In a new video, Marco from Nerdkultur analyzes the first episode of Season 2 of House of the Dragon and explains what Blood and Cheese is all about.
Spoiler Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the first episode of Season 2 of House of the Dragon. Anyone who hasn’t seen it should catch up.
Who is Marco Risch? Since 2015, Marco Risch has been focusing on news, analyses, reviews, and interviews about current movies, series, or games on his YouTube channel Nerdkultur.
In addition, he meets weekly with his colleague Yves Arievich to chat in the Podcast Nerd & Kultur about pop culture topics like Star Wars, Marvel, and DC. Both the YouTube channel and the podcast are part of the Webedia network, which also includes MeinMMO.
In a new video, he analyzes the latest episode of House of the Dragon and explains to you what Blood and Cheese is all about:
The Starting Situation in Season 2
What are the many actors doing in Season 2? Marco begins by talking about the new intro of the season. While the first intro symbolized the bloodlines of the Targaryens, the new intro shows a bloody embroidery from Helaena Targaryen’s perspective. It tells the story of her family and ends with the events of the first season.
Alan Taylor, who directed 9 episodes of The Sopranos, returns to the franchise and is now even the showrunner, working alongside composer Ramin Djawadi, orchestrating a return to the Starks and the original series, particularly through the two characters Jacaerys Velaryon and Cregan Stark.
On the other hand, there is the faction of the Blacks from House Targaryen, discussing their next steps. This finally shows the perspective that was also addressed in Game of Thrones: the impact on ordinary people. Instead of just seeing the powerful act, we now also see the role of the ordinary characters.
The other faction from House Targaryen is the Greens. Alicent Hightower and Ser Criston Cole must deal with the currently uncomfortable situation, as the obligations have changed. This is also true for Helaena Targaryan, who now moves into her mother’s old chambers as queen. There, she changes everything as a symbol of new leadership. On the other hand, there is Aegon II, who changes nothing.
It’s Based on Traditions
What’s the deal with Blood and Cheese? In his video, Marco explains the parallels between Daemon and Aemond, both of whom know the significance of Harrenhal and the leadership needed for the civil war. This is also the reason why they want to kill each other. Therefore, Daemon wants to ensure it. In this scene, according to Marco, there’s a reference back to the dispute between Daemon and Viserys.
We do not know what Daemon said about what they should do if they cannot find Aemond, and that fits with the books. We can only know what we have experienced. True to the Middle Ages, there are no reliable reports, only those from third parties that must be interpreted.
Similarly to what is known about Blood and Cheese. Just as Fire and Blood consists only of traditions, the names of the two are also unknown. Blood is the former butcher who belongs to the Gold Cloaks, and Cheese is referred to as the rat catcher.
The scene through the sewers is particularly emphasized by Marco since it was crafted elaborate and thus shot in detail. Combined with the natural light and minimalism, it creates a scene that perfectly visualizes the two intruders and their approach. If you want to see another analysis by Marco, check it out here: Afterwards, you will see DUNE 2 in a different light
