WARNING! This article contains major SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2!
Summary
The confirmation of a character’s death inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 2 solves a long-standing mystery that I figured would never find closure in George R.R. Martin’s books.House of the Dragonis adapted from George R.R. Martin’s 2018 fictional history bookFire & Blood, which tells the history of House Targaryen from various unreliable narrators and sources. Consequently, the book leaves plenty of questions unanswered, fates unknown, and misconceptions about the Targaryens thatHouse of the Dragon’s cast and charactersare able to finally set straight in the show’s depiction of the truth.
WhileHouse of the Dragonhas shockingly revealed presumed-dead characters to actually be alive, such asLaenor Velaryon’s season 1 survival twist, theGame of Thronesprequel also gives closure to some historical figures whose fates were left more ambiguous in the book. This happens to be the case for an unnamed character introduced inHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 1, who plays a role in a huge Targaryen tragedy but,since his identity was never discovered, his fate couldn’t be officially pinned down by historians. However, the HBO show now gives a final answer to whether he died.
House Of The Dragon Confirms That Cheese Did Actually Die
The book leaves Cheese’s death somewhat ambiguous
As the show cuts to the reactions of smallfolk in King’s Landing seeing the dead bodies of hanged ratcatchers,House of the Dragonconfirms the death of Cheese(Mark Stobbart). While Blood was confirmed to have been tortured to death, the book left the ultimate fate of Cheese ambiguous, as nobody knew his real name. As revenge forPrince Jaehaerys Targaryen’s death, King Aegon II Targaryen had the Red Keep’s ratcatchers hanged in hopes of killing the murderer in a cruel process of elimination, but there was always the possibility that Cheese had evaded capture.
King Aegon II Targaryen had the Red Keep’s ratcatchers hanged in hopes of killing the murderer in a cruel process of elimination, but there was always the possibility that Cheese had evaded capture.
I figured Cheese may have fled King’s Landing and brought his ratcatching work elsewhere, butHouse of the Dragonseason 2 debunks this possibility. Among the hanging bodies in the streets of Flea Bottom is Cheese, withthe pain seen on his dog confirming his owner didn’t escape the wrath of King Aegon. However, after revealing the fates of both Blood and Cheese, I’m still concerned about what happens to his dog and whether the pup will be seen again inHouse of the Dragon’s future.
9 Ways Blood & Cheese Is Different In House Of The Dragon From GRRM’s Book
House of the Dragon season 2 has finally shown the Blood & Cheese event. Here’s how it differed from its book counterpart from start to finish.
House Of The Dragon Still Leaves Another Blood & Cheese Mystery That Likely Won’t Be Solved
Their real names are still lost to Westerosi history (& viewers)
In addition to the fate of Cheese’s dog, I’m still left wondering about another mystery fromHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s Blood and Cheese story. The HBO show has done an excellent job of explaining questions thatFire & Blood’s narrators didn’t have the answers to, but one that I thought would be resolved, surprisingly, wasn’t. AfterHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 2’s ending, the franchise hasstill yet to explain what Blood and Cheese’s real names are. As such, the Gold Cloak butcher and Red Keep ratcatcher are forever known to Westerosi history andGame of Thronesviewers as simply “Blood” and “Cheese.”
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 release Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
