Summary: Rhaenys delivers news of Viserys' death and Aegon's coronation which forces Rhaenyra into premature labour. Daemon immediately prepares for war, though Rhaenyra wishes to take things slow. Daemon doesn't listen. Rhaenyra miscarries and births a monstrous child. At the funeral, Erryk arrives with Viserys' crown and Rhaenyra is crowned with it. Otto arrives with terms for peace. Rhaenyra considers them, angering Daemon who chokes her when she brings up Aegon's prophecy. When Corlys wakes up, Rhaenys convinces him to join Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra opts to send Jace to meet with the Arryns and the Starks and Luke to meet with the Baratheons. Daemon wakes Vermithor in the caves inside the Dragonmont. Luke arrives at Storm's End where Aemond has already met with Borros. Borros refuses Luke's terms, saying that Aemond came proposing a marriage. Aemond demands to cut out Luke's eye and tries to attack, but Borros prevents the conflict. Luke leaves quickly on Arrax but Aemond follows him and torments him with Vhagar. Feeling threatened, Arrax attacks Vhagar and Vhagar acts on her own, killing Luke and Arrax. Rhaenyra receives news of what happened and is enraged.
The Good: I applaud the decision to end this season with a somewhat quieter and focused episode to officially kick off the war. I'm glad that there were no big battles or forced conflicts, instead this episode was fixated around Rhaenyra's decision to go to war, setting the stage for what you can only expect will be a brutal and intense second season. And that's exactly what a finale should do: conclude a season's story and set up the next season. This episode did that perfectly and I can't imagine someone watching this episode and not being excited for the next season. The last episode was all about how the Greens reacted to Viserys' death, and this episode shows us how the Blacks reacted. The episode kicks off with Rhaenys delivering the news to Rhaenyra and Daemon, and the story continues with some rich character scenes as Rhaenyra and Daemon move forwards in contrasting ways. Rhaenyra's stress induces an immediate premature labour, and seeing her get through this horrific experience was intense and brutally effective. This show is sure to paint childbirth and the struggles of women in this world with unfiltered horror. Rhaenyra has become the Queen now, and the show portrays how difficult it is for women, who have to go through the horrors of giving birth, to adjust to leadership positions and I enjoy that added dimension of storytelling. Rhaenyra has gone through hell, but she is still hesitant to war against the Greens because of the prophecy that Viserys shared with her. She has developed into a competent leader after becoming a mother, and just like her father, she sees the value in peace time. Daemon of course is the opposite. With news that his brother was likely murdered, and his wife was denied of her birthright, Daemon logically springs into action, looking to set things right. He's rightly furious, and it almost seems like Daemon has been waiting for this opportunity, the opportunity to do something grandiose and exciting once again. That ultimately sets up some lovely friction between him and Rhaenyra as Daemon is disgusted to see the same annoying traits of Viserys within Rhaenyra, and is frustrated at the reveal that Viserys didn't trust Daemon enough with Aegon's prophecy. Daemon choking out Rhaenyra is horrifying and horrible, but it fits the impulsive character to lash out like that when under such pressure. I enjoyed the sequence of Rhaenyra's crowning. The show has always been building up to this, and the moment was impactful and emotional, aided by a fantastic soundtrack. Though it has been her birthright, we can see some nerves in Rhaenyra now that she has finally become the Queen, which is very human and relatable. Otto's encounter with Daemon and Rhaenyra was another excellent scene, nicely paralleling the confrontation from back in "The Rogue Prince". This show has consistently had well written and well acted scenes that masterfully build suspense, and this is another such example. It's something that "Game of Thrones" also did well, so it's pleasing to see "House of the Dragon" living up to the spirit of its predecessor. A key subplot in this episode is the Velaryons deciding their loyalty. It's nice to see Corlys again, and he fittingly feels guilty for leaving everything behind to cope with the deaths of his children. I like that Corlys has identified that his ambition was his downfall - he pushed too hard to marry his children to important people and they died for it. And on top of that his brother died because of that same ambition, making it clear to Corlys what his mistake was. But right as Corlys has learned to prioritize the well-being of his family, Rhaenys pushes him back into action to back Rhaenyra for the benefit of the realm. This time the Velaryons are more noble in their motives, but it remains to be seen if