This week on House of the Dragon, viewers watched the pendulum of power swing back and forth as they were confronted with one persistent question: what price are we willing to pay in order to attain power? Now, before you hitch a ride on this pendulum, dear reader, please be warned that spoilers are about to descend upon you with the raw ferocity of our new buddy, Sheepstealer.
Speaking of Sheepstealer, his new rider Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell, Midsomer Murders) introduces us to the themes of this episode when she stands in disarray before a supremely irritated Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin, Raised by Wolves) who kicks this hot mess and her dragon to the curb. This felt like an unnecessary scene; Rhaena’s despair and desperation were already quite clear last week, and we really don’t need to spend any more time with her until she is ready to start picking up the pieces to become someone new.
Speaking of picking up the pieces, Larys Strong (Matthew Needham, Napoleon) and Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell, The Last Kingdom) continue their buddy comedy road trip. It’s pure comic gold to watch the disgraced king of Westeros balk at his compatriot’s calm confidence after revealing Aegon’s identity in a desperate play to save their lives and buy some time. This spiciness is on full display when eternal optimist Larys suggests that Aegon must be feeling better because he has stopped asking for milk of the poppy to soothe his pain.
In response, Ewan Mitchell sucks every ounce of humor from Aegon’s indignant reply: “Because I’m not fucking speaking to you!” He even manages to play the brutal stabbing of his captor with an arrow fragment a few moments later for comedy. Similarly, Larys channels his inner Ulysses Everett McGill as he runs his mouth and rolls with the unexpected punches: “I was mistaken, I am surprised,” Larys quips dryly as he opens the hatch of their wagon and finds a full-on battle raging before him. Their escape to safety hasn’t exactly gone as planned, but it has been a blast to watch these two bullshit their way out of town, and hopefully we will get to watch this improv troupe continue to bungle their way through Westeros for the rest of the season.
Our exploration of the price of power is perhaps the most poignant as we regroup with fallen Valeryons in the wake of last week’s Battle of the Gullet. Watching this broken family regroup over the ashes of their once proud empire reminds us that estates, castles, and riches have their place, but they can never stand in for connection, acceptance, and growth. Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia, Nolly) and Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim, Raised by Wolves) share a particularly touching moment as they acknowledge the vices and virtues of their father, Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint, Before We Die), without letting the rift in their upbringings as the legitimate and illegitimate children of a great lord of Westeros get in the way of their need for connection.
Despite all they have suffered, this crew seems strengthened by one another. When the scattered Velaryons ultimately recover The Sea Snake, he shares an iconic quote to capture his new outlook on life: “If this be victory, I hope I never see another.” Sure, he is mourning the loss of the seat of power he spent a lifetime building, but he also communicates a new understanding that winning isn’t everything; even Corlys seems curious to explore stepping forward with a new perspective. It is Alyn, though, who provides the metaphor that best connects these proceedings to the larger themes of the episode when he argues that his connection to Corlys is more valuable than “a mountain of gold.”
While the Velaryons look back on what they have lost, Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin, GLOW) is also assessing the price of power. As she looks ahead to what she can gain from the time she spent cultivating her relationship with Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith, Doctor Who), she bristles when Daemon laughs off her request to take ownership of Harrenhal. While Daemon makes a halfhearted attempt to appease her frustration, Alys reinforces what we’ve learned from Rhaena and Alyn. This time, instead of a mountain of gold, Alys rejects Daemon’s offer of “rubies,” because as valuable as they are, they will never satisfy her hunger. It’s still unclear what will satisfy her hunger, but later in the episode, when another headstrong, silver-haired loner storms Harrenhal and overplays his hand, Alys looms over him. It would appear that next week she will have a chance to hold court over the mind and dreams of Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell, The Last Kingdom). If she can pull his strings half as well as she pulled Daemon’s, she might just swing the entire tide of the war.
Meanwhile, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke, Katie Says Goodbye) makes her final rounds through King’s Landing in an attempt to fulfill her promise of the throne to Rhaenyra. Essentially, she is spilling the beans about her plans to anyone who will listen and hoping like hell to get her beloved daughter Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban, The Last Kingdom) out of the city and off to a life of comfortable obscurity. In the end, her poking and prodding certainly does grease the wheels of Rahenera’s ascension to the throne, but it’s not enough to get her out of the city (more than that later).
It’s a particular tragic end to her efforts, particularly considering that she is subjected to yet another (wildly unnecessary) sexual assault, this time at the hands of Master of Laws, Ser Jasper Wylde (Paul Kennedy, Mandrake). We certainly didn’t need to watch another rape in progress to understand that this opportunistic blowhard was excited to angle his dirt on Alicent into a personal power play. In the end, all this assault leaves us with a slightly more satisfying thud when the rapist’s head falls unceremoniously to the floor of the throne room in the closing moments of the episode.
