House of the Dragon behind-the-scenes picture gives us a glimpse of a deleted scene from the Battle of Rooks Rest

The second season of House of the Dragon concluded earlier this year, with many fans agreeing that the fourth episode, “The Red Dragon and the Gold,” stood out as the most gripping. This episode showcased the dramatic battle between Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) and her dragon Meleys “The Red Queen” against Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and his dragon Vhagar.

In the battle, Rhaenys and Meleys were knocked from the sky and met their deaths. However, the episode did not show their burned bodies on the ground, instead focusing on other significant storylines. Recently, a behind-the-scenes image of Rhaenys has surfaced, reigniting fan interest. The photo shows Eve Best in character as Rhaenys, lying on the ground with a bloodied face, moments before filming the aftermath.

Read More: What happened at the Battle at Rook’s Rest? Here’s what to expect in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4

New behind the scenes look at Rook’s Rest

Credits: House of the Dragon: Inside the Dawn of the Targaryen Civil War

A reddit user recently shared an image gives fans a glimpse of a scene that was deleted from the Battle of Rooks Rest. This picture, taken on the set of House of the Dragon season 2, shows actor Eve Best lying on the ground. Her face is bloodied, and her eyes are open. It appears this shot was taken moments before filming began.

The image mirrors the illustration from Fire & Blood, depicting Rhaenys and Meleys after the Battle of Rook’s Rest. While her injuries are visible, Rhaenys appears more intact than expected after falling from the sky and enduring a massive fireball.

The photo likely came from House of the Dragon: Inside the Dawn of the Targaryen Civil War. This coffee table book explores the making of the second season of the show. It includes behind-the-scenes photos and details from the production.

Some fans believe the choice to exclude the aftermath scene weakened the emotional impact. Seeing Rhaenys and Meleys after their deaths might have added more weight to their loss. However, others appreciated the restraint, feeling it left room for interpretation.

Regardless of opinions, the image offers a fascinating look at what the show considered during production.

Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon [Season 2]: Inside the Dawn of the Targaryen Civil War

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01/19/2025 10:57 pm GMT

Read More: George R. R. Martin loved the Battle at Rook’s Rest, says it was the best Dragon battle on screen

Why was the scene excluded?

Credits: AAPimages®/Panckow/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images

Director Alan Taylor explained the decision to cut the scene in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. He revealed that the team wanted to maintain focus on central storylines. Including the aftermath might have distracted viewers from the main events of the episode. Taylor said:

“It’s always like that. I think the impulse behind that choice was to make sure that we stayed focused on the key storylines.”

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