The latest episode of House of the Dragon continued to follow the tragic events of the season 2 premiere, which saw the brutal killing of the six-year-old prince Jaehaerys Targaryen. The latest episode did not shy away from depicting more tragedies on screen as the famous battle between the twins Arryk and Erryk Cargyll was shown.
While the ending of the episode sees both the Cargyll twins die, fans reportedly had trouble telling them apart and who was the one who killed the other and then himself. Co-creator of the Game of Thrones spinoff Ryan Condal mentioned that it was Erryk who killed his brother and overcome by guilt, sacrificed himself for Queen Rhaenyra.
House of the Dragon Creator Clarifies Cargyll Twins’ Confusion
The Game of the Thrones spinoff show House of the Dragon has been receiving rave reviews and is well on its way to being a worthy successor of the flagship show. In true GOT fashion, the season 2 premiere of HOTD depicted a tragedy like no other with the death of the toddler Jaehaerys Targaryen at the hands of assassins Blood and Cheese.
In the latest episode, the Greens aim to retaliate against the gruesome death and grief by sending another assassin to attack Queen Rhaenyra. On the orders of Ser Criston Cole, the Kingsguard, Ser Arryk Cargyll is sent to Dragonstone to infiltrate the kingdom as his twin brother, Erryk, who is the protector of the queen. However, Arryk is caught and a battle ensues between the twins.
While the battle ends in a tragedy, with both Cargyll twins losing their lives, the sequence leaves viewers confused as to who landed the fatal blow. Co-creator Ryan Condal clarified the sequence in an interview with Decider,
Erryk is the one that falls on his sword at the end, yeah. So, you know, Arryk is dead. The infiltrator is dead and then Erryk falls on the sword. So when he says, ‘Your Grace,’ to the queen, that’s when she knows who it is.
The creator mentioned that the infiltrator fails at the mission and dies. Fans were also quick to notice some differences from the source material Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin, which sees the twins battle it out in Dragonstone and not in front of the queen.
Cargyll Twin Actors Talk About The Episode’s Harrowing Ending
The battle between the Cargyll twins has been teased ever since they were introduced in season one of House of the Dragon, which saw them try to locate King Aegon for his coronation ceremony. Erryk and Arryk Cargylle go their separate ways as the former becomes distasteful towards Aegon’s antics and both protect either side of the factions.
Played by actual twin brothers Elliott and Luke Tittensor, the actors reportedly performed their own stunts during the duel. The two also spoke to USA Today about the tragic ending of their characters and how they felt during the sequence. Elliott said,
The pain Erryk felt when he kills his brother is the most intense feeling he’s ever felt. When he says, ‘Forgive me’ he’s saying it to Rhyneara because he’s about to sacrifice himself in front of her. But it’s also directed towards his brother.
The actor also mentioned that the episode showed the human side of the twins and the intense connection they had as brothers.
House of the Dragon is streaming on Max.
