There have been two background storylines this season that have felt rather clunky in their lead up, but both finally started to pay dividends this week – just in time for each to heavily factor into the anticipated season endgame (which I won’t spoil, don’t worry, but if you’re a book reader, I suspect you’ve also likely figured out what the final season set piece is going to be at this stage of things).
First, we have the constant checking in on the smallfolk of King’s Landing. What felt like some rather throw away exposition about how the Sea Snake’s blockade of the city was starting to put pressure on the smallfolk – and an indication that despite his words in court, Aegon never had any plans to do anything about it so long as it wasn’t directly impacting his day-to-day life – now has a clear purpose: with Rhaenyra’s banners flooding the streets along with fresh food, the smallfolk have begun turning against their king (and his regent, Aemond, who also seemed completely short-sighted when presented with evidence of the growing unrest in the city). Of course, the two prominent blond dudes we’ve met also scream “I’m Dragonseed and will be riding a dragon before the show finishes its run,” so introducing us to them was also an added bonus of this particular subplot, but yeah, getting the smallfolk to turn on Aegon is crucial to any potential move the Blacks might make directly against King’s Landing in the coming episodes.
And the second is the matter of Corlys’ bastards. While up until today, the most interesting thing about them was that one is clearly hiding his blond hair whilst the other has dark locks, it was particularly exciting to see Seasmoke presumably bond with his former rider’s half-brother (and hopefully join the cause of the Blacks next week. I mean, an entreaty from the queen certainly might help matters). Addam, Seasmoke’s chosen rider, has been a real bright spot this season, not sullen like his brother Alyn (who looks to be getting a chance to follow in his father’s footsteps, even if he’s not getting a dragon). I’m intrigued to see what his new status as dragon rider will mean for both him and his father moving forward – after all, if he’s riding a dragon, there’s going to be questions about just who his father is and that’s going to mean Corlys will have to make his claim public.
I have to say, I’m truly enjoying these ghostly dreams of Daemon’s, allowing us to get to see some of our favorite dearly departed characters from season one once more. This week, we were treated to a return engagement from the great Paddy Considine. And, unlike in previous weeks, wherein Daemon was forced to face his darkest wants and dreams, this time he was forced to face the times he fell short as a brother. Because for all his power-hungry ways, Daemon doesn’t seem to like how he let that drive for power – and his jealousy over his brother’s success – cloud their relationship. His visions of Viserys this week explored how he failed to be the support system his brother needed him to be in his times of need – from the loss of his potential heir to the loss of his wife – leading him into some all-too-brief moments of reflection. While I doubt Daemon will leave Harrenhal a changed man in any really discernible way, it’s been compelling to see that there is more to him than the spoiled child who thinks he deserves the throne. One hopes that, when the time is right, these lessons he’s being presented with from his own past missteps will help him to make the right call when it is necessary.
And then there’s the continued juxtaposition between Rhaenyra and Aemond, two very different rulers who are running into very different issues with their current set of circumstances. Rhaenyra, raised to be a diplomatic ruler, has had a hell of time figuring out how to be an effective general – all while trying to combat the sexism inherent in the Seven Kingdoms. Her alliance with Mysaria has paid dividends – and seems to also offer some more personal perks as well, good for them both for finding some semblance of romance in this dark story – and her plan to find Dragonseed to take on the remaining dragons has the potential to turn the tide of the war. But it troubles me that she believes her Small Council should remember to fear her – that’s not where her strength as a leader comes from, even if her councilors don’t quite recognize it yet. And then, at the other end of the spectrum, there’s Aemond, who’s past as the recipient of bullying taught him to be a master tactician with a taste for inflicting the maximum amount of damage on those who might spite him. He’s suited for planning battles and winning them, but he lacks the ability to understand the nuances of war. He isn’t a diplomat – case in point, he’s inability to see the potential good Alicent can bring to the Small Council. And his ignoring of the plight of the smallfolk? Yeah, if it’s not something that could immediately enhance his position in the war and secure more power, he’s not interested. It’s a fascinating comparison to watch play out – and I suspect Rhaenyra’s planning and focus might be due for a win soon.
While this episode wasn’t flashy, it was strong in that it gave us greater insight into several of our main characters, deepening our understanding of what makes them who they are. I appreciate that the story isn’t trying to rush ahead to the next battle and the next chance to throw these characters into mortal peril. Sure, that’s going to come sooner rather than later. Heck, we’ll get to see if Rhaena can tame that wild dragon she saw signs of before the season is out, I’d wager – and that will be plenty dangerous without any fighting to be had. But these quiet moments, watching how our characters work out their own issues and confusion prior to the major moves on the chessboard, those are the key moments that elevate a series from just fine to genuinely good. And, after a season and a half of missteps, House of the Dragon seems to finally have found the correct process to get us character development while still enticing us with darkness and danger.
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