House of the Dragon season 2 has lived up to its promise of being more action-intense and having a higher body count that season 1, with the Cargyll twins’ unexpected deaths in episode 2 following up Prince Jaehaerys’ demise.
The second episode is led by the Greens’ grieving over the young heir’s loss, combined with their scheming and plotting for swift revenge. A pivotal moment in the episode is when King Aegon relieves his grandfather, Ser Otto Hightower, from his duties as the Hand and bestows the honor upon Criston Cole, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
The changing of guard is influenced by a previous scene that shows Cole shaming Ser Arryk Cargyll into leaving for Dragonstone and killing Rhaenyra Targaryen by impersonating his identical twin brother, Ser Erryk. Once a part of the kingsguard together, the twins eventually chose different sides, with Erryk becoming a prominent part of the Blacks’ endeavor to put Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne.
Arryk is able to tip-toe his way into Rhaenyra’s chambers and is close to ending the war even before it begins, only for his identical twin to come in the way of his objective. The ensuing fight sees the brothers go blow-for-blow, making it difficult for the bystanders to get involved in fear of killing the wrong twin.
The duel finally ends with one brother emerging victorious and addressing Rhaenyra as “your grace,” which indicates that it is Ser Erryk. However, the moment of respite is short-lived, as Erryk dies by suicide, his last words being “forgive me,” which again raises suspicion with regards to the identity of the survivor.
According to the source material on which the show is based, Fire and Blood, there are two versions of the events that transpired. While the first one doesn’t clarify which brother died, the second account is clearer:
“Ser Arryk was dead before the first guards arrived, but Ser Erryk took four days to die of his gut wound, screaming in horrible pain and cursing his traitor brother all the while.”
Fire and Blood/George R.R. Martin
The combat between Carygll twins symbolizes how senseless the fight between the Green and Blacks is, as it shows how two brothers, who served under one banner for years, are forced to fight each other to death while representing their respective new factions. The Targaryens themselves split into two halves, with both sides making claims to the throne, a situation that could have been avoided in the first place.
