The plot directly follows the end of the season premiere, depicting the aftermath of the murder of Jaehaerys, King Aegon II's son and heir.
"Rhaenyra the Cruel" introduced several new cast members, including Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Tom Bennett as Ulf the White, and Ellora Torchia as Kat.
It received highly positive reviews from critics, with praise going towards the direction, writing, score, cinematography, camerawork, the fight between Erryk and Arryk, Rhaenyra's argument with Daemon, and performances of its cast, particularly those of Tom Glynn-Carney, Emma D'Arcy, Phia Saban, Rhys Ifans, and Olivia Cooke.
Blood, one of the assassins, is captured and, under threat of torture, quickly confesses to Larys that he acted on Daemon's orders along with a ratcatcher whose real name he does not know.
Seeking solace with Sylvi at her brothel, Aemond feels self-important at being Daemon's target, but expresses remorse over Lucerys' accidental death.
Elsewhere, blacksmith Hugh Hammer arrives home to his sick daughter and wife, Kat, who blames their worsening situation on the shipping blockade.
Ser Criston Cole, deflecting responsibility for failing to protect Jaehaerys, blames Arryk Cargyll, and orders him to infiltrate Dragonstone disguised as his twin, Erryk, and assassinate Rhaenyra.
"Rhaenyra the Cruel" was written by executive producer Sara Hess and directed by Clare Kilner,[1] making it their second collaboration in the series after "The Green Council".
Drawing on their martial arts backgrounds, Elliott and Luke Tittensor, who play the two brothers, chose to perform the scene themselves, with the exception of the part when Arryk falls onto a vase, which required a stunt double.
The site's critical consensus says, "An episode punctuated by grief and retribution, 'Rhaenyra the Cruel' deepens House of the Dragon's ensemble with new emotional layers while heaping on memorably bloody countermoves.
"[16] James Hunt of Screen Rant, who previously found the Blood and Cheese scene disappointing, praised the episode's depiction of its aftermath.
He commended the compelling and emotional character work and superb performances, describing it as "another solid installment as the Dance of the Dragons edges closer to truly catching fire.
"[18] Carly Lane of Collider gave it 8 out of 10, while Helen O'Hara of IGN rated it 7 out of 10, noting it was a "heavy-hearted episode, weighed down by the grief of almost all the main cast.
He also praised Saban, noting her ability to "[convey] so much with her eyes and [nail] the complexity of a grieving parent", and Ifans, saying that it was "his best performance as Otto to date.
[15][20] Alec Bojalad praised D'Arcy as "one of the show's most elite performers", commending their ability to "[capture] both Rhaenyra's belated understanding of what Daemon really is and her political blindspots in equal measure.
[22] Proma Khosla described the fight as "a magnificent farewell for the Tittensor brothers," calling it "memorable" and "impactful", while Santanu Das of Hindustan Times named it "one of the most brutal and compelling moments of the season so far".