Emma D’Arcy , I ’m going to start helping hand - chip at your Emmy Award now .

🚨 There are obviously MASSIVE spoilers forwards forHouse of the DragonSeason 2 , Episode 1 ! 🚨

After almost two years since the heart-wrenching and jaw-dropping Season 1 finale,House of the Dragonfinallyreturned this week with Season 2. HBO Sundays are back, baby.

The Season 2 premiere kicks off after Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and the Greens stole the throne and crowned Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) as king. The episode notably sees the aftermath of Lucerys’s death at the hands of Aemond, too.

With war on the horizon, Aegon tries to keep a grip on the throne while Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) grieves the devastating loss of Lucerys, and Daemon (Matt Smith) prepares for battle alongside the rest of Team Black.

The episode also included the infamous"Blood and Cheese" moment from the books, as Rhaenyra demands a “son for a son” and asks Daemon to end Aemond.

The whole episode was so good, but nothing really compared to the devastating and masterclass performance from Emma, who literally only had one line in the entire episode.

Rhaenyra’s grief is the true center of theHouse of the DragonSeason 2 premiere, and Emma showcases a mother’s heartbreak effortlessly. Plus, Harry Collett gives an outstanding performance as Jacaerys, who is also grieving the loss of his brother.

Speaking about portraying Rhaenyra’s grief in the after-episode discussion, Emmasaid, “I guess one of, sort of, the maddest things about death is that it seems sort of impossible, especially because really the overriding feeling often is you just sit with the absence.”

They continued, saying, “And so, anything that has, like, a tangibility about it, I think, is vitally important. Her son’s cloak, the wing of his dragon, I think it’s devastating but I think it galvanized a vengeful feeling, one that maybe she hasn’t paid so much mind to previously.”

If you love what you read , give your favorite tweets a like and a retweet , and the users a follow , to make your timeline a more fun place to be .

1.

Emma D’Arcy only had one line this episode and the rest was nonverbal brilliance#HouseoftheDragonpic.twitter.com / JlI1A60VpB

2.

UNREAL acting performance by Emma D’Arcy#HouseOfTheDragonpic.twitter.com / UoYA0DxAHQ

3.

everything rhaenyra will do now is valid . NONE of it will be wrong#HouseoftheDragonpic.twitter.com / fW7vJSztNJ

4.

some of y’ all : citizenry will finally turn over on rhaenyra after blood and cheesethe world-wide public : allow HER DO WORSEEEEE MAKE THEM PAAAAAAYhttps://t.co/W5uziGC7yL

5.

he want to utter out of tariff for his queen , but indoors he was crying for his female parent 😢 https://t.co/ecKHrT4rjF

emma d’arcy , we are only one ( 1 ) episode in , but i ’m blend in to commence hand carving your emmy honour now . barely any words spoken , and yet they conveyed what grief feels like so perfectly#houseofthedragonpic.twitter.com/6xtsSKMxUB

7.

emma ’s power to transmit a mother ’s grief to the point where you ’re crying too is insane like this is a masterclass in gestural acting#HouseOfTheDragonpic.twitter.com / YcrO8C0IQF

8.

if i ’m true emma darcy and phia saban were the heart and mortal of this episode , they had very little dialog but their facial formula stole the showpic.twitter.com/VYBk0JBkMQ

9.

the hug between rhaenyra and jace … 🥺 # HouseoftheDragonpic.twitter.com/K5dRoUCLS8

10.

OH RHAENYRA … . FUCK THE GREENS FOR CAUSING HER THIS PAINpic.twitter.com/xG7ZhqykqT

11.

SHE FOUND ARRAX AND LUKE ’S CAPE WHEN I FIND YOU AEMOND#HouseoftheDragonpic.twitter.com / VbhRetBjmp

12.

with him without himpic.twitter.com/21HyDE5VZz

13.

grieving grievingvisenya lukepic.twitter.com/fd8hi4IScz

14.

take all their painfulness and give it to team greenpic.twitter.com/j4DyFvBaTL

15.