their decision will ultimately be a good one or a bad one. The climax of the episode sees Luke travel to Storm's End to give terms to Borros Baratheon. This sequence built tension masterfully by expertly creating an uneasy and almost terrifying atmosphere. The stormy atmosphere upon Luke's arrival creates an uneasy mood, and that sense of unease becomes fear and suspense once we see Vhagar parked outside of the walls (what a phenomenal shot that was). These establishing shots immediately got me at the edge of my seat, making the negotiations with Borros really suspenseful, especially with Aemond right there. Borros is played really well with some lovely touches, like Borros being unable to read without a maester and his insistence that Luke not be harmed under his roof, a reminder of the law of guest right which was memorably violated in "Game of Thrones". But outside of these nice details, Borros is an intimidating and hostile leader, and he feels almost larger than life when compared to the fantastically cast Luke, who looks every bit as timid and nervous as the character is intended to be. Luke carries himself like a prince, but that nervousness is there, and it makes his encounters with Borros and Aemond so much more intense. Borros is one thing, but Aemond is on a whole other level of intimidation. Ewan Mitchell looks like a genuine psychopath playing Aemond, and his demands to take one of Luke's eyes carries a sense of weight because we know that Aemond is not someone who messes around and says things without meaning to follow up on it. Luke manages to leave, but what follows is a tremendous sequence in the skies. Luke is quick to get on Arrax and leave, but ominously, Vhagar has moved from where we last saw her, and as Luke flies directly into the storm clouds, that impending sense of fear never goes away. We're then treated to a spectacular shot of Vhagar flying above Luke as Aemond torments him; evidently Aemond has not got over his childhood bullying and is looking to take some revenge by tormenting Luke. But what starts as some harmless scaring goes a step too far. Aemond thinks he is in control, but he has forgotten that dragons are beings of their own and Targaryens do not have full control over them. Arrax is frightened by Vhagar and fights back, and as a consequence of Aegon's stupid thoughtless actions, Vhagar murders Luke and Arrax immediately, in a brilliantly produced scene that perfectly highlights the scope of what just happened. Aemond's face says it all as he realizes the gravity of what he has just done. This final sequence was intense, engaging, and had enormous consequences on the story. This was spectacle done right because it was not spectacle just for the sake of it. The build-up to this moment made sense from a plot perspective and from a character perspective, and it felt like natural progression of the story which will have consequences. This is what was missing in Rhaenys' big scene in the previous episode, which didn't overcome the feeling that is was a needless spectacle. Where that scene failed, Luke and Aemond's encounter thrived and delivered a memorable climax to the first season, creating a lot of excitement to see what happens next in season 2. The Bad: Rhaenys and Corlys forgiving Rhaenyra so easily is the one thing that really bothers me. They still firmly believe that Rhaenyra had Laenor killed, and they should not be so easily forgiving of that. Rhaenys being willing to trust Rhaenyra just because she showed some restraint in this one situation is a reach, and I don't buy into Rhaenys backing her so strongly because of this. I was especially bothered by Rhaenys and Rhaenyra sharing a smile, since there should absolutely still be some bitterness between them. The Unknown: I imagine that the rest of Westeros will become significant now that the war has begun. Which houses will side with which side? It looks like the Baratheons are joining with the Greens. Who will the Starks, Tullys, Arryns, Lannisters, Tyrells, etc. side with? Will Jace's trip to the north yield better results than Luke's? Will Rhaenyra openly declare war following Luke's death? It's hard to imagine her letting that slide. How will the Greens react to Aemond's actions? Will Aemond be changed by the fact that he just unintentionally committed murder courtesy of Vhagar's actions? Interesting scene where Daemon sings to Vermithor, another new dragon. What was the significance of this scene? Will Vermithor become more significant in the next season? Best Moment: Luke's death was a stunning moment that will certainly have enormous ramifications. Character of the Episode: Rhaenyra. Conclusion: This finale was very effective, moving the story forwards while including memorable character moments, suspenseful sequences, and a lot of exciting developments to build excitement for season 2. Overall, this was a great episode that more than delivered a compelling conclusion to the first season. The first season of "House of the Dragon" was