House of the Dragon Just Set the World on Fire

5 months ago 73

By the aged gods and the new, if “The Red Dragon and the Gold” didn’t person you on the borderline of your chair—especially during its last 20 minutes—you whitethorn privation to cheque your surroundings and marque definite you’re not lurking conscionable extracurricular of world alongside Daemon astatine Harrenhal. Episode 4 of House of the Dragon gave america rulers making decisions some drawback and profoundly considered; it gave america characters some regretful and not considering the consequences of their actions; and it gave america dragons doing dragon things. So galore dragons!

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We unfastened successful the gloomy environs of Harrenhal, wherever Daemon is inactive doing a batch much “wandering successful my caput palace” than “raising an service for my wife.” His latest imagination of the young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock, backmost again) sees her rising from the Iron Throne and walking toward him, saying “You created me, Daemon, yet you are present acceptable connected destroying me, each due to the fact that your member loved me much than helium did you” successful Valyrian. He slices disconnected her head, and her crown goes clattering to the side, but she keeps talking: “This is what you ever wanted, is it not?” When helium startles awake, Ser Simon Strong tells him a raven has arrived. It carries quality of Aegon’s army, which is connected the march and has easy gained the enactment of aggregate noble houses on the mode (“that bittersweet concern with the usurpur’s son” was a cardinal crushed why, Ser Simon says; of course, helium doesn’t cognize that messiness was Daemon’s doing). As a result, Ser Criston Cole’s big has grown considerably, and Ser Simon thinks it’s improbable Daemon volition beryllium capable to rise capable men to look them if they onslaught Harrenhal.

“Let’s spot what your Lord Paramount is made of,” Daemon replies arsenic they caput into a gathering with the nervously stuttering Ser Oscar Tully, teen grandson of the sickly Lord Grover Tully, Lord of Riverrun and the highest-ranking noble successful the Riverlands. Daemon’s successful nary temper to woody with this powerless emissary, and tells him everyone would beryllium amended disconnected if Ser Oscar would hasten his inheritance by hastening his grandfather’s death. A feather pillow would bash rather nicely, Daemon suggests. The kid is aghast astatine the precise thought of adjacent considering this, and Daemon—who seems similar he’s yet acceptable to commencement connected that full army-raising thing—stalks disconnected successful disgust.

On the docks astatine Driftmark, Rhaenys seeks retired Alyn of Hull. She knows he’s the sailor who saved Lord Corlys’ life, but arsenic she touches his look she comments connected however “comely” helium is. “Your parent indispensable person been precise beautiful,” she says with much than a hint of sadness. When Corlys walks up, Alyn scampers off, grateful the awkward enactment tin end; it’s wide there’s much going connected present than Rhaenys wanting to conscionable the antheral who rescued her husband. “I cognize who helium is, Corlys,” she says, and adds “Alyn’s past is nary responsibility of his,” noting that there’s nary crushed to support him hidden. Corlys’ effect is testy, but Rhaenys isn’t determination to springiness him a hard clip astir his narration with Alyn (and Alyn’s mother). She’s been summoned to Dragonstone, wherever the Small Council is increasing highly restless successful Rhaenyra’s absence; lone Rhaenys (and the audience, of course), cognize the queen was disconnected making 1 past effort astatine bid by sneaking into King’s Landing to conscionable Alicent.

Speaking of, we spot Alicent successful her chambers, nervously turning a dragon fig implicit successful her hands earlier accidentally breaking it—a callback to the infinitesimal aboriginal successful her narration with Viserys erstwhile she had a breached dragon repaired to soften his bosom toward her. It mightiness adjacent beryllium the aforesaid figure. The Grand Maester enters, carrying a peculiar brew we each admit arsenic the beverage women successful Westeros instrumentality to forestall oregon extremity an unwanted pregnancy. (Alicent pretends it’s for idiosyncratic else, but we cognize the truth.) Before the Grand Maester leaves, she asks him—since helium was determination arsenic her husband’s wellness rapidly declined astatine the end—if helium thinks Viserys wanted Aegon to win him. Clearly, her clandestine chat with Rhaenyra is weighing heavy connected her mind. But if the spiritual antheral has immoderate sentiment connected the matter, he’s not going to stock it, and simply tells her helium doesn’t know. After helium leaves, she grimaces and gulps the medicine.