RHAENYRA HAS TO COLLECT HER SON ‘S clay . NOT HIS soundbox BUT clay ! ! ! I WILL SUPPORT EVERYTHING SHE DOES TO THE GREENS ! ! ! ! # HouseoftheDragonpic.twitter.com/qUgngLGY27

16.

Just want to point out , Arrax ( Lucerys ’ dragon ) is also son of Syrax ( Rhaenyra ’s dragon ) … so both mothers are mourn in this picture 😭 # TeamBlack#HOTD#HouseOfTheDragon#GameOfThronespic.twitter.com / lWb5IQT2qh

17.

The funeral of Prince Lucerys Velaryon who was fearless like a Strong , exit with his Draco like a Targaryen and was swallow in the sea like a Velaryon 💔 # HouseoftheDragonpic.twitter.com/i3oRdcLXxg

18.

HouseoftheDragon 😭 😭 😭 😭 pic.twitter.com/8ycAqu9oBH

19.And finally:

i ’m express mirth so firmly make line of descent and cheese was supposed to be rhaenyra ’s bounteous crime and people are still waiting for her to do more , oh my queen regnant is AN ANGELhttps://t.co/rXjPFvZW4a

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Emma D’Arcy, I’m going to start hand-carving your Emmy Award now.

Rhaenyra Targaryen, Jacaerys Velaryon, and Joffrey Velaryon stare into the distance holding blankets, from House of the Dragon

Top image: Alicent Hightower and Otto Hightower sit at a table in a medieval setting. Bottom image: Aegon Targaryen sits on a throne wearing a crown

Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, in a medieval-style dress, in a scene from "House of the Dragon"

Rhaenyra Targaryen, dressed in a coat, stands solemnly in a dimly lit room with candles in "Game of Thrones"

Emma D'Arcy in costume, crying on a beach in three different scenes

Three scenes from "House of the Dragon" featuring actors Emma D’Arcy and Harry Collett in medieval-style attire

Top and bottom images of Rhaenyra Targaryen from Game of Thrones. Top: Rhaenyra stands on a beach beside her dragon. Bottom: Rhaenyra weeps over a scorch-marked cloak

"Stylized graphic of three faces with the text 'Pride Month 2024'."

After almost two years since the heart-wrenching and jaw-dropping Season 1 finale,House of the Dragonfinallyreturned this week with Season 2. HBO Sundays are back, baby.#

The Season 2 premiere kicks off after Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and the Greens stole the throne and crowned Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) as king. The episode notably sees the aftermath of Lucerys’s death at the hands of Aemond, too.#

With war on the horizon, Aegon tries to keep a grip on the throne while Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) grieves the devastating loss of Lucerys, and Daemon (Matt Smith) prepares for battle alongside the rest of Team Black.#

The episode also included the infamous"Blood and Cheese" moment from the books, as Rhaenyra demands a “son for a son” and asks Daemon to end Aemond.#

The whole episode was so good, but nothing really compared to the devastating and masterclass performance from Emma, who literally only had one line in the entire episode.#

Rhaenyra’s grief is the true center of theHouse of the DragonSeason 2 premiere, and Emma showcases a mother’s heartbreak effortlessly. Plus, Harry Collett gives an outstanding performance as Jacaerys, who is also grieving the loss of his brother.#

Speaking about portraying Rhaenyra’s grief in the after-episode discussion, Emmasaid, “I guess one of, sort of, the maddest things about death is that it seems sort of impossible, especially because really the overriding feeling often is you just sit with the absence.”#

They continued, saying, “And so, anything that has, like, a tangibility about it, I think, is vitally important. Her son’s cloak, the wing of his dragon, I think it’s devastating but I think it galvanized a vengeful feeling, one that maybe she hasn’t paid so much mind to previously.”#

As soon as the episode ended, fans — including myself — began flocking to X, formerly Twitter, to share their love for Emma’s performance and how it’s likely just the first performance in an entire season that should win them an Emmy Award. Here are 19 of the best reactions:#

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HouseoftheDragon 😭 😭 😭 😭 pic.twitter.com/8ycAqu9oBH#

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Looking for more LGBTQ+ or Pride content? Then check out all of BuzzFeed’s posts celebratingPride 2024.#