“House of the Dragon” star braces for 'heinous' Blood and Cheese moment: 'Expect the very worst possible, and then double it'

"That one's pretty horrific," showrunner Ryan Condal says of adapting this big book moment. "We'll see what people make of what's to come."

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Two names send chills through the House of the Dragon season 2 cast once uttered — mostly due to fears of breaking their NDAs.

A crucial moment from George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood involving two characters by the name of Blood and Cheese will be adapted when season 2 kicks off on HBO and Max this June 16. It's one of those "if you know, you know" elements, but star Olivia Cooke and series co-creator Ryan Condal tease some of what's in store.

“God!” Cooke, who plays Alicent Hightower, tells Entertainment Weekly when broaching the topic. “I'd just say, it is Game of Thrones, expect the worst. Expect the very worst possible, and then double it. I dunno what else to say without heavily spoiling it, but it is heinous.”

HBO has not divulged the casting for either Blood or Cheese, though the show's past trailers have certainly hinted at the storyline. "A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones have really conditioned people to expect the unexpected and expect the horrible,” Condal teases. “But, yeah, that one's pretty horrific. We'll see what people make of what's to come."

House of the Dragon continues to chronicle the Dance of the Dragons, the destructive civil war that broke out within the Targaryen empire over succession. Season 1 saw House Hightower and their allies usurp the Iron Throne from Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy), the chosen successor of the late King Viserys (Paddy Considine), and crown her half-brother Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) instead. And with a season finale that also saw Rhaenyra's young son die when he was tormented through the sky on dragonback, both sides are preparing for an onslaught.

"Season 2 is the march to war," Condal says. "It's really a cold war because each side is trying to undeniably win the throne for themselves without going to all-out dragon war. We do that through plotting and backstabbing and assassination and spy games and all the things that you would see in a classic James Bond Cold War thriller.”

Read more about House of the Dragon season 2 in EW's Summer TV Preview cover story.

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