an uproarious success. Following what happened with the end of "Game of Thrones", this show needed to show some quality to win the fans over again, and it more than succeeded. This was a worthwhile story that returned to the strengths of "Game of Thrones" with compelling characters, gripping dialogue, engaging political machinations, and some brutal moments which shake up the story. There was so much to like about what this first season offered. From the charismatic unpredictability of Daemon, to the beautiful story arc of King Viserys, to the dramatic rivalry between Rhaenyra and Alicent, every storyline that this show attempted was perfectly handled and I thoroughly enjoyed the season as a whole. But this show was not perfect, and I've identified two flaws that prevent this from being top-tier television. The first big issue was the over-reliance on spectacle at times. "Game of Thrones" season 8 went way overboard on spectacle over storytelling, and occasionally this show fell for that same trapping with moments like Criston's murder at the wedding, Daemon's ridiculous battle sequence in the Stepstones, and Rhaenys' arrival at the Dragonpit being significant offenders of this. It's not a show-ruining problem, but it is frustrating especially when the rest of the show is so well written. The second big issue comes as a result of the constant time-skips in this show. I eventually got used to skipping through time after every episode, and ultimately I don't think that there was a better alternative to these frequent timeskips. However, the time-skips created a huge problem: a lot of stories never felt fully complete because large portions were glossed over. Take Laena's story and her relationship with Daemon, which was an uninspiring part of the season because so much of their relationship happened of screen. Or how about Rhaenyra's relationship with Harwin, which is an important foundation of the story, and yet it felt like we hardly knew who Harwin was because he connected with Rhaenyra off screen. Then we have other examples like the breakdown in Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship happening in between episodes 2 and 3, Criston growing close to Rhaenyra and choosing to betray her happening in between episodes, and the entirety of the War of the Stepstones happening for 3 years off-screen. These problems hurt the show significantly, and I hope that the time-skips will no longer be present in the show going forwards so that we can get a story that no longer skips important beats. Outside of these two flaws, I thought that the first season was superb, and as a fan of the books, I'm ecstatic to see such a compelling and interesting adaptation of the source material. Bring on season 2! Score: 70
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Summary: Viserys has died and Alicent receives the news. The small council is immediately assembled and Otto and his allies start getting into their long-term preparations to crown Aegon, infuriating Alicent. Beesbury is also furious and starts ranting, but Criston sits him back down, killing him in the process. The small council proceeds and Otto makes plans to kill Rhaenyra and tries to send Harrold to do it. Harrold takes off his cloak and walks out. The Red Keep goes into lockdown to prevent news of Viserys' death escaping. Lords that do not bow to Aegon are imprisoned or executed Rhaenyra is trapped in her room. Alicent goes to her to attempt to win her over but it doesn't work. Alicent sends Aemond and Criston to find Aegon, while Otto sends Erryk and Arryk. Erryk and Arryk are seen by one of Mysaria's followers. Otto agrees to meet Mysaria who gives him Aegon's location. Erryk and Arryk find him but are tailed by Aemond and Criston. Erryk, disillusioned by Aegon, refuses to help and Aemond and Criston overpower Arryk to take Aegon to Alicent. Alicent crowns Aegon immediately, deciding to send terms to Rhaenyra rather than assassinating her. Erryk frees Rhaenys, who is present at Aegon's crowning at the Dragonpit. She sneaks off to Meleys and crashes the coronation with her dragon. Choosing not to murder the Greens, she flies off to Dragonstone.
The Good: The mood and atmosphere in this episode was exceptional. Viserys has died, and the show did a great job of making it feel like the world has lost something now that he's gone. The music was terrific throughout, and there were several great scenes of quiet that established the dark, melancholy feel that is encapsulating the Red Keep. This really felt like a somber community on the brink of a war that everyone knows is coming. It takes exceptional production work to capture this feeling effectively. I really liked the decision to focus this episode purely on fallout of the king's death. With this season's many timeskips, we haven't often had time to explore fallout of major events. Finally getting it here makes this episode feel more special, and I'm pleased to see that we're likely approaching the end of the timeskips with