On a more positive note, the most pleasant part of the episode was watching sweet Heleanea get excited for the prospect of a humble future raising chickens. She also learns to embrace lying in the most innocent way possible; when Alicent insists that her daughter has commanded the guards not to attack any incoming dragons, Helaena’s face lights up as she supports the lie with a personal truth: “I will not have any beast harmed!” Most of us are rooting for Alicent to make it to safety here, but she is too entangled in this game of thrones to freely escape responsibility for her actions. Helaena, on the other hand, deserves better. Here’s hoping she gets to settle down with that chicken coop one day.
Ultimately, the main event of this episode is Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy, Truth Seekers) taking the Iron Throne and asserting her authority over all of the naysayers in her life. Of course, before she can get there, she has to mourn the loss of yet another son. While it is a bummer to see Rhaenyra once again lost in the throes of loss and depression while all of her alleged allies discount and disregard her authority, D’Arcy is able to share the full emotional struggle of a person flailing their way through the stages of grief while suffering the rest of life’s slings and arrows. Sitting with Rhaenyra’s denial as she scolds the limp and lifeless body of the boy who so recently defied her and flew blindly into danger is difficult, but refuses to let us forget that Rhaenyra is reluctant to abandon family and connection.
Later, some destiny-coded coaching from her husband Daemon pushes her toward the decision to reach for the prophecy her late father shared with her so many years ago. She armors up, friend-zones her more level-headed lover/advisor, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno, Devs), and makes a determined march into battle. Watching Rhaenyra move in this direction as a form of mourning is a valuable reminder that she is chasing more than just glory and destiny, she is chasing a connection to one of the many people she has lost in the Dance of the Dragons. While this may be a comfort to Rhaenyra for now, it seems likely that there will be some dark consequences for putting all of her emotional eggs into the often deceptive basket of prophecy and destiny.
For now, though, it’s almost all glory. Rhaenyra and Daemon fly into King’s Landing largely unopposed and are able to thwart the final pockets of resistance thanks to both Alicent’s greasing of the wheels and the Gold Cloaks’ loyalty to their former commander, Daemon. If the smooth taking of King’s Landing weren’t enough of a reward, Daemon and Rhaenyra are also gifted with the surprise return of Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, Spider-Man: No Way Home). Apparently Larys was keeping him locked in the bowels of the Red Keep as an insurance plan for an eventual power shift on the Iron Throne. Not only does Daemon get to score a final W over his rival, but Rhaenyra proves that she can wield a sword when she takes Otto’s head (only two swings!). Her final cautious, but proud steps to take the throne reveal both a slow acceptance of her new power and a sense of caution that this power could turn out to be more than she bargained for. As if to prove this point, her best girlfriend Alicent is promptly carted into the room to stand at the feet of her freshly-executed dad and stare up at her new queen.
Alicent came through on her end of the deal (more or less), but can Rhaenyra still uphold her end of the bargain with so many eyes watching? This reviewer can’t wait to find out.
Who Won the Week?
It’s a bit of a no-brainer this week. Team Black is currently in the lead. Not only did they take King’s Landing, but their most formidable foe, Aemond Targaryen, is left bleeding out on the cold stone floor of Harrenhal. Sure, Rhaenyra has some tough emotional choices to navigate with her old buddy Alicent, but in terms of her claim to the throne, she currently holds all of the power in this relationship.
Overall, this was a stellar episode of House of the Dragon, but our individual performance winner is clearly Emma D’Arcy. Their understanding of character and performance took center stage this week, but this reviewer is excited to watch this nuanced portrayal continue as Rhaenyra casts aside her constant despair and yearning for validation in order to rule with strength and confidence. Time will tell if she proves to be a skilled leader or the latest in a long line of tyrant Targaryens, but whatever the outcome, it promises to be a fun ride into the future of Westeros.
It’s also worth sharing an honorable mention for every performer who took part in the “Fish Feed” sequence. It was a fun change of pace to watch Daemon sing and make merry with rough-hewn Riverlanders and pose for photos at the Lannister-head-on-a-pike-themed selfie station. Of course, we also get one last happy moment of carefully-calculated generosity and goodwill from the legendary Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale, Into the Woods) when he delivers casks of wine to the weary warriors who have just won the day. It’s certainly a much better last look than his unceremonious murder at the hands of Aemond Targaryen later in the episode. Ser Simon, you were a legend, and we will never let your story die.
