House of the Dragon‘s Season 2 Finale Put Emotional Warfare First

The extremity of House of the Dragon play 2 is here, and portion astir storylines were near unresolved—season three is coming!—the episode, “The Queen Who Ever Was,” did an admirable occupation focusing connected its characters, with surprising evolutions, long-repressed affectional outbursts and confrontations, and heavy soul-searching each coming to the fore. There wasn’t a ton of action, but the occurrence inactive felt some daring and satisfying successful adjacent measure.

The archetypal happening we spot is simply a monkey strolling along, truthful we cognize we’re not successful Westeros anymore. Indeed, we person traveled with Lord Tyland Lannister connected his reluctant quest to onslaught a bargain with the Triarchy, which lone Aemond thought was a bully idea. But eventually, aft immoderate utmost awkwardness negotiating with the Free Cities’ apical bosses (“it seems you request america much than we request you,” they correctly ascertain), and a mandatory mud-wrestling lucifer with the mischievous yet intimidating fleet commandant Admiral Lohar, helium finds success. The price: allowing the Triarchy power of the Stepstones, which volition surely travel backmost to haunt idiosyncratic successful the future; enduring immoderate nationalist humiliation (including having his sanction mispronounced, repeatedly); and possibly impregnating immoderate of Lohar’s wives. 

After realizing that Rhaenyra has out-dragonned him, Aemond, arsenic petulant arsenic helium is dangerous, has ridden Vhagar to the unfortunate municipality of Sharp Point and burned it to the ground. He looks pleased with his handiwork, which has travel astatine the disbursal of hundreds of guiltless lives. We chopped to Aegon, depressed successful bed, successful nary temper for different sojourn from Lord Larys, but what prime does helium have? This time, Lord Larys has an urgent directive: they indispensable permission King’s Landing astatine once. When Aegon protests that he’s the king—if Aemond’s causing problems, helium tin conscionable hobble to the Iron Throne and bid him to beryllium taken prisoner—Larys reminds him that Rhaenyra has enhanced her dragon fleet, and he’ll beryllium doomed without Vhagar to support him. 

Larys tells him helium has plentifulness of golden stashed successful the Iron Bank successful Braavos, and though Aegon snorts astatine the thought of surviving “with the goat-fuckers” (and letting Larys, and by hold each of us, cognize that “my cock is destroyed… it burst successful the flames similar a sausage connected a spit”), Larys says the champion program is to leave, fto Aemond and Rhaenyra destruct each other, and past instrumentality successful triumph. And it doesn’t instrumentality overmuch much convincing: “Aegon, the realm’s delight,” the king murmurs, dreaming of this idyllic future.

In the Vale, Rhaena—having ditched her duties arsenic a mommy surrogate for Rhaenyra’s youngest sons—is utterly alone, flailing astir the rocky wilderness, intelligibly determined to alteration her destiny and way down that chaotic dragon.

At Dragonstone, a pouty Jace comes upon Ulf and Hugh lounging astir the Small Council table. Well, Hugh is lasting stiffly; Ulf is successful afloat lounge mode, and tells the prince “I’d alternatively not” erstwhile helium snaps astatine him to instrumentality his feet disconnected the table. Ulf doesn’t recognize who Jace is, but adjacent erstwhile he’s brought up to velocity you get a precise wide consciousness that acting deferential to royals is highly debased connected his to-do list. It’s harmless to accidental that the glib, unrefined Ulf is the embodiment of Jace’s worst fears astir commoners, adjacent earlier (but particularly after) helium makes a ace astir Jace’s un-Targaryen-like acheronian hair.

© Ollie Upton/HBO

At that moment, Rhaenyra and Corlys are having a related conversation. “We cognize small of who they are, and what is the spot of their character,” she worries, and she asks Corlys astir the 1 caller dragonrider he’s astir acquainted with: Addam, of course. Corlys says he’s known to beryllium a antheral of integrity, but “I person had small to bash with him… to my regret.” (Today is not the time Corlys owns up to being the kid’s father, apparently.) Then they speech strategy; Corlys advises striking quickly. Aemond present knows Team Black has much dragons, but that hasn’t been the deterrent Rhaenyra had hoped. Corlys besides points retired that Aemond could telephone upon his teenage brother, Daeron (who we’ve yet to meet), and his sister, Heleana, to articulation his death-from-above brigade; they some person dragons, aft all. “Heleana is nary warrior,” Rhaenyra insists, but arsenic Corlys reminds her, “Aemond volition not beryllium denied.” 

Then, a touching infinitesimal erstwhile Corlys tells Rhaenyra he’s renamed his vessel from The Sea Snake to The Queen Who Never Was. “What I bash now, I bash for her,” helium says, remembering his precocious wife, earlier steering the chat backmost to the request for Rhaenyra to enactment arsenic soon arsenic possible. And arsenic helium reminds us, “there is, of course, different subordinate that has yet to beryllium revealed.”

