On this week’s installment of How to Claim Your Dragon . . . err, I mean House of the Dragon, we were granted the long-awaited Dragonseed claiming competition, which saw two new dragon riders emerge from a fiery scene that also saw the demise of a host of Targaryen bastards. We were also treated to one more ghostly vision over at Harrenhal – along with the coming together of the Riverlords to take Daemon to task for his decision to allow raping and pillaging in their lands. Over in King’s Landing, things were a bit calmer, with Alicent heading out for an Ophelia moment in the country. Oh, and Jace had a moment with Rhaenyra where he let her know he’s well-aware of his parentage and doesn’t trust Mysaria at all. A lot happening as one might expect in the penultimate episode of this season.
Let’s delve into the biggest plot point of the episode first: The Dragonseed claiming their dragons. First, we have Addam, who was claimed by Seasmoke and quickly bent the knee to Rhaenyra. And, when asked, he refused to give up that he’s Corlys’ bastard – although something tells me that that is a secret that will be out of the box before too long. Especially now that we’ve seen two other bastards – those would be the two other smallfolk we’ve spent much of the season following, Hugh the Hammer (the guy who lost his daughter and who claimed Vermithor) and Ulf the White (the guy bragging at the bar who claimed Silverwing) – claim dragons. No one is going to believe he’s just a guy after that. And what an epic undertaking the claiming sequence was. Even knowing who would come out victorious, I was thoroughly impressed with the filming – the chaos, the fire, the sense of confusion and dread was expertly conveyed. A great set piece.
Now, the decision to accept bastards as dragon riders is certainly a controversial one, not just because it makes the Targaryens appear to be less than the gods some think they are for their mastery of the dragons. But, as Jace pointed out, it can make for a dicey succession plan for any Targaryen moving forward. What sets them apart from the rest of the realm is that they have dragons. Even if you don’t think dragons are gods, and thus the Targaryens are imbued with the grace of the divine, having a dragon is a nifty way to make sure folks fall in line. And having the support of those with multiple dragons is even better. These new riders will swear fealty to Rhaenyra – at least for now – but once the war ends, what then? If they survive and the Blacks win, what’s to say they won’t attempt to usurp the throne once Rhaenyra is gone. And if Rhaenyra doesn’t survive, what then? There’s no blood loyalty between bastards – who have never had the status of their legitimized kin – and their true-born brethren. Add to it that Rhaenyra’s next two heirs were also bastards – although they are her sons – and that makes things even more murky without her there to enforce her claim. So, Jace’s point, while wrapped up in his own feelings of hurt that his mother is not listening to him but Mysaria, isn’t necessarily a bad one. But, of course, if you don’t have dragons, you don’t win this war, so Rhaenyra really does have no choice.
Now, Daemon managed to learn something as well this week, namely, how to suck it up and eat some crow. Kudos to young Lord Oscar for proving that he’s actually has the chops to be someone of note. Standing up to Daemon isn’t easy, but he did it with aplomb, understanding that he has what Daemon needs and that he can make some moves now to instill confidence in his liege lords while also teaching a bully that he must temper himself if he wants to succeed. That being said, the vision of Viserys giving his crown to Daemon seems to indicate that he still wants that power and will do whatever it takes to maintain it – even if that means subjecting himself to Lord Oscar’s requests. But where does Daemon go from here? He’s marshaled the Riverland lords, so he has an army at his disposal. However, I suspect news will soon reach him of Rhaenyra’s coup with three new dragon riders. Will he return to Dragonstone to consolidate their dragon power before making a move? Perhaps the answer lies in what Aemond’s next move will be.
The Prince Regent saw the new dragon strength marshaled at Dragonstone and didn’t look super enthused about it. In fact, he turned tail and fled. Knowing Aemond, he’s going to want to make a move immediately. He’s rash and he’s angry – so why not go on the offensive and try to draw out these new untested riders? I’m betting the finale finds us with Aemond on the move and the Blacks looking to counter in some manner. Because this is a slight Aemond won’t want to let stand. He craves power and when the Blacks have more of it, he wants to destroy that power. Perhaps he’ll finally go after his uncle/brother-in-law? We’ll see.
The only storyline this week that was a bit perplexing was Alicent’s. Yes, she feels unwanted and unneeded at King’s Landing, now that she’s been removed from the Small Council. But her journey into the countryside felt less like a clear character beat and more like a contemplative moment for both her and us as an audience. While Rhaenyra is amassing great power, Alicent is walking away from the seat of power in the story, willingly. A freedom from responsibilities and from those who might ask or want things. She’s alone (well, aside from her loyal King’s Guard) and she’s able to reflect on all that she’s lost in these past months. And boy, is it a lot. But for us, as the audience, it was also a quiet moment to recognize that in a series that is so often about war and violence (and scheming), this war is fixing to destroy all the quiet beauty of Westeros before it is through. Did we need this little sojourn? Not really. I suspect everyone knew Alicent’s state of mind before she went to commune with nature – hell, she even laid it out in clear dialogue to the Maester. But it was a nice break from everything else.
As a penultimate episode, this was a solid one. The stage is set for some sort of confrontation in the finale – whether it’s a dragon-on-dragon fight or something else that turns the tide of the war, I can’t help but think we might end the season with the Blacks at the top of the ledger, in direct contrast to the end of season one. But the Dance of Dragons is now well underway. All but one dragon has a rider (and I wouldn’t be shocked if Rhaena gets on that one at the close of the season), and the battle lines are truly drawn. Let’s see where we end this section of the story.
-
Writing
-
Acting
-
Direction
