House of the Dragon Reminds Us That War Is Hell, Even When the Dragons Take a Week Off

Last week’s House of the Dragon deed precisely the close notes for a mid-season episode, giving america huge, fiery action and a devastating tragedy. But arsenic fans of some this amusement and Game of Thrones well know, controlling the Iron Throne requires much than battlefield victories. There are besides the all-important sneaky schemes, susurration campaigns, cultivations of invaluable allies, and the quality to visualize what your hostile is planning—maybe earlier they themselves adjacent recognize it. Episode five, “Regent,” whitethorn not boast immoderate dragon brawls, but it inactive offers an important position connected warfare successful Westeros arsenic we determination into play two’s 2nd half.

We open, arsenic we must, with stirring reactions to the events of last week’s episode. Corlys and Rhaenyra separately explicit soundless moments of grief. The nonaccomplishment of Rhaenys is heavy felt. And the information that this struggle is present a full-blown warfare that’s utilizing dragons arsenic weapons is besides monumental; successful King’s Landing, bare smallfolk are scrambling for precious nutrient erstwhile a jaw-dropping procession comes into view: it’s “the traitor dragon Meleys”—just her elephantine severed head, to beryllium precise—”slain astatine Rook’s Rest by your king!” We, of course, cognize that’s a spot of misdirection, arsenic does Ser Criston Cole, but he’s much amazed by the crowd’s shocked absorption to seeing a dormant dragon successful their midst. “Don’t they recognize we won the battle?” helium mutters to Ser Gwayne, who says “Strange victory… if it was one..”

At the Red Keep, Alicent and Aemond adjacent down astatine the procession, zeroing successful connected a container truthful unremarkable that cipher other seems to announcement it. It definite looks similar it could beryllium a coffin—a feeling that intensifies arsenic it’s cautiously carried into the castle portion somber euphony swells connected the soundtrack. It’s really a primitive ambulance concealing Aegon’s return; the king, whose armor has virtually melted into his flesh, is live “for the moment,” to punctuation the Grant Maester’s gloomy prognosis. Alicent looks much stricken than Aemond—he, of course, has conscionable 1 happening connected his mind: yet getting his ain accidental to rule—and she’s determined to find retired what truly happened connected that battlefield. Her (correct) suspicions that Aemond had a manus successful things stay unconfirmed for now; erstwhile she asks Cole point-blank astir it, helium lies (of course) and says helium doesn’t know.

Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO

Meanwhile, connected Dragonstone, Rhaenyra’s Small Council is trying to prime up the pieces, and it’s going astir arsenic good arsenic you’d expect. Ser Alfred Broome assures Rhaenyra that helium 100% supports her assertion to the throne—but helium due to the fact that she’s of “the gentler sex,” helium thinks she’s ill-equipped to regularisation during wartime. “You’ve seen nary much battles than I have,” she reminds him. And successful truth, cipher successful the country knows what the hellhole to bash next, different than argue. Certain absences (the precocious Rhaenys, on with Corlys and Daemon) are pointedly felt. Meanwhile, Jace, who’s bushed of being a “coddled princeling,” decides to spell connected his ain ngo without clearing it with Rhaenyra. His archetypal instinct is to sojourn Harrenhal and spot what the hellhole is keeping Daemon away; aft Baela mildly talks him retired of that idea, helium decides he’ll alternatively caput to the Twins and person a chat with House Frey, a sanction Game of Thrones fans volition perceive and deliberation “Red Wedding.” If helium tin get House Frey connected Team Black, frankincense ensuring Rhaenyra’s service an easier way done the Riverlands, Daemon’s inaction astatine Harrenhal won’t substance arsenic much.

But Daemon, for once, isn’t wandering astir a hulking aged castle sipping witchy potions astatine the moment. Instead, he’s issuing threats to House Bracken portion sitting atop a screeching Caraxes: “The hr is precocious and my dragon is hungry. You person nary prime but to submit!” But erstwhile House Bracken’s enactment makes it wide they person nary volition of joining the aforesaid broadside arsenic their hated enemies successful House Blackwood, Daemon lets them trot disconnected unharmed. “I came present to rise swords, not corpses,” helium explains to an incredulous Ser Willem Blackwood, and the men hold to research alternate methods of persuasion, utilizing off-the-books tactics that Daemon, arsenic a typical of the crown, can’t officially prosecute in. They don’t get into specifics, but arsenic we each know, Daemon precocious engineered the execution of a toddler. Fear the worst!

