House of the Dragon is finally back on our television screens with a remarkably powerful and stunning season two.
So much has happened in the first seven episodes of the renowned second season between Team Black and Team Green and with only one episode to go until the much awaited season finale, to satisfy your Targaryen hunger until Sunday, compiled below are the top three episodes of the season (so far).
Spoilers ahead for both season one and season two…
Episode 1: “A Son for a Son”
It’s no surprise that with such an explosive and tragic ending in the season one finale of House of the Dragon (RIP young Prince Lucerys and Arrax, gone way too soon), that the first installment of the latest season would be equally as dynamic. The episode begins with Rhaenyra’s eldest son, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), in the North meeting with Lord Cregan Stark about raising up an army and his house’s oath to his mother as the true and lawful Queen of the realm. This opening scene of Jacaerys acting as a representative of the crown shows just how much growth his character has undergone between the last season and now. Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) or King Consort now, grows more restless as Rhaenyra is away trying desperately to find her son’s body. Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) has very few lines this episode but is ultimately more harrowing and heartbreaking than ever with tears and expressions that are possibly more emotive than words ever could be, especially when Rhaenyra finally discovers what was left of Lucerys with the remains of his fallen dragon. Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) seeks to regain his sea legs once again after being left injured from last season and while visiting his fleet, has a very interesting interaction with one of his sailors, Alyn of Hull, that leaves viewers wondering how come the pair of them are so tense. In King’s Landing, the newly crowned Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) is settling into his role of King with much to do in order to secure his title after usurping his half-sister’s throne. Alicent (Olivia Cooke) is struggling to find a way to still have her voice be heard now that she has put her son on the throne and is outnumbered more than ever by her male counterparts. The later half of this episode is when things really start to pick up and take a turn, when Daemon takes it upon himself to bring Rhaenyra’s wishes of having her son’s murderer, her half-brother Prince Aemond, brought to her to by sneaking off to King’s Landing and paying a guard and ratcatcher to kill him and have his head brought to him. Which ends in a terrible tragedy when both men could not find Aemond and settle instead for bringing Aegon and Haelana’s young son’s head back to Daemon instead. Not too many things happening in the season premiere, right?
Episode 4: “The Red Dragon and the Gold”
In this fiery episode we find Daemon still in Harrenhal where he fled to in previous episodes after a spat with his wife and Queen, Rhaenyra, in order to try and claim it before the Greens as it is a key place to have a hold over if a war is brewing. But Harrenhal and Daemon do not seem to agree with each other, due to this place bringing Daemon extremely lucid visions and/or dreams of those from his past, in this chapter it being a young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) most likely because of his fatal mistake from episode one haunting him. Meanwhile, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) is dealing both with a personal and professional matter. Rhaenys upon a visit to the shipping docks where her husband Lord Corlys is, runs into Alyn of Hull and all but explicitly confirms for the audience that Alyn and his brother Addam are Corlys’ sons he had out of wedlock. She is also trying her best to appease the Black Council as Rhaenyra is gone (she went secretly to try and seek an end to the war before it truly begins with her old best friend and now frenemy Alicent). Speaking of Alicent, she found herself in an interesting position in this episode that was oddly reminiscent and much a mirrored of a situation a young Rhaenyra had found herself in also after having relations with Ser Criston Cole, and that a young Alicent judged her for in the beginnings of season one. Alicent has a maester bring her a cup of some liquid that after consuming, is supposed to assure her she is not with child. Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) is on the march with his army aiming to have more territories vouch for King Aegon and dismiss the oaths that they swore to King Viserys and Rhaenyra as the rightful heir to the throne, using violence as the weapon to do so. Aegon is finding it more and more difficult to know how to rule and very plainly, seems to be out of his depth with his council seeming weary about his decisions which, his brother Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), appears to be using to his advantage in order to undercut the inexperienced King and showcase what a true leader he is instead. The entirety of this chapter is leading up to a much larger moment that takes place towards the end of it, a battle where someone irreplaceable is lost. After Queen Rhaenyra returns from her journey, her council informs her of Cole’s movements on a small holding, Rook’s Rest, to which Rhaenys offers to fly with her dragon to burn the enemy lines and show the Queen’s strength. Rhaenys is met with not only one, but two dragons, Prince Aemond and his large beast Vhagar and Aegon’s dragon Sunfyre. Princess Rhaenys, who is often called “The Queen Who Never Was,” fights heroically and honorably in this spectacularly beautiful, fierce and cataclysmic battle between dragons that shows the heavy price of war. In which Aemond does not only severely injure his brother and try to kill him, but agonizingly takes down Rhaenys and her dragon as well.