the main conflict officially getting underway. The titular green council was an excellent scene. With the Red Keep going on lockdown, it quickly becomes apparent that Otto, as scummy as ever, has been actively preparing to usurp Rhaenyra's crown, and that realization is brutal for us, and even more brutal for Alicent, whose own father had been acting behind her back. The tension upon Alicent's disgusted realization is terrific, and the scene is further elevated when Lord Beesbury steps up. Being just a bumbling old man before this, it is surprising and memorable to see Beesbury advocating for Viserys, having known him for longer than everyone and being one of the few to care for his wishes. Tragically, Beesbury has this great moment of loyalty and is promptly murdered by Criston, who somehow manages to become more and more despicable by the episode. I liked how this led into conflict between Criston and Harrold. Harrold still holds onto his honour and integrity, while Criston has given in to the political savagery within King's Landing, and that separates them in this scene. Harrold tries to confront Criston for killing Beesbury, but upon seeing the steely reception in the room, we see Harrold pacify his actions and ultimately decide that he can no longer be a part of this. He gives up his cloak, and Criston takes his place instead, a corrupt leader of the Kingsguard who is only still in his position because his lack of integrity benefits the powerful Hightowers. The internal conflict between Alicent and Otto is fascinating and it provides the main emotional core of the episode. They are both on the same side, hoping to crown Aegon instead of Rhaenyra. But their differing morals and sense of justice lead to them being at odds with Alicent wishing to crown Aegon immediately and offer terms, and Otto wishing to hide Viserys' death until he can assassinate Rhaenyra and her offspring to leave the realm with no choice but to accept Aegon as the heir. Otto is an extreme, showing a brutal, unflinching resolve to get what he wants (his blood on the throne), meanwhile Alicent shows a heart and tries to accomplish her goal without also sacrificing her childhood friend. The dynamic between the two is fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Alicent victorious in the end, thrashing her father for being so despicable. The hunt for Aegon was enjoyable to watch. it was gripping to see who would end up getting to him first, or if Aegon was even still around in King's Landing. We had a lot of great moments throughout. We get to see more from Aemond and Criston, which I enjoyed. We get to learn a bit about Erryk and Arryk who we briefly met previously. Erryk knows what kind of an animal Aegon is, while Arryk has been distanced enough from the prince that he still thinks that Aegon is the ideal king. The pay-off here was nice as Erryk abandons Arryk in battle to defect to Rhaenyra, freeing Rhaenys in the process. I was pleased that we got to spend some time with these characters, making Erryk's decision feel meaningful. Aegon himself is a surprisingly tragic figure. Despite being a drunkard, rapist, and overall disgusting human being, I can't help but feel bad for him. He was ignored by his father and constantly nagged by his mother to be the next king, when all he wanted was for either of them - or anyone really - to make him feel loved. It's a human feeling that is easy to understand, and I found myself wishing that Aegon could get away because he has no viable life in the Red Keep and him being a king would be a disaster. But the show surprised me with how Aegon accepted his crown. The coronation scene was a wonderful spectacle, and there was a fantastic visualization of how power feels good to everyone, even to those who don't care enough to use it. Aegon had to be literally dragged to his own coronation, but when he was up there in front of that crowd, he seems to have found a sense of belonging in being a beloved king. Finally Aegon has found that love that he has so desperately been seeking, and it was brilliant to see him come around to the idea of being the king. After all, who wouldn't love this amount of power on display? I enjoyed our brief scenes with Mysaria. She is building the iconic "little bird" spy network that Varys operates in "Game of Thrones" and it's fun to see her go from a common whore to a genuine power-player. It was great to see her throw her knowledge of the king's death in Otto's face, enriching the character by showing some of her spunk. I like to see that Mysaria advocates for the smallfolk, making her into a more sympathetic figure instead of as a mysterious villain. I liked seeing Lord Caswell's attempted escape to warn Rhaenyra. He had been a fun background character, and it's nice to see him maintain his loyalty to Rhaenyra. It's obvious that there would still be some Rhaenyra supporters within the walls of the Red Keep, and I appreciate that the show dedicated some time towards showing us what they did