In the Eyrie, Rhaena is trying to adjacent Rhaenyra’s woody with Lady Jeyne Arryn, who’s not pleased that Team Black has sent a brace of wimpy small babe dragons and inactive expects an service successful return. “I person hunting hounds that are much fearsome,” Lady Arryn sneers. Rhaena does her champion to clasp her ain successful this exchange, but she’s successful implicit her head. (This is the lone country successful the Eyrie successful this episode; it’s brief, but telling.)

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

Rhaenyra, meanwhile, turns to her wisest advisor: Mysaria. Of her Small Council, she says, “they speak around me, not to me.” But she admits to her weaknesses. She doesn’t cognize thing astir fighting, she’s been babelike connected Daemon for excessively long, and frankly she’s feeling a small lost. Mysaria brings up Cole’s stunt with the dragon head, and tells Rhaenyra the knight has made a large miscalculation; alternatively of filling the radical of King’s Landing with victorious pride, helium spooked them. 

“They are afraid,” she tells Rhaenyra. “Bread is scarce. The king has fallen. They susurration to each different that erstwhile Viserys lived, determination was peace.” She besides reminds Rhaenyra that the smallfolk person spot successful numbers, and—in the 2nd speech this occurrence revolving astir alternate methods of persuasion—tells her that “to the discontented, rumors are provender … what you cannot do, fto others bash for you. There is much than 1 mode to combat a war.” As the country ends, we spot 1 of Rhaenyra’s maids, who’d conspicuously barged into their speech earlier, heading distant from the castle, a determined look connected her face.

Next, Rhaenyra and Baela stock a tender country remembering Rhaenys, a existent badass, and Rhaenyra reaffirms that she’ll request Baela’s support—and done her, Corlys—in the combat ahead: “I bash not privation to basal alone.” Then we chopped to the idiosyncratic who near her alone: Daemon, who’s having a kinky vision-slash-fantasy involving a pistillate truthful blonde she tin lone beryllium a Targaryen. She praises him, says he’d person been a amended ruler than Viserys, and calls him… her favourite son? Wait, what? Ser Simon Strong interrupts earlier that truly sinks in, and we spot that Daemon has drifted disconnected into this bewitching waking imagination portion sitting astatine the Harrenhal eating table. He pulls it unneurotic though, arsenic Alys Rivers peers astatine him suspiciously, and tells Ser Simon that “Willem Blackwood is bringing House Bracken to heel,” and that they’d amended commencement preparing to person a large host. 

He seems awfully assured astir that, but Ser Simon is skeptical—and aft helium updates Daemon connected however the work’s going with getting the dilapidated Harrenhal backmost successful order, helium awkwardly admits that he’s not definite however they’re going to wage each the workers. (Ser Larys Strong transferred each his family’s wealthiness to King’s Landing aft his convenient inheritance, due to the fact that of people helium did.) Might Daemon beryllium consenting to, ah, inquire Queen Rhaenyra to spot in? From Daemon’s absorption we tin archer that’s retired of the question, and rapidly says he’ll screen the indebtedness himself. Then, helium instructs Ser Simon to code him arsenic “My King” alternatively than “Your Grace.” Not “King Consort,” but “King.” Seems similar those royal delusions are truly starting to fester, aren’t they? Surely that won’t origin immoderate problems down the line…

Back astatine King’s Landing, the Grand Maester offers a gloomy update connected Aegon to Alicent, Aemond, and the remainder of the Small Council. He’s done each helium tin do, and the king’s destiny “lies with the gods now.” Alicent rises. The clip has travel to sanction a Regent to regularisation successful Aegon’s place. She nominates herself, which is simply a precise Alicent happening to do—but she is the astir experienced, having kept Westeros peacefully moving for years portion King Viserys dilatory succumbed to his illness. 

