Blood has been spilled. The tension between Rhaenyra and Alicent has been building since the beginning of House of the Dragon where secrets were exposed and the ultimate power couple emerged. The episode takes place in the ancestral home of the Velaryons where everyone has gathered for Laena's funeral after her suicide-by-Dragon. Even though Rhaenyra and Laenor left King's Landing to go to Dragonstone, everyone has been pulled back together and tensions are running. If you were to watch House of the Dragon for the first time, the funeral would be a good place to start. Viserys is a sad man. Alicent looks at Rhaenyra and her children. Corlys and Rhaenys are devastated by their daughter's death, while Laenor is completely broken by her death. Daemon doesn't burst out into laughter when the Velaryon funeral rites include a speech about how " their blood must remain true." Everyone else looks at Rhaenyra and her brown haired children. I thought it would be the high point of the episode. I wasn't correct. Things are tense all day, but when it's time to go to sleep it's a different story. When Rhaenyra and Daemon walk on the moonlit beach, they fall into each other's arms and have sex, becoming another in a long line of Targaryens. It is icky because of the taboo, but House of the Dragon tries to mitigate their new relationship as best as possible. When Rhaenyra blamed her uncle for abandoning her as a child, Daemon said he left because she was a child. Rhaenyra showed more than enthusiastic consent, while Daemon hesitated. The two love each other very much. I still don't like it. If you don't like the show, do you think Emma D'arcy and Matt Smith have good chemistry?
Viserys and Alicent's second son, the mopey Aemond, sneaks out to get a dragon, which is actually Laena's now riderless Vhagar. The dragons in House are larger than the ones in Game of Throne because they are in their prime. I've never seen anything like the scope and monstrousness of a dragon as small as Aemond creeping up to Vhagar. When the prince rouses the beast, Aemond stands firm, commands Vhagar to not kill him, and tries to claim a dragon.
I was certain that Aemond would die on his first ride. Vhagar tried to shake his passenger off and there was a long portion where Aemond dangled from his saddle. He overcame Vhagar's bucking and was able to tame the beast. Baela and Rhaena saw Aemond steal their mother's dragon, and they are very upset about it.
When Aemond lands, the girls and Rhaenyra's sons are with him. Things get out of control. When Aemond mocks Jace for being a bastard, he becomes enraged and the girls are angry. A brutal four-on-one brawl breaks out between the kids, which is surprisingly even-matched as Aemond is the largest among them. As the blows fly, Jace draws a dagger, Aemond knocks it out of his hand, and a scared, angry Luce picks it up and slices his uncle in the face. He was right through his eye.
If you are one of those people who read recaps before or without watching the episode, I would recommend you to read it later. It is one of the best television I have watched this year because everyone gets in a room and stands still.
Aemond has lost his eye and has a giant scar on his face. Viserys demands answers, Alicent slaps Aegon for getting drunk instead of being with his brother, and all the kids start screaming. Alicent claims Rhaenyra's boys attacked and mauled her son, while Rhaenyra claims they were defending their honor after a vile insult.
Everyone has been too scared to tell Viserys that his daughter's children are bad, and the king has refused to let the few who weren't voice the allegation. Luckily for Rhaenyra, he also refuses to believe them, and so he demands that Aemond tell him where he heard it. Viserys demands the same of his elder son as Aemond stares at Alicent. Viserys knows he has to back down immediately or his wife will be executed. He wants everyone to apologize so he starts to storm off.
Alicent wants blood so he can't. She wants an eye from a child of Rhaenyra. Viserys thought she had gone mad and refused to grant her request. Alicent ordered her Queensguard, Criston Cole, to take an eye, but her lap dog wouldn't listen. Alicent pulled a dagger from Viserys belt and moved forward to get the eye she wanted.
Rhaenyra grabbed the queen's wrist, and the two fought in front of their family, the king, and his royal retinue, one mother desperate to protect her children, the other desperate to exact revenge for hers. Everyone stops and stares as they struggle, and Alicent gives voice to the hate that has been burning her up from the inside. She cried, "What have I done but what was expected of me?" Is it possible to uphold the kingdom, the family, and the law forever? You should do as you please. Where is the work done? Where does sacrifice take place? It has been trampled under your feet again. You feel entitled because you took my son's eye. The Queen cut the arm of the Princess who was happy.
Alicent is shocked at what she has done. Aemond was the one who claimed he was perfectly fine. I gained a dragon despite losing an eye.
It is not possible to go back now. The Queen attacked the Queen-to- be. Otto Hightower told his daughter Alicent that he wouldn't let Rhaenyra become the Queen. As mad as Alicent acted in front of the entire court, Rhaenyra's position has been weakened greatly because of the rumors of her affairs. Although Laenor wanted to return to the fight for the Stepstones, he decided to stay with Rhaenyra, their children and her future succession.
That isn't enough, that's not enough. Their bonds are too tenuous and rumors too public. Rhaenyra wants Daemon to marry her because he was heir to the throne before Viserys chose her and had a son. She says that Laenor has to die in order for them to burn together. Daemon paid Ser Qarl to kill Laenor. Corlys and Rhaenys are horrified to discover that their last child has died and his body has been burned.
The scene of Daemon murdering a servant is so fast that I barely had time to register it. I assumed Laenor was no longer alive. Daemon wouldn't second guess it. I thought that Rhaenyra could have Laenor murdered to ensure her crown because she told her husband he was a good man. The game of thrones is where you win or you die. Rhaenyra says that her enemies will think twice about crossing her because of her ruthlessness. Daemon knows for her to rule that she must still be feared. Rhaenyra must be willing to pay a price for killing a good man.
There is a small, quiet wedding done in High Valyrian and the union of a power couple. Ser Qarl sits on a small rowboat and a man in a cloak jumps in to help them escape.
Corlys and Rhaenys think that Rhaenyra is capable of getting her hands dirty to become queen, despite the fact that she didn't kill her husband to get a new one. I don't think they'd allow their son to abandon his nobility if they knew about the scheme. The Starks and House of the Dragon need someone to root for them.
The problem with this show is that it was directed by a man who is leaving the show after the first season. I worry that House of the Dragon will suffer because of his absence. That's a problem for the second season. There is nothing to do except marvel at what he has accomplished so far, and wonder how bad things can get before Viserys dies.
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