about the people that would inevitably try to join with Rhaenyra. The Bad: Rhaenys' actions at the end were the one thing really dragging this episode down. First of all, it is unbelievable that she is able to sneak into the cavern where the dragons are staying. Are there seriously no people guarding the Dragonpit? What happened to the Dragonkeepers? I'm sure that some curious smallfolk would absolutely be trying to sneak in to get a peek at the dragons. Even worse than that is her brazen entry into the main room, destroying the floor and annihilating dozens, if not hundreds, of innocents. This mass murder is absolutely shocking and should make Rhaenys immediately into a fugitive because she just committed completely unnecessary mass murder. And for what reason? So she can dramatically roar at the Greens before flying off. What the hell? If she's willing to kill the smallfolk, she absolutely should be going all the way by murdering the Greens for their treason. Instead she does nothing, making her dramatic entry into nothing more than meaningless spectacle, a flaw that has popped up every now and then throughout this first season. I'm disappointed to see such a crucial scene in the show be marred by the same problem. The foot scene with Larys is exceedingly weird and I'm not too happy with it. The dialogue in the scene is fine, but I was deeply uncomfortable watching Larys get off to Alicent's feet. Even though it is intentional, the episode would have been better off without making the viewer uncomfortable like it does. Larys is much less interesting as a character if his only motivation is to get a peek at Alicent's feet. When Larys said he wanted to be rewarded, this is the least interesting answer to the question of what he wants. The Unknown: Was there a conspiracy to kill Viserys, or were the Greens just waiting for him to die? I wouldn't be surprised if Otto and the Grand Maester found a way to accelerate his disease. Did Criston intentionally kill Beesbury, or was it an accident? He didn't seem bothered by his actions, and neither did anyone else barring Harrold. Will Harrold join up with Rhaenyra now? It's hard to imagine him backing Aegon after all that has happened. Will Rhaenys warn Rhaenyra? How will she react to the news of Aegon's crowning? What will she do next? Otto has had more time to get into action and contact everyone, putting Rhaenyra at an immediate disadvantage. Will Erryk make it to Dragonstone? How will King's Landing react to his defection? More specifically, how will his brother react? Will Aegon be a good king? He seemed to enjoy himself once in the position? Will this translate to him actually stepping up, or will he be a selfish king similar to Joffrey? Is Otto going to hold his word to Mysaria? I suspect that it will slip his mind since Otto doesn't seem like one to prioritize the smallfolk. Will this make Mysaria his enemy? That could be very dangerous for Otto. Also, did Otto not recognize her from being Daemon's paramour? A clever way to highlight Otto's vanity and privilege by having him not even remember who Mysaria is, and perhaps a fun set-up for later if Mysaria betrays him to ally with Daemon. Best Moment: Not much stood out, but I'll give it to the small council meeting, which went from big development to big development in a thoroughly entertaining way. Character of the Episode: Alicent. Conclusion: This was a very strong episode of fallout, hurt by a pretty stupid spectacle at the end of the episode. The ending was weak, but I still have to credit the rest of the episode for doing an excellent job of getting the main conflict of the series underway in an entertaining and suspenseful fashion. Overall, this was a good episode. Score: 65 Summary: After six years, Rhaenys receives news that Corlys has been injured and it is possible that he will die. Vaemond pressures Rhaenys to skip over Luke's claim to Driftmark but she refuses. Vaemond goes to King's Landing to press his claim. Daemon learns of this and he goes with Rhaenyra to King's Landing. King's Landing has changed now that it is under Hightower control. Viserys is delirious and bedridden. Alicent berates Aegon for raping one of the servant girls. Jace and Luke go to the courtyard where Aemond trains with Criston. Rhaenyra meets with Rhaenys and offers to marry Jace and Luke to Baela and Rhaena for her support. Rhaenys does not give an answer, being suspicious of Rhaenyra's involvement in Laenor's death. Rhaenyra begs Viserys to help her but he seems indisposed. The next day, Vaemond makes his case to Otto. When it's Rhaenyra's turn, Viserys returns and sits the throne. Rhaenys vouches for Rhaenyra and Viserys accepts that Luke is the heir. Frustrated, Vaemond lashes out and calls Rhaenyra's children bastards. Daemon kills him for treason. After, Viserys arranges a supper with his entire family and makes a speech to encourage them to get along. Alicent seems to be affected by these words and reaches out to Rhaenyra. Viserys is in pain and leaves, and immediately after a fight breaks out between the children when Aemond toasts to the "Strong" boys. Rhaenyra and Daemon head back to Dragonstone. That night, Alicent visits Viserys who thinks he is talking to Rhaenyra. She misinterprets his words as Viserys wanting Aegon to be the heir. After Alicent leaves, Viserys dies.