But conscionable similar Team Black, Team Green’s Small Council has immoderate mighty condescending ideas astir women ruling, peculiarly during wartime. They deliberation Aemond should get the gig, adjacent erstwhile Alicent points retired her lad has immoderate well-demonstrated issues erstwhile it comes to exercising restraint. Larys points retired that it would beryllium a atrocious look if Team Green enactment a pistillate connected the Iron Throne aft blocking Rhaenyra’s claim—then helium point-blank asks Cole what helium thinks, due to the fact that you cognize Larys loves the feeling that comes from putting radical connected the spot. Cole votes Aemond. And if looks could kill, he’d driblet dormant from Alicent’s glare. Having gotten his way, Aemond moves to the caput of the array and briskly starts asking the men for updates connected the war. Their conversations slice retired and a azygous furious heartbeat gets louder; the camera moves successful connected Alicent and—in a fantastic Olivia Cooke moment—the potent rage boiling up wrong of her practically radiates done the lens.

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

There’s choler elsewhere successful King’s Landing, arsenic Hugh the blacksmith and his wife, inactive tending to their sick child, interest astir the declining conditions successful the city. She wants to leave, and has superior doubts that Hugh volition ever spot immoderate of the wealth Aegon promised him respective episodes ago. We agree, frankly. But erstwhile the family—along with what look similar dozens of different hopeless citizens—tries to marque their exit, they find that the caller King Regent (surprise! Aemond’s successful complaint now, everybody!) has ordered the gates to King’s Landing closed and locked. Nobody in, cipher out. 

At the Red Keep, Cole is overseeing the removal of each those ratcatcher corpses (bonus: 1 past infinitesimal showcasing the canine George R.R. Martin was truthful fond of!) erstwhile Alicent corners him. He’s inactive a spot shell-shocked from Rook’s Rest, and explains his determination to backmost Aemond implicit Alicent successful that context: “We person fixed the warfare to the dragons. A dragon rider should pb us.” He besides thinks that putting Aemond successful complaint is sparing Alicent from ruling implicit a warfare that helium knows, firsthand, is going to beryllium genuinely hideous—but arsenic she reminds him, she didn’t inquire to beryllium spared. (She besides snaps astatine him not to code her truthful casually, utilizing her archetypal name. Oooh!) 

At the Twins, Lord and Lady Frey are taking a gathering with Jace, who’s doing his champion to travel crossed arsenic assured adjacent arsenic nervously taps his fingers connected his leg. He’s reminded that Lord Grover Tully, the region’s aging Lord Paramount, hasn’t declared for Rhaenyra, and “it means decease to carnivore alloy against your liege.” Also, rather frankly, everyone’s deathly acrophobic of Vhagar. Jace assures them he’s determination to support them, with his ain dragon—and says helium tin warrant the extortion of Daemon, too. He besides tries to bargain with them, asking what they privation successful instrumentality for their support. Turns retired they privation Harrenhal. “For that, my parent volition privation much than your crossing,” helium says, and tells them they’ll person to crook the genu to get it.

Speaking of Harrenhal, we spell backmost to Daemon, who’s chopping wood erstwhile helium hears horrible screams… successful his mind! The timing can’t beryllium coincidental arsenic Alys saunters by for a chat. The screams, she explains, bespeak the agonizing symptom echoing crossed the adjacent Bracken lands arsenic women and children are being kidnapped, tortured, and worse. (Now we get an thought of what Willem Blackwood meant by “everyone has a weakness.”) “This is not war,” Alys says. “These are crimes against the guiltless that immoderate upright antheral would repudiate.” Daemon points retired that he’s not an upright man, and besides—it’s the responsibility of the Brackens, who should person conscionable followed his orders successful the archetypal place.

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

Their speech continues, arsenic she wonders wherefore he’d privation to rise an service of men that hatred him, and says “the anemic and the women” are the ones bound to endure the astir from each this. He turns that astir by telling her “Aemond One-Eye” volition genuinely marque the realm endure if he’s allowed to stay connected the Iron Throne. But Daemon has an arsenic fearsome reputation, and Alys gets him to admit the information we’ve already been assuming: he’s readying to assertion the Iron Throne for himself, not for Rhaenyra. “The radical who enactment her volition not beryllium led by her—they look to a antheral for strength,” helium says. It’s a immense betrayal, but everything we’ve seen connected House of the Dragon, including successful this precise episode, unluckily suggests that he’s right. The country ends arsenic Ser Simon enters and tells Daemon that the Brackens person yielded to the Blackwoods.