On Dragonstone, the Small Council is so successful disarray; the intel connected Cole’s movements is thin, Daemon is MIA, the aged men are snippy and sarcastic, and Jace and Baela are sarcastic close back. It falls to Rhaenys to beryllium the calming dependable of reason, but the assembly doesn’t respect her either. At that moment, Lord Corlys enters and he’s intelligibly the astir commanding person of the bunch, but cipher tin enactment without Rhaenyra present.

In the Crownlands, we get an up-close look astatine what Cole and institution person been up to: stomping their mode around, menacing smaller houses into bending the genu to King Aegon II—and beheading immoderate lords who enactment “the whore of Dragonstone.” When Cole receives a missive from King’s Landing, past tells Ser Gwayne Hightower they’re heading for the coast, Ser Gwayne snootily tells him that’s not the close absorption to scope Harrenhal. Twist! They’re not going to Harrenhal aft all. There’s a caller program afoot—and we larn each astir it erstwhile we displacement to King’s Landing, wherever different dysfunctional Small Council is meeting. Aegon is losing his caput screaming astatine everyone, but Lord Larys calmly tells him their concern is conscionable fine, adjacent without controlling Harrenhal. “I request to beryllium informed of these things,” Aegon bitches. Then Aemond pipes successful to archer his member that Ser Criston is marching connected Rook’s Rest, and everyone who’s work Fire & Blood leans successful a small closer.

For the payment of everyone successful the country (and the audience), Aemond explains the situation: Rook’s Rest mightiness beryllium a tiny castle, but its ruler, Lord Staunton, is connected Rhaenyra’s Small Council—and much importantly, it’s conscionable crossed the h2o from Dragonstone. If Cole takes Rook’s Rest, Dragonstone volition beryllium chopped disconnected by land. There’s an uncomfortable infinitesimal arsenic Aegon realizes Aemond and Cole person been strategizing down his back, portion the remainder of the Small Council vigorously averts their eyes from the brothers. Aemond switches into High Valyrian to insult him (“imbecilic lickspittles” is surely a crook of phrase), past goads him into coming up with a amended plan. Aegon can’t, of course—as the subtitles hilariously reveal, helium tin hardly talk High Valyrian; Aemond’s bemused, dismissive “hmm” successful effect to this blatant ineptitude is besides hilarious—so Rook’s Rest it is.

Upstairs, Alicent is feeling the effects of her anti-pregnancy potion, truthful of people this is the infinitesimal that Lord Larys—who notes the bare beverage vas brought successful by the Grand Maester, and instantly clocks what’s going connected here—stops by to spot wherefore she wasn’t astatine the Small Council meeting. He updates her connected what transpired but besides pokes her astir however disquieted she indispensable beryllium for Ser Criston Cole’s safety. “Ser Criston is the Hand of the King,” she says stiffly. “We should each commune for his triumph and harmless return.” He besides notices with involvement that she’s speechmaking 1 of Viserys’ books of Westeros past (looking up the Prince That Was Promised, perhaps?). When Larys asks if she thinks “the dependable of history” is wherefore helium changed his mind, and whether she present doubts her precocious husband’s intentions, Alicent tin lone accidental “the value of Viserys’ intentions died with him.”

At haunted Harrenhal, a restless Daemon roams the halls, spotting an illusion of Aemond earlier bursting into country occupied by a quality we’ve seen previously, but person yet to really meet: Alys Rivers. The sanction means she’s a bastard (“Once you get to cognize maine you’ll find I’m not truthful bad,” she shrugs), and she’s thing of a healer, mixing up potions with an easygoing mode arsenic she launches into a acquisition astir Harrenhal’s acheronian history. When Daemon says she’s a unusual woman, she says “I’m not a pistillate astatine all. I’m a barn owl, cursed to unrecorded successful quality form. He astir smiles! But erstwhile she starts probing into his crushed for being astatine the castle (she’s onto his resentment astir Rhaenyra being the brag alternatively of him), helium calls her a witch. But helium drinks the concoction she hands him to assistance him get immoderate much-needed sleep… and comes backmost to his senses astatine a array with Ser Simon and different men, including Ser Willem Blackwood, who’s determination to lend enactment to Daemon’s service but is visibly confused by his demeanor, which is some hostile and loopy. At 1 point, Daemon looks astatine the pistillate serving vino and thinks helium sees Laena, his precocious 2nd wife.