The Good: The main plot of this episode is a great concept: after many years, Rhaenyra returns to the Red Keep to defend Luke's claim to Driftmark. This is a good way to follow up a time jump as Rhaenyra's return allows the impact of the Hightower's rule in King's Landing to be immediately impactful. Seeing a quiet, subdued Red Keep is jarring, and it feels like Otto and Alicent have turned a familiar home into an outsider's realm, removing any Targaryen banners and replacing them with the seven-pointed star of Oldtown. And in this foreign place, Rhaenyra has no friends to help back her claim. The only people she can go to are Rhaenys and Viserys. Rhaenys is plain that she does not intend to help, believing that Rhaenyra played a role in Laenor's death. Meanwhile, Viserys has tragically become an inactive king, bedridden and delirious. The episode does a great job of building dread as Rhaenyra has no allies here in King's Landing to help her, while Vaemond has the backing of the Hightowers in his corner. It sets up an interesting and exciting scene in the throne room to hash out the rights to Driftmark. And that throne room scene more than delivers. It looks like things are heading towards a typical biased proceeding with Rhaenyra doomed to lose, until suddenly the doors open and out walks Viserys to sit the throne. The sequence of Viserys walking to the throne is literally 3-4 minutes long, and it is masterful. There's a funny irony to the doors opening and the music booming all for the entry of a decrepit old man who slowly limps inside, but it's indicative of the enormous strength that it took Viserys to come inside. It's not about his physical achievement, but it's about the mental one. For Viserys to still have the strength to come out to protect his daughter one final time was completely unexpected and it speaks volumes for the character and his love for his family. I've grown attached to Viserys after seeing his struggle in the last eight episodes, and there is something incredibly beautiful about seeing him finally show his strength in this sequence. Another outstanding detail is Daemon helping Viserys get up to the throne and placing the crown back on his head. For all the trouble that has brewed between these two, they are still brothers, and you can plainly see the bond that they have with one another. We have seen Viserys reach out time and time again to Daemon, so it's touching to see Viserys recognize and appreciate that it's Daemon who came over to help him. Meanwhile Daemon has always loved Viserys, and it's touching to see him also put the past behind him so that he could have a nice moment with his brother who he knows will not survive for much longer. There is such beauty and emotion to this sequence, and it fantastically pays off of key relationships that have been built since the very beginning of the show. Vaemond's death at the end of this sequence is spectacle done right. Vaemond's outburst in court fits his character, considering that we've seen his distaste for the Targaryens since his introduction, and it's sensible that he would lash out when his plan to take Driftmark for himself was foiled right at the very end by Viserys. Wil Johnson did a spectacular job of bringing this character to life, and his hate-filled rant towards Viserys and Rhaenyra was spectacularly acted, with some memorable and impactful line delivery. Vaemond did not care by that point and simply needed to get the truth out there in the throne room, and he paid for it with his life. Daemon's swift stroke of death was a magnificent moment, and it calls back to his request to be Viserys' hand, saying that he can protect Viserys from his own weakness. Here we get to see this actualized as Viserys merely wants Vaemond's tongue, but Daemon shows no weakness, refusing to let an open traitor like Vaemond live to corrupt others to his cause. Daemon is the King's Justice in this scene, and it's a lovely reminder of what could have been had Viserys and Daemon been able to work out their issues without Otto manipulating Viserys to turn him against his brother. The dinner scene is tragic and brilliant as Viserys gives one final attempt to reconnect his fractured family. His speech combined with his horrific appearance gives a sense of desperation from him as he all but begs his family to cease the fighting and become one again. Evidently, this affects those who care for him, namely Rhaenyra and Alicent who give nice toasts to each other for Viserys' sake. Even if it is an illusion, Viserys sits at the dinner table enjoying the happiness created in the union of families, and that brief smile that flashes on his face is heartbreaking. Whether