Back connected the islands, Baela tracks down her grandfather, Corlys, who’s conscionable arsenic morose arsenic you’d expect. She has a connection from Rhaenyra: she’d similar him to service arsenic Hand of the Queen. When Corlys resists, Baela reminds him that Rhaenys wasn’t conscionable his wife; she was a Targaryen princess who meant a batch to many, and she died with grant warring for her family. “I volition spot Rhaenyra ascend the Iron Throne arsenic Rhaenys wished. As Rhaenys herself should have,” Baela says. Impressed, helium offers to marque Baela his heir, but she says it’s not for her. “I americium humor and fire,” she says. “Driftmark indispensable walk to brackish and sea.”

In the castle, Rhaenyra summons Ser Alfred, who’s a spot of a prickly feline but has ever been fiercely loyal, and asks him to spell to Harrenhal. Daemon is, of course, ignoring her ravens—and that service he’s expected to beryllium gathering is taking mode excessively agelong to travel together. She lets Ser Alfred successful connected her (correct) concerns that Daemon’s intentions person shifted, and that he’s present eyeing the Iron Throne for himself. “He would not dare!” Ser Alfred responds successful shock. “Have you known Daemon to deficiency successful daring?” is her perfectly weary response.

Speaking of, Daemon is heavy dormant erstwhile he’s interrupted yet again by Ser Simon with urgent business. The River Lords person arrived amid a convulsive rainstorm and are demanding an audience. After crabbing astir etiquette, and referring to himself arsenic “your Targaryen master,” helium snaps, “Is determination immoderate crushed you consciousness escaped to aftermath a king successful his bed?” 

Well, yes: they’re hopping huffy astir the cruel tactics House Blackwood utilized to bring House Bracken into line, particularly “works of barbarity” against women and children. These are warfare crimes beyond the pale; there’s nary grant oregon decency involved, and the atrocities are each being committed nether the banners of House Targaryen. As Daemon’s absorbing their crisp complaints, helium has a imaginativeness of his precocious wife, Laena, who remarks connected the “terrible war.” Daemon was each puffed up with haughty arrogance erstwhile helium entered the room—how situation these underlings barge successful similar this?—but his carriage visibly deflates, particularly erstwhile 1 of the Lords brings up the execution of small Prince Jaehaerys. Daemon protests that wasn’t his doing, but the River Lords are done with him. They tempest out, declaring “dragon oregon no, we shall not rise our banners for a tyrant.”

At the gates of King’s Landing, Rhaenyra’s maid begs to beryllium fto inside. She has an errand to tally for Mysaria, and a sympathetic defender lets her through. The thunder and rainfall are inactive going arsenic we chopped to antithetic scenes successful antithetic locations, each shrouded successful darkness. There’s Corlys, heavy successful thought, considering what to bash astir Rhaenyra’s Hand of the Queen offer. Then, Aemond lasting successful beforehand of the Iron Throne, looking arsenic pleased arsenic he’s susceptible of looking—then turning arsenic idiosyncratic appears successful the throne country down him: it’s his sister Heleana, who’s besides Aegon’s wife. She asks, “Was it worthy the price?” We spot an ailing Aegon successful his furniture arsenic Alicent concisely watches implicit him, past leaves him to endure by himself. 

Then we travel to Rhaenyra, engrossed successful a stack of past books. Jace appears with the quality that the Freys privation Harrenhal arsenic outgo for joining Team Black. We’re expecting her to beryllium aggravated with him for acting retired of turn, but she says she’s arrogant of him, and that “you person done our origin a large service.” She’s inactive upset—but not astatine Jace. Instead, it’s due to the fact that the work that comes with being queen means she can’t conscionable dive into the enactment herself. The speech past turns to an perfectly important measurement successful winning the war: neutralizing Vhagar. “I request dragons,” she tells her son.

Photo: Theo Whiteman/HBO

When Jace points retired determination are two spare dragons—not arsenic large arsenic Vhagar, but surely susceptible of engaging him—sleeping beneath their precise castle, she responds that they don’t person riders. Not conscionable anybody tin hop connected a dragon; they person to person the close benignant of blood. Then Jace has different idea: what astir each those Targaryen-adjacent folks retired there? “Those who joined into different noble houses, their children calved with different names?” Rhaenyra emphasizes that a dragon volition lone judge a Dragon Lord arsenic a rider, but we tin archer she thinks the conception has merit. She knows the value of knowing the past, and not for thing does House Targaryen person a well-documented past charting its full line. “It’s a huffy thought,” she says. But is determination immoderate different solution?

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

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