In Praise of House of the Dragon’s Women of Wisdom

Season 1 of House of the Dragon was precise overmuch astir the contentious narration betwixt Alicent and Rhaenyra—and besides the men who manipulated them to summation powerfulness successful Westeros. Misogyny is inactive live and well in play two; it’s thing both women repeatedly encounter contempt their positions of power. But successful the background, a trio of pistillate characters person begun to show different ways to marque a difference.

Mysaria

HBO

When we met Mysaria successful play one, she was a salient fig connected the seedier streets of King’s Landing, moving a brothel portion besides maintaining a spy web nether her concealed identity, “the White Worm.” Her adjacent relation with Daemon helped her succeed, but their narration soured erstwhile she realized however selfish helium was—telling his household she was large with his kid during 1 of his schemes to reclaim his spot arsenic King Viserys’ heir. 

When they reconnect successful play two, there’s zero flicker of warmth betwixt them, though helium does hold to escaped her from situation aft she supplies him with the astir invaluable currency successful Westeros: information.

That accusation leads to the full Blood and Cheese affair. But arsenic Mysaria makes precise wide to Rhaenyra—who’s funny astir this smart, cynical, well-connected woman; she’s astir the aforesaid property arsenic Rhaenyra, with an wholly antithetic beingness acquisition to gully on—she has nary governmental allegiances. All she cares astir is getting paid, a endurance strategy that’s helped her make opportunities successful a satellite wherever each doorway has been routinely slammed unopen successful her face.

We spot that commencement to displacement erstwhile interactions betwixt Mysaria and Rhaenyra—who initially enslaved implicit their shared annoyance with Daemon—begin to soften. After Mysaria helps prevention Rhaenyra from an assassination attempt, she explains she’d alternatively person a spot astatine tribunal alternatively than a monetary reward. Whether she realizes it oregon not, Rhaenyra tin truly usage her help. Her need for a pistillate confidant is much urgent successful the lack of Rhaenys, particularly present that her Small Council is questioning her quality to pb due to the fact that she’s of “the gentler sex.”

In the astir caller episode, “Regent,” we saw Mysaria truly measurement into her relation of Mistress of Whispers. She’s the Team Black equivalent of Red Keep lurker Lord Larys Strong, but without each the manipulative vibes that tally done his power implicit Team Green. 

Notably, she supports Rhaenyra’s assertion to the Iron Throne due to the fact that she thinks Rhaenyra volition beryllium kinder to the tiny folk—Mysaria’s ain people, the ones who truthful often endure acknowledgment to decisions made by those successful charge. She knows that the radical volition play an important relation successful the Dance of the Dragons, and counsels Rhaenyra not to place the value of swaying nationalist opinion. With King’s Landing connected edge—people are starving and scared, and Ser Criston Cole’s dead-dragon parade didn’t assistance 1 bit—it’s clip to prehend the infinitesimal the mode the White Worm knows best: “What you cannot do, fto others bash for you. There is much than 1 mode to combat a war.” When Mysaria gives advice, you cognize it’s existent talk. 

Baela

HBO

Prior to the astir caller episodes, House of the Dragon hadn’t turned overmuch absorption connected Daemon’s daughters with his precocious 2nd wife. But successful “Regent,” his oldest, Baela, truly steps up. She’s betrothed to Jace, Rhaenyra’s oldest son; he’s the prospective heir to the Iron Throne, if the Dance of the Dragons goes Rhaenyra’s way. 

Though we haven’t seen galore romanticist sparks betwixt them, there’s intelligibly a shared consciousness of respect; they’re some dragon riders, aft all. So Baela is the earthy prime for Jace to speech to erstwhile helium decides it’s precocious clip helium progressive himself successful the warfare effort. She suggests possibly not busting successful connected Daemon astatine Harrenhal, which would surely person turned sideways considering Daemon’s flagging loyalty to Rhaenyra. And his second-choice journey—to conscionable with the Freys astatine the Twins—goes adjacent amended than expected.

Elsewhere successful the episode, we spot Baela speaking to her grieving grandfather, Lord Corlys, to inquire him to enactment speech his earthy feelings astir Rhaenys’ decease to beryllium Rhaenyra’s Hand of the Queen. His beingness is dearly needed successful the Small Council, and arsenic overmuch arsenic he’d alternatively sail into the skyline and ne'er return, Baela’s plea strikes a chord. Do we person a maestro negotiator connected the rise?

Alys Rivers

HBO

Though she’s precocious befriended—or immoderate the equivalent of “frenemy” is, successful that context—Daemon, Riverlands bastard Alys Rivers is neither Team Black nor Team Green. Harrenhal, wherever she lives and works arsenic a healer, is simply a spooky place, and Alys seems close astatine location flitting astir its haunted halls.

She has a sixth consciousness of sorts—she knows what’s successful Daemon’s dreams, and she’s astir apt playing a portion successful each those trippy visions he’s been having—and though he’s called her a witch, her powers whitethorn beryllium adjacent much potent than helium realizes. We’ve seen her poke into his astir susceptible affectional hotspots; she intuited that helium wasn’t astatine Dragonstone due to the fact that helium had an statement with Rhaenyra, and she’s further dared to suggest he’s nary longer supporting his wife’s assertion to the Iron Throne.

In “Regent,” we besides spot her telephone him retired for encouraging torture and worse against women and children, portion of his strategy to unit House Bracken’s soldiers to articulation his army. “This is not war,” she says. “These are crimes against the innocent.” Alys is bold. She speaks her mind. She is unafraid of Daemon. And she has a consciousness of humor! (After all, she’s not a pistillate astatine all—she’s a barn owl, forced to unrecorded successful quality form.) Her way up is murky, but she brings a trickster vigor to Harrenhal’s gloom whenever she’s around.

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

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