it's real or not, Viserys does not care, and is mere happy to be sitting amongst those he loves. And it's made all the more tragic knowing that this peace is never going to last and that war is likely going to start the moment that Viserys finally dies. I feel for Viserys and his attempts to get everyone to get along, which seems to be the only thing that he's wanted ever since losing the wife that he loved. I suspect that Alicent and Rhaenyra could have possibly kept the peace had it only been up to them. Considering their history, the strength of their bond, their shared love for Viserys, and their susceptibility to Viserys' final speech, I think it is feasible and even likely that they would reconcile after years of strife. However, the problem lies in their children. Alicent and Rhaenyra have a fond past to remember, but their children have known nothing but hate for each other, instilled upon them at a young age by their mothers. This is a wonderful take on generational trauma, showing how these kids have developed an even bigger rivalry than their parents all as a result of them being raised to despise each other. The second Viserys leaves, the children force a fight. Earlier it was Aegon and Jace exchanging words and subtly insulting the other, but by the end it's Aemond who steps up and gives a terrific, intense toast that causes a fight to break out. The change in Aemond following the time-jump is quite shocking. He goes from an endearing introvert to a genuinely terrifying individual who carries a presence with him. He's taken after Daemon significantly, and also seems to admire the man, as he seemed impressed when Daemon executed Vaemond earlier in the episode. The other children have also been aged up effectively, becoming compelling, memorable characters in their own right, but Aemond is definitely the stand-out. Viserys' final words to Alicent are powerful, and it's tragic to see him unwillingly and unknowingly undo the work he just did to reconcile Rhaenyra and Alicent by making Alicent think that she has to crown Aegon as Viserys' successor. This ended up being an eloquent summary of Viserys' reign, where he did all that he could to prevent war from happening, but his actions unintentionally furthered the conflicts that led into war. As for Alicent, she should know better than to trust the delirious words of Viserys, but she is hearing what she wants to hear. The only reason she was vulnerable to consider reconciling in this episode is because of how disillusioned she has become with the prospect of her son Aegon being a king, accepting that he would be a terrible ruler. But with her faith shaken, all she needs to get back on track is the confidence of somebody else, and she hears that confidence from Viserys, and makes her choice to back Aegon over Rhaenyra in that moment. The end of the episode is heartbreaking as it seemingly covers Viserys' final moments. His pain is obvious to see, and it is devastating to see him barely holding onto life in these moments, begging for it all to end, crying, and hallucinating visions of Aemma, who he acknowledges in the episode-ending line of "my love". This is a profoundly sad ending for Viserys, one that hit me hard as the character really grew on me throughout the season. Much more than anyone in season 1 of "Game of Thrones", I was saddened by Viserys' death, and it serves as an important emotional and plot beat at the climax of this season. The Bad: I've made my peace with the jarring time jumps this season, but it does bother me that a significant event like Corlys getting grievously injured in war happened off-screen. Corlys is a major character, and it feels cheap to have something substantial happen to him without us seeing it. Vaemond's death has some minor, but forgivable flaws. The character wasn't quite fully fleshed out, and while the acting overcomes this flaw to an extent, it is still disappointing that we didn't learn more about Vaemond before losing him. Daemond killing him openly without Viserys ordering it probably isn't realistic, though I can forgive it because of the rich storytelling value it offers. The Unknown: What is Corlys' fate? Will he die from his injuries? Did Viserys actually die at the end of the episode? I'm quite confident he did, but he's surprised us before with his ability to cling on to life. I won't be sure until I see the body. Once Viserys is dead, will Alicent seek to crown Aegon? Will she continue trying to reconcile with Rhaenyra, or will she turn on Rhaenyra now that she thinks Viserys has approved of Aegon as his heir? Will the children play a role in preventing reconciliation between Rhaenyra and Alicent? Will there be any fallout for Vaemond's death? I suspect not since he was openly treasonous, but I wouldn't be surprised if somebody from the Velaryon family is upset by his death. Will Jace and Luke's weddings to Baela and Rhaena happen? Best Moment: Viserys' walk to the throne was emotional and superbly well shot. There is