That’s a notation to Daemon, naturally! At Harrenhal, reparations for conflict are yet successful afloat swing, but first, Ser Alfred Broome has arrived from Dragonstone with urgent business. Ostensibly he’s been sent determination by Rhaenyra to cheque up connected her husband’s army-building progress, but he’s got his ain docket to push: portion he’s loyal everlastingly to King Viserys, and his banners are pledged to Rhaenyra, he’d definite alternatively service a king successful this fraught time. In the moment, we can’t rather archer if this is euphony to Daemon’s ears oregon not; his absorption is to benignant of chuckle arsenic helium walks off. Lurking successful a doorway, Ser Simon Strong overhears each word. But the champion portion of this country is erstwhile Ser Alfred swears helium hears a sinister susurration hissing done the trees, and Daemon offers this affirmation: “This spot volition person you barking astatine the moon.”

In the Red Keep, Alicent (back from past week’s camping trip) and Heleana are having a moment. “What would you deliberation astir leaving this place?” parent asks daughter, but earlier they tin truly sermon the thought Aemond barges in. As Corlys predicted, the Prince Regent is afloat of bluster, insisting that his gentle sister saddle up her dragon and articulation him successful his run of fiery destruction. She refuses, of course, and Alicent steps successful to archer her furious lad to backmost off. The adjacent country is Alicent going to the Grand Maester and asking for “passage… and your discretion.”

In the forest, Ser Gwayne is yet confronting Cole astir his oath-breaking illicit matter with Alicent. But what astatine archetypal seems similar it’s going to escalate into a vicious brawl—a trademark absorption for Cole successful the past—instead turns into a profoundly reflective back-and-forth. Alicent saved his beingness twice, helium tells Gwayne, and helium thinks of her arsenic his “beacon.” It besides seems Cole has gained thing resembling a conscience acknowledgment to the horrors helium witnessed astatine Rook’s Rest. “The dragons creation and men are similar particulate nether their feet,” helium says. “And each our good thoughts, each our endeavors are arsenic nothing. We march present toward our annihilation. To dice volition beryllium a benignant of relief… don’t you think?” To this startling speech, Gwayne has nary response; helium conscionable takes it in, past silently sits down beside Cole.

Back to a pouting Jace. Always pouting. And finally, House of the Dragon has thing to accidental astir it: “It does not befit a prince to pout,” Baela tells him. As usual, she’s 1 of fewer voices of crushed astir these parts, telling him to get his crown prince caput retired of his ass, halt sulking astir being called a bastard (fact check: helium is a bastard), and instrumentality his rightful spot astatine Rhaenyra’s side.

That leads america into a supremely awkward dinner, wherever an obnoxious Ulf erstwhile again shows disconnected his deficiency of societal skills. Rhaenyra, wearing her crown for once, toasts the 3 caller riders and tells them if they service her well, she’ll marque them knights. And the clip for serving is imminent: “You volition alert successful 2 days’ time,” she says, telling them they’ll beryllium striking astatine Team Green’s strongholds successful Oldtown and elsewhere. “You privation for america to termination innocents?” Baela (voice of reason) asks successful disbelief. “We indispensable interruption the volition of our enemy, oregon much volition dice successful a conflict that stretches connected without end.”

Just then, a connection from Harrenhal—Ser Simon, specifically, letting Rhaenyra cognize that Daemon mightiness beryllium astir to stab her successful the back. She picks Addam arsenic her question buddy (Jace, again, looks a wee spot pouty astatine that) and disconnected they fly. And talk of the devil, we chopped to Daemon snoozing astatine Harrenhal, astatine slightest until he’s awakened by Alys Rivers. She leads him to the Godswood, wherever the large histrion astatine its halfway has a connection for him. First, though, she commends him for coming astir to the thought that arsenic overmuch arsenic helium wishes helium could, helium can’t crook the satellite to his will. And she tells him he’s yet acceptable to glimpse immoderate truth, Old Gods-style. When helium touches the trunk, helium has a vision: a three-eyed crow, a blue-eyed White Walker, a fallen dragon, a battlefield covered successful bodies, dragon eggs engulfed successful flame, the Mother of Dragons (glimpsed from behind, truthful astir apt not an existent Emilia Clarke cameo), and Rhaenyra sitting connected the Iron Throne. “You cognize your part,” an apparition of Heleana says. “You cognize what you indispensable do.”

We find the existent Heleana successful King’s Landing, halfway betwixt the tone realm and the existent world. Aemond has different ace astatine trying to get her to articulation the fight, taking a softer attack this time. But his faux-gentle whispers crook to aggravated hectoring erstwhile she tells him she knows he’s the crushed Aegon was horribly injured astatine Rook’s Rest. “I saw it,” she says simply. When Aemond threatens her, she’s unruffled: “Aegon volition beryllium king again … and you, you’ll beryllium dead. You were swallowed up successful the God’s Eye and you were ne'er seen again.”

He again threatens his sister aft her prophetic words, but she tells him that sidesplitting her “wouldn’t alteration anything.”

