House of the Dragon star challenges “unfair” Blood and Cheese criticism

Blood and Cheese is easily the most polarizing moment of House of the Dragon Season 2 so far, but cast member Phia Saban has had to defend her character’s reaction.

Blood and Cheese came and went in the first episode of House of the Dragon Season 2, but fans are still talking about it. Many have slammed the depiction of the book scene, claiming it wasn’t brutal enough. Others are more forgiving, applauding the haunting details and incredible performances.

Either way, it all hangs on Helaena (Phia Saban) and her reaction to the decapitation of her child. It’s a tough moment, but some viewers criticized Helaena for giving up her son so quickly. When Blood and Cheese ask her to say which of her twins is the boy (and future king), she tells them almost immediately.

However, Saban has a defense for this moment, and it’s a pretty understandable decision. “I think that what she hears from them is, we are extremely dangerous men and we are more than capable of killing all of you. And you can make this easy for yourself or you can make this harder for yourself,” Saban told the HOTD podcast (via The Wrap).

HBO

As for the criticism aimed at Helaena, Saban thinks it’s a little “unfair”, considering the circumstances.

“Obviously, there’s nothing easy about it,” she added. “I would think it’s unfair to say that somebody braver would be like, ‘No, you won’t have either of them,’ I don’t think that’s an option, I genuinely don’t believe that’s an option in that moment.

“I actually think it’s kind of powerful that she’s honest the first time, because I think that is exemplary of how high the stakes are for her. Like, ‘I am not going to mess this up or I don’t have an option here.’ This is about saving a child’s life.”

Indeed, Helaena does manage to save the life of her daughter, Jaehaera. She grabs the child while the assassins are murdering her son, sneaks out the door, and runs across the Red Keep to her mother, Alicent. While it’s only fiction, it’s no wonder fans have been territorial about the scene.

To find out what happens next, tune in to the next episode of House of the Dragon Season 2. You can also check out our House of the Dragon Season 2 review. Or, find out why both sides of the Targaryen Civil War suck.