madness there. ... It’s not black and white. It can go either way with Daemon at any point.” Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire and Blood,” the drama was co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal, whose credits include the 2016-19 sci-fi drama “Colony.” Condal is an executive producer and co-showrunner with director Miguel Sapochnik, who brings his experience on “Game of Thrones” to the prequel. Read:Anne Heche dies of crash injuries after life support removed “House of the Dragon,” much like its predecessor, focuses on familial succession with a female heir being overlooked. But Sapochnik notes a key difference between the two series: The team making the prequel is more diverse, including a 50-50 split between male and female directors, including Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel and Greg Yaitanes. There was a conscious push to be inclusive behind the scenes, Sapochnik says. “We really tried to, as much as possible, hire as many female crew as we could, because we think that’s a really important shift that needs to be both recognized, acknowledged, acted upon, maybe give opportunities to people who don’t get opportunities,” he explained. The team making “Dragon” is equally as diverse, and — for the fantasy genre — boasts a relative bounty of women in the writers’ room. The gender balance affects the show’s story and tone, according to some of its female cast members. The series opens with an aristocratic council naming Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) as heir to the Iron Throne, bypassing his older cousin Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best). But Viserys must have his own heir, with dreams of power held by Daemon, his younger brother, and Viserys’ daughter Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy plays the adult version, Milly Alcock the youth). “You definitely don’t feel like a device or a prop and you don’t feel like the the sexy wench or the mother,” said Olivia Cooke, who plays the adult Alicent Hightower, longtime friend to Rhaenyra. “You feel that you’ve got a fully fledged character which is really nourishing to play.” The ensemble cast also includes Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Rhys Ifans and Sonoya Mizuno. Carey, who plays the younger Alicent, calls the inclusion of women in all aspects of production a step “in the right direction” for the fantasy genre. Although virtually every female character faces misogyny, each is “still a fully fledged, three-dimensional female character,” Carey said. “They still have multiple other story lines and a whole life away from that misogynistic story line. They’re not just put in the show to serve a purpose. And I think that’s what makes it so special.” “House of the Dragon” screenwriter Charmaine DeGraté said “it was important for George (R.R. Martin, a prequel executive producer) for it to be this way. Female-driven characters, female-driven shows and female-driven writers rooms just sort of elevates the story. That’s a wonderful way to expand the universe.”