Nobody upholds an oath like Erryk and Arryk!
The Cargyll twins were at cross ends in the second episode of HOTD season 2, ending with both perishing. Showrunner Ryan Condall revealed that they intentionally made the scene more “gritty” to stay true to the characters. While in the books, Sansa Stark romanticized the battle of the brothers!
What is Sansa Stark’s connection to the Cargyll twins’ fight?
In the books, Sansa Stark’s interpretation and romanticization of the duel was a portal into the actual event. “Sansa has this very Sansa-like romantic vision of what that fight was like and how they dueled for hours as though it was the duel from The Princess Bride,” Condall told The Hollywood Reporter.
There are various versions of the duel, and one of them had the brothers cursing at each other, which didn’t feel true to the characters they had built. “The real thing would be much more brutal and gritty. We wanted to try to find the central line through it,” he added.
The show portrayed the brothers as soldiers who pledged to protect the royal family at all costs. When the civil war ensued, their loyalties were divided between two different heirs to the Iron throne—Erryk siding with Rhaenyra and Arryk supporting Aegon’s claim.
In the first episode of season 2, Erryk confronts Daemon and says, “We don’t know what to do with this oath because we swore to protect the royal family, and now they’ve turned against each other, and what were we to do?” It perfectly summed up the morals of the Cargyll twins.
All about the Twins duel in HOTD season 2
If you missed watching the duel, be warned that it’s gruesome! In the aftermath of Prince Jaehaerys’s death, Criston Cole, who was busy shagging with Queen Alicent, dared to question Sir Arryk’s whereabouts during the infanticide.
Cole manipulates the latter to feel guilty and threatens to redeem himself by sneaking into Dragonstone, impersonating his twin brother, and slaying Rhaenyra. Arryk had no choice but to oblige, and the next time we see is him infiltrating the Black Queen’s keep.
He almost succeeds at Rhaenyra’s assassination when his twin Erryk storms in and starts dueling. After a few strikes and a heartbreaking exchange, Erryk slays his brother and then kills himself. “Your Grace, forgive me,” he says before stabbing himself to death.
This could be one of the most painful deaths on HOTD so far, making Cristin Cole the most hated character in the series!