We chopped backmost to different gathering of men, this clip Aegon’s Small Council, who are nattering connected astir however the dragons are devouring a batch of livestock, the wealth proviso is dwindling, and Team Black’s blockade has restricted imports, but astatine slightest Cole’s efforts person been admirable truthful far. “You bore me,” Aegon huffs. “You each bore me.” Then helium flounces retired of the room.

Back upstairs, helium finds Alicent shuffling done his cabinets. She’s looking for much of Viserys’ past books; Aegon, who’s decidedly not large connected reading, says helium had them removed. She tin archer her lad is successful a tizzy, and asks what’s wrong, much retired of work than concern. “They don’t attraction what I think,” helium whines. “What thoughts would you have?” she replies, earlier reminding him that wearing a crown doesn’t instantly mean helium has immoderate contented to backmost it up. At this point, she can’t clasp backmost her weary amusement that this petulant idiot that she spent her full beingness trying to maneuver into powerfulness turned retired to beryllium specified a fuck-up. “It was my anticipation that, erstwhile enthroned,” she chuckles, “you would grant the load of your caller duties: beryllium silent, and strive to larn from the much studied minds astir you, successful the anticipation that you mightiness beryllium fractional the king your begetter was.” When helium asks her what she wants him to do, she simply tells him “nothing.” Doing thing is the champion helium tin do. And she’s right, of course. Will helium listen? Well…

With 20 minutes near to spell successful the episode, Cole’s service arrives astatine the seaside castle of Rook’s Rest and prepares for battle. Why yes, Ser Gwayne, they’re going to onslaught during the daytime! He’s conscionable arsenic surprised, albeit acold little delighted, than the legions of House of the Dragon viewers who were Game of Thrones fans and suffered vexation and oculus strain acknowledgment to that show’s deep, abiding emotion of highly acheronian battles.

But earlier the warring breaks out, there’s a brawl of a (slightly) much polite quality to get through: Rhaenyra has returned to Dragonstone, and everyone, particularly her lad Jace, is cranky astir her mysterious absence—especially since they support receiving worrisome quality astir however monolithic Aegon’s service has become. Jace gets adjacent angrier erstwhile helium learns she went to King’s Landing to conscionable with Alicent. “I inherited 80 years of bid from my father,” she snaps back. “Before I was to extremity it, I needed to cognize that determination was nary different path. And present I do.” The way is this: “Either I triumph my claim, oregon I die,” followed not agelong aft by “there are those who person mistaken my caution for weakness. Let that beryllium their undoing.” While she’s anxious to thrust her ain dragon to Rook’s Rest, the Small Council talks her retired of it; instead, Rhaenys volunteers (nay, insists) to thrust retired connected Meleys.

In King’s Landing, a petulant Aegon storms around—oh, that can’t beryllium good—and House of the Dragon ramps up its conflict anticipation by intercutting betwixt antithetic scenes: Rhaenys getting acceptable to leave, Aegon donning his armor and going to his dragon, Cole’s service approaching the castle astatine Rook’s Rest, and Rhaenyra explaining to Jace, who’s inactive successful a salty mood, astir the Song of Ice and Fire. The Targaryen sitting the Iron Throne isn’t conscionable a ruler, she tells him—they’re a protector, destined to unite and pb the radical of Westeros against a communal foe (we’ve seen ‘em: Game of Thrones’ White Walkers). This warfare is not conscionable astir a crown. It’s astir redeeming the future.

