A ‘Shameless’ Alum Is an Unsung Star on ‘House of the Dragon’
From womb to tomb—literally.
Sunday’s episode of House of the Dragon pitted brother against brother, with twins Erryk and Arryk Cargyll clashing over their allegiances to the Blacks and Greens. Their final duel is a standout moment of the season so far, but sadly, we’re probably not going to see them again soon.
Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2 ahead!
Compared to its predecessor, House of the Dragon season 2 has been something of a slow burn, detailing the steady build-up to the “Dance of the Dragons.” With war on the not-so-distant horizon, things are heating up between the Greens, who are loyal to the man-child King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), and the Blacks, who—and let’s be real, rightfully so—believe Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) is the true heir to the Iron Throne. But given that Daemon (Matt Smith) has jumped ship following a squabble with his wife/niece, and that Aegon has replaced his Hand with the absolutely f***ing insufferable Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), both sides may self-destruct before their men even step foot on the battlefield.
The most recent episode, titled “Rhaenyra the Cruel,” followed the gruesome aftermath of Jaehaerys’ murder … maybe be a little more specific with which “son” you’re talking about next time, Daemon? Of course, Aegon and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) are furious that the Blacks have followed through on their promise of “a son for a son,” but the conniving Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) encourages the king to use the tragedy to their advantage, gaining the sympathy of King’s Landing while also pitting the commonfolk against Rhaenyra. But that’s hardly the most interesting part of the episode, as Aegon and Cole have some nefarious plans of their own involving a member of the Kingsguard: Ser Arryk Cargyll.
Who plays Ser Arryk in House of the Dragon, and why is he so important?
In House of the Dragon, Ser Arryk is played by 34-year-old British actor Luke Tittensor. He made his series debut back in 2022 alongside his IRL brother Elliott in season 1, episode 1 “The Heirs of the Dragon,” which makes season 2’s “Battle of the Twins” all the more devastating to watch.
However, you might recognize the Tittensor Bros. from another British TV program: Shameless—no, not the Jeremy Allen White Shameless, the OG one, which aired in the U.K. from 2004 to 2013. In it, Luke and Elliott switched off playing Carl Gallagher for a whopping nine years. Since then, Luke has gone on to star in Emmerdale Farm and Waterloo Road, even lending his voice to 2016’s Battlefield 1.
Anyway, back to House of the Dragon. I cannot overstate this enough: Aegon and Cole are a duo straight from hell. That’s important to remember here. So, in both the TV adaptation and George R.R. Martin’s 2018 novel Fire & Blood, this might explain why Cole orders Ser Arryk to Dragonstone so that he can get rid of the “pretender” once and for all. The master plan? Arryk has an identical twin named Erryk (I know, it’s confusing) who’s loyal to Rhaenyra. If all goes accordingly, Arryk will assume the place of Erryk to get into the Queen’s quarters. And if push comes to shove, he might have to kill his own brother … which, spoiler alert, totally ends up happening.
Well, technically, it’s Erryk who delivers the final blow, but the guilt he feels about killing Arryk is enough to drive him to suicide. But really, it’s a tragic scene that goes to show the real consequence of the Targaryen Civil War, and has some serious IRL implications about how political lines can divide families, sometimes forever. The duel is also brilliantly acted and low-key proves that the Tittensor brothers are the unsung heroes of the whole shebang. Considering that their characters were once inseparable, it’s heart-wrenching to see Erryk sobbing and cradling his dead twin in his arms following their sword fight, showing audiences his human side. That’s pain.
As one of the few people who actually prefers the U.K.’s version of Shameless to its American counterpart, it’s nice to see Luke and Elliott getting a little love nearly 20 years on from their TV debut. So, while it’s RIP for Erryk and Arryk in the world of Westeros, here’s hoping we see these very talented twins in future film and TV endeavors down the line.
Have a tip we should know? tips@themarysue.com