so much to love about that sequence as the King uses one last burst of strength to once again come to the aide of the daughter he loves more than anything else in this world. Character of the Episode: Viserys. Conclusion: This was a splendid, emotional episode that worked on every level. It may not be action-packed or intense, but it delivered an emotive farewell to King Viserys on what must be the precipice before war. Score: 75 Summary: Laena's funeral is held on Driftmark. Rhaenyra sends Jace to comfort Daemon's children. Viserys meets with Daemon who does not wish to reconcile. Corlys lashes out at Qarl regarding Laenor. At night, Rhaenyra and Daemon talk and have sex. Aemond sneaks over to Vhagar and rides her. Baela and Rhaena notice and wake Jace. They, along with Luke, confront Aemond. Things get heated after Aemond calls Jace and Luke bastards and a fist fight breaks out. Luke slashes Aemond's eye with a knife before Harrold is able to stop the fight. Alicent is furious and demands justice. Rhaenyra is angered by the insult which Viserys traces to originate from Aegon. Viserys orders everyone to stop quarrelling but Alicent grabs his knife and goes after Rhaenyra. She cuts Rhaenyra's arm before being pulled away. Otto meets with Alicent and is impressed with her. Laenor returns and tells Rhaenyra that he intends to be a better husband. Rhaenyra speaks with Daemon and they marry each other. They arrange a fake death for Laenor, who escapes to the Free Cities with Qarl.
The Good: Practically every scene in this episode was brilliantly put together. I thoroughly enjoyed Laena's funeral, even if it was uneventful. The character moments in this sequence were simply phenomenal, building on established relationships and further exploring the nature of some characters who we do not fully understand just yet. So many little moments impressed me. Viserys and Daemon's relationship continues to be brilliantly realized. You can tell that Viserys was hoping that Daemon would approach him, and it is nice to see him ultimately decide to forgive Daemon and offer him a place back at his side. But Daemon still wants Rhaenyra, and that remains a wedge that prevents them from getting back together. Rhaenyra and Alicent's children are given good depth in this sequence as well. We get to further see the extent of Aegon's depravity, Helaena's odd quirkiness, Aemond's observant introversion, Luke's innocent childishness, and Jace's sense of loyalty to those who need his help (in this case Baela and Rhaena). These moments are small, but they go a long way in characterizing the children, which pays dividends when they get into an enormous conflict later in the episode.. I quite liked Laenor's grief in the loss of his sister, and Corlys' frustrated remarks to Qarl in public suggest some family tensions, making Laenor's decision to leave everything at the end of the episode feel a little more plausible. The episode's big story moment gets underway when Aemond decides that he wants to tame Vhagar. Vhagar continues to be a terrifyingly huge dragon, and she is realized in her full glory in this episode at numerous points. This does make it significant when Aemond opts to take her, giving the Hightowers a huge asset for the conflict to come. However, the unintentional insult from Aemond is clear, and it's easy to see why Baela and Rhaena are so upset by his actions. He took their mother's dragon on the day of her funeral, and while Aemond might be within his rights to claim a dragon, the timing is insensitive. I expected to see this lead to some conflict, but the extent of the violence that happened really caught me off guard. The children got into a full-on fist fight, and it started as funny and evolved into being genuinely tense and life-threatening to the point where I thought that someone was going to die. The fight was wonderfully shot, suspenseful, and suitably violent and realistic. Rhaenyra and Alicent's rivalry has bled into their children, stemming hate between these characters where there should be familial love and connection. It's tragic to see, and I really like this portrayal of generational conflict which is something that we don't often see in television. Aemond losing his eye was a shocking moment and I appreciate that it was treated as a huge deal, especially since Aemond is the son of a king. Following what happened between the kids, we get to see the adults react and come face to face in a most dramatic and exciting way. This lengthy sequence where Alicent demands justice for Aemond's lost eye and Rhaenyra demands justice for Aemond's insults is simply superb. The characters are brilliantly defined, the acting is outstanding, and the scene is almost unbearably tense. The children themselves are almost non-factors, simply watching as their parents continue their quarrels. Aemond is surprisingly docile, and we learn that it's because he actually isn't too bothered by losing his eye; after all he has a dragon now, he must be elated! Meanwhile