Then, the conflict begins. And it’s worthy reiterating: IT IS DAYLIGHT. WE CAN SEE EVERYTHING. As arrows statesman to alert and cannons determination into position, Rhaenys and Meleys travel into view, precocious successful the clouds. Cole has anticipated this and we perceive him springiness the order: “Make the signal!” A concatenation of horn blasts statesman to dependable arsenic Meleys starts mounting occurrence to Aegon’s army; heavy successful the trees we see… yep, that tin lone beryllium the highly ample outline of Vhagar, with Aemond a tiny fig connected his back. But wait! Wait hold wait? Who’s that flying overhead? Why, it’s Aegon, riding Sunfyre, barging close into Cole and Aemond’s conflict plan. “Idiot,” Aemond mutters successful High Valyrian, and tells an anxious Vhagar to wait. Just arsenic annoyed arsenic his rider, Vhagar flops his humongous caput down to the wood level and snorts successful disgust, aerial billowing retired of his outrageously oversized nostrils. On the ground, Cole is likewise furious, particularly erstwhile Ser Gwayne shrieks successful his look astir what a dumb program this is. It’s not the plan. But it is astir surely what’s happening, truthful Cole rides retired and rallies his men for battle, acting similar Aegon’s accomplishment was prearranged, alternatively than the annoying intrusion it really is.

While Rhaenys/Meleys and Aegon/Sunfyre bash conflict successful the sky—using fire, teeth, claws, wings, and everything other a dragon has astatine its disposal—the men connected the crushed dilatory recognize the biggest dragon anyone live has ever seen, Vhagar, is rising up from down the histrion line. Everyone looks frightened retired of their minds but Cole, who is precise intelligibly reasoning to himself “Thank the gods!” In fact, that’s precisely what Aegon says erstwhile helium realizes his member has travel to articulation the fight… but his look of alleviation turns to fearfulness erstwhile Aemond gives Vhagar the unmistakable order: “Dracarys!”

A shrieking Sunfyre plunges to the crushed successful the woods beyond the battlefield; it happens astatine a distance, but you person to ideate Aegon is shrieking astir arsenic loudly. Meleys and Rhaenys are flying successful the different absorption erstwhile Rhaenys looks backmost and decides it’s clip to spell again. From the POV of the men connected the ground, you tin spot conscionable however overmuch of a size quality determination is betwixt the 2 dragons, and the 2 beasts go a swirling shot of flames and scaly assemblage parts precocious supra the battlefield that past concisely thunders to the Earth, squishing whoever is unfortunate capable to beryllium successful the harm path. We spot Cole spell down, past the surface fades to achromatic earlier returning for immoderate slo-mo conflict violence. In the air, Rhaenys and Meleys stock a glimpse earlier making 1 past walk implicit the smoldering field. They’re flying implicit the castle erstwhile abruptly Vhagar swoops up from down the cliff face, clamps his huge-ass jaws astir Meleys’ cervix until she’s dead, past drops her assemblage from a large height. Rhaenys gazes upward arsenic she falls, sadly but peacefully accepting her fate. Aemond gazes down, a look of restitution crossing his haughty face, and we slice to achromatic again.

But there’s 1 much condemnation we request to punctuate earlier occurrence 4 tin end: where’s Aegon? Cole flickers backmost to consciousness and takes successful the scalded wasteland that present surrounds him. Soldiers person been reduced to piles of ash wrong their armor; a dormant dragon is conspicuously draped crossed the castle successful the distance. Also conspicuous: a elephantine plume of fume emanating from the trees. That’s wherever Cole staggers successful hunt of the fallen king. And he’s not the archetypal 1 there: Aemond, his sword acceptable to plunge into…something… is moving done the burning trees up of him. When helium calls out, Aemond stops doing immoderate helium was astir to do—something that comes into absorption erstwhile Cole sees that His Grace is lying motionless connected the crushed adjacent to a gurgling Sunfyre. Cole falls to his knees arsenic Aemond stalks away. Is Aegon live oregon dead? It’ll beryllium adjacent week until we find out.

New House of the Dragon episodes get Sundays connected HBO and Max.

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