© Ollie Upton/HBO

Rhaenyra arrives astatine Harrenhal, but the greeting she receives is not astatine each what she’d feared. Though helium has surely flirted with the thought passim play two, Daemon has not betrayed her. He’s caught a glimpse of the Song of Ice and Fire, knows “winter is coming,” and his loyalty is wholly re-affirmed. It starts disconnected tense, but it’s a tender reunion, incredibly. And if you didn’t get goosebumps erstwhile Daemon bent the knee, pledged his loyalty, and past led the assembled assemblage successful cheers for his queen, you indispensable not person been watching House of the Dragon for the past 8 weeks. 

Meanwhile, we spell to different long-overdue confrontation: Corlys and Alyn. Corlys can’t recognize wherefore Alyn seems truthful unhappy with what astir would see a coveted promotion to the Sea Snake’s archetypal mate. There’s unthinkable enactment by Abubaker Salim arsenic Alyn successful this scene, arsenic helium dresses down his estranged (and still not publically acknowledged) father, telling him however agonizing it was to spot Corlys retired and astir with his morganatic children, surviving a luxurious beingness portion Alyn and Addam grew up hardly scraping by. Corlys has nary heirs left, Alyn says, and “now you retrieve I live? Now you privation to abruptly scatter the crumbs of your favor? I americium an honorable antheral and I volition service you due to the fact that I must. But if it is each the same, I volition diminution immoderate offers of help,” helium hisses. “If I past this war, I volition proceed arsenic I began: alone.” 

Back successful the Vale, Rhaena spots the chaotic dragon! At Dragonstone, Rhaenyra and Mysaria person different 1 of their talks portion gazing astatine Team Black’s tame (relatively speaking) dragons ellipse overhead. “The gods favour you. They enactment the means to triumph successful your hands,” Mysaria says. But Rhaenyra is feeling sick astir having to slaughter guiltless radical to reclaim her throne. Her begetter surely wouldn’t person wanted it that way. “Be strong,” Mystaria tells her. “You cognize you are just. You indispensable not fto the realm autumn to those who attraction for powerfulness much than peace.” (Unfortunately, there’s nary country successful this occurrence showing america what Daemon—still backmost astatine Harrenhal—thinks of the adjacent narration that’s developed betwixt these two.)

But… speaking of Rhaenyra’s adjacent relationships: here’s thing cipher expected. Remember erstwhile Alicent asked her Grand Maester for different favor? It wasn’t for the purposes of smuggling Heleana retired of King’s Landing. It was to sneak to Dragonstone and conscionable Rhaenyra, a reversal of Rhaenyra’s concealed travel to speech to Alicent astatine the opening of play two. It’s a fantastic and precise indispensable scene, with Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy showing conscionable however conflicted their characters are connected truthful galore levels.

A contrite Alicent is seeking—absolution? Forgiveness? Rhaenyra isn’t present to springiness either and she’s disgusted with Alicent’s tendency to instrumentality Heleana and her surviving grandchild and spell unrecorded determination successful blissful anonymity. As Alicent bites her nails, a spot of her puerility insecurity bubbling backmost up, she dilatory gets to the point, telling Rhaenyra that successful 3 days, aft Aemond flies into conflict and leaves Heleana successful charge, she’ll put it truthful that Team Black tin conquer King’s Landing without resistance.

© Ollie Upton/HBO

Rhaenyra points retired that there’ll beryllium nary claiming the Iron Throne with Aegon inactive alive. He volition person to dice arsenic portion of this. “If I americium to instrumentality the throne, I indispensable enactment an extremity to the opposition. I indispensable instrumentality Aegon’s caput and I person to bash it for each to see. You know this,” she tells her erstwhile friend. It comes backmost to this: “A lad for a son,” she insists. Alicent volition person to marque the eventual sacrifice. She does cognize this. And she agrees. She conscionable wants to beryllium done with each this and “be free”—and she adjacent impulsively invites Rhaenyra to travel with her.

But there’s nary being escaped for Rhaenyra. She has her duties laid retired for her, and the Song of Ice and Fire indispensable beryllium sung. 

As the episode, and with it play two, comes to an end, we get a montage. The dragonriders suiting up. Rhaena face-to-snout with the chaotic dragon (which doesn’t incinerate her connected sight, which seems promising, though we don’t spot what happens next). Various armies connected the march. Dragons screeching done the air. Ships connected the sea; there’s Alyn and Corlys, looking precise grim—and connected the different side, Ser Tyland and his caller buddy Admiral Lohar. We get a glimpse of the long-MIA Ser Otto Hightower imprisoned… somewhere. Alicent solemnly heading home.

And—uh-oh—there’s King Aegon and Lord Larys successful a carriage that’s presently making its mode retired of King’s Landing, a concern that’s poised to marque a messiness of Alicent’s grim bargain with Rhaenyra.

The past shots are of Alicent and Rhaenyra, heavy successful thought, gazing disconnected into the distance—toward play three, nary doubt.

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