The Princess and the Queen
The baby is immediately whisked away to be cared for by the Rhaenyra’s best friend, a woman named Arian. Arian is kind and loving, but she also has a dark side. She’s been known to use her powers to control the minds of her patients, making them do whatever she wants them to do. And she’s not the only one with dark secrets. The other doctors at the hospital are also on the run from a group of powerful beings known as the Dragonlords. As we follow Arian and her son through their first few months, we see that they are struggling with everything that comes with being a new family. They are constantly being hunted by the Dragonlords, and they have to find ways to survive without their child or friend. But even in these difficult times, they can’t help but smile at each other and laugh together. They know that they will make it through whatever comes their way…
Queen: “Rhaenyra, I want to see the child.”
Laenor and Alicent slip past Lord Caswell and numerous other figures of power as they slip past Rhaenyra. Alicent is surprised to see Rhaenyra, while Viserys is, even more surprisingly, still alive. He’s much older now though and holds his grandchild for the first time. It’s good to see Viserys and Rhaenyra getting on but there’s definitely trouble in paradise.
Rhaenyra has just born her third child, and has two other boys back home with distinct black hair. Not very Targaryen or Valryian-like! Alicent whispers in Laenor’s ear, telling him that eventually he’ll have a son that “looks like him”, which is clearly a dig at his skin colour and a dig at Rhaenyra’s “dining partners.”
Meanwhile, tensions boil up between Rhaenyra and Laenor when the latter hastily calls their son Joffrey before the King and Queen, a nod to his late lover who died at the hands of Criston Cole last episode. Rhaenyra is not happy that she wasn’t consulted on the name. A for Alicent, the cruel Queen clearly has it out for Rhaenyra but keeps up the pretense of them being civil together. But that ship sailed long ago. ..
The young green dragon in the arena, Vermax, is bound to Jacaerys, Rhaenyra’s oldest son and the person bound to inherit the throne.
Aegon is not taken seriously by the other kids because he has a dragon. Alicent takes him aside and tells him that one day he will be King.
Speaking of dragons, Daemon and Laena Velaryon get along like a house on fire. They ride dragons together, they’re married and Daemon is respected by the Valerians after aiding them by burning a rival fleet. At Pentos, one of the Free Cities, Daemon is offered to stay with Laena and their children (Rhaena and Baela). Daemon seriously considers it, but domestication is not on the table, especially after what transpires later on.
A sparring session between children at King’s Landing goes wrong, with tempers flaring and one boy being expelled from the City Watch. Criston and Harwin offer different instructions to the other children, with Criston making sly comments about Harwin’s parentage towards Rhaenyra’s children. This provokes Harwin, who smacks Criston in retaliation. ..
Rhaenyra is concerned about the tension between her and Alicent, as well as the whispers across the land about the true father of her children. She brings these concerns to the council in a bid to try and keep the peace. ..
She suggests that her son Jacaerys be wed to Alicent’s daughter Helaena. That way, both families remain united and steadfast for the future. That would also allow them to put their differences behind them. Just to seal the deal, she also offers Aemond to choose a dragon egg.
Rhaenyra’s breasts leak and her stature is undermined. Alicent smiles thinly and eventually leaves council. She believes all of this is a ploy and thinks Rhaenyra’s idea is a last-ditch ploy to cling to power as she’s weakened and needs her family. It’s partly true, mostly because Rhaenyra’s husband Laenor is lackadaisical to matters of the Kingdom, showing up drunk and romantically discussing sailing off to the Stepstones.
In a scene very reminiscent to that from episode 1, Daemon is put in a difficult position with his wife. Laena has had three children and the baby and her mother are both bound to be lost as a result of the complicated birth.
Laena, a young woman, heads to the beach alone to scream “Dracarys” at her dragon and drop to her knees, allowing the flames to envelop her and the child. Daemon is shocked and heartbroken when he sees.
In Kings Landing, several important steps forward are being made. Rhaenyra decides to leave and head over to Dragonstone, knowing she has been undermined by Jacaerys questioning who his father is. Before she leaves, she turns to Laenar, telling him they need every sword they can muster. ..
Larys Strong and Alicent are in the company of Otto, who agrees that Viserys can’t give him unbiased counsel. However, Larys also points out that Lenny wouldn’t have been much better either. Alicent blurts out that he’d at least be on her side, solidifying their unspoken bond together.
Larys, the new Lord of Harrenhal, recruits a handful of prisoners from the dungeons and sends them to burn down the castle. Both Harwin and Lyonel are inside when this happens. ..
Alicent is surprised when Larys tells her he plans to keep the baby. She’s conflicted, feeling both happy for Larys and angry that he didn’t tell her sooner. Picking up a flower, she smells it confidently while Larys turns his back to her, flustered. ..
The Episode Review
In House of the Dragon, we have a character who is not only incredibly skilled with a sword but also incredibly strong. She can hold her own against even the strongest swordsman and is able to use her strength to push them back. This week’s scene is a great example of how two different characters can interact with each other and how their skills can contrast.
House of the Dragon is brutal, meaningful, and pushes the character and plot forward. It really is startling how bad the former is written compared to this. HOTD is not a masterpiece though, and there are elements that could be improved, but the difference in quality is night and day. ..
What’s particularly interesting about Game of Thrones is how there are shades of gray rather than black and white motives for all the different characters. This is something that George R.R. Martin’s books (the ones he’s bothered to finish and release at least) do exceptionally well and its conveyed in HOTD so well too. You can never quite be sure of what all these different characters are planning, and it makes for a very absorbing watch.
The daemon is a powerful creature that is quickly gaining a foothold in the world. It seems that the conflict between Alicent and Rhaenyra is bubbling up to this point, with the fate of the realm hanging in the balance. It will be interesting to see which side of the conflict fate falls.
The new actors play their roles well and the series has enough wherewithal to keep the same tonal balance as before. Next week’s episode should be another good one!