Episode 7: “The Red Sowing”
What an episode to have right before the highly anticipated finale! It begins with Rhaenyra meeting an unknown dragonrider that has claimed Seasmoke, her first husband Laenor’s dragon, but is pleasantly surprised. The dragon has in fact claimed his rider instead which is unusual to say the least and more so, the new rider is Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), another of Lord Corlys’ out of wedlock sons.With Addam quick to bend his knee and declare for Rhaenyra as the rightful Queen, not only does this act embolden her but spurs her to continue to look through this history books to find anyone that may have Targaryen blood in them in order to find riders for two more dragons that have none to assist team Black in winning this war. Returning back to Dragonstone, Rhaenyra seeks counsel with her new aid and confidant Lady Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), who happens to be Daemon’s ex-flame and they also shared a steamy kiss in the last episode. Mysaria reminds Rhaenyra that Targaryen’s most likely have many illegitimate children roaming around King’s Lady and offers this as a solution with much hesitancy at first from the Queen due to her children Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey being illegitimate as well however, Rhaenyra agrees due to seeing no other viable option. Daemon, who is still in Harrenhal, is seeking out more men from a young lord to fight for their cause. In previous episodes, Daemon is struggling greatly with not being heir to the iron throne and lacking power but this episode shows a different side to him. Having another one of his visions, he is visited by his late brother King Viserys where Viserys tells him he never wanted to be King and how heavy it truly is to be the weight of that title, seemingly getting through to Daemon once and for all. Aegon, badly burned and left broken after the battle in Rook’s Rest where his brother Aemond turns on him, is grappling in recovery. Queen dowager Alicent, feeling unneeded and unsure about the future and all of the decisions that has led her to where she is now, has an outing accompanied by no one but a solo Kingsguard, in order to try and find her footing once again. Back in Dragonstone, Jacaerys has a remarkably honest and poignant conversation with his mother, Rhaenyra, about fearing how his legitimacy as her heir will be called into question now more than ever before if she goes through with her plan to have illegitimate Targaryen’s become dragon riders. This scene highlights great points from both characters because Jacaerys is right in fearing about his claim to the throne and how claiming a dragon is an honor that cannot just be bestowed onto anybody, but Rhaenyra is also correct in knowing in order to win this war and claim her father’s throne, she needs more dragon riders and she needs them quickly. Undoubtedly, the best scene of the entire episode occurs after hoards of those who have the potentiality to claim a dragon finally arrive on Dragonstone to where Rhaenyra greets them and leads them to the dragon pit. There, Rhaenyra calls upon the second largest dragon, Vermithor, speaking in seamless High Valyrian and effectively calming the large beast and even putting her hand on his snout. The cinematography when Rhaenyra turns and has Vermithor standing right behind her with his head bowed as she looks powerful and maybe even god-like, is flawless in every way. Leaving the volunteers to try and then claim Vermithor, things go awry when the dragon begins wreaking havoc on them. As the Queen watches without interfering, it seems that none may be able to claim the dragon until one man finally does. Hugh Hammer boldly holds his ground and faces off with Vermithor where the dragon then bows and allows Hammer to touch him, claiming him. Unseen by any eyes, another man, Ulf, in a desperation to flee perhaps stumbles upon another one of the beasts, Silverwing, who as well allows the man to lay claim to her. With two new dragonriders at Rhaenyra’s disposal and a possible army aiming to serve her as well due to Daemon’s efforts, what will the last episode bring the viewers? It’s anyone’s guess really.
The House of the Dragon season finale airs this Sunday on Max at 9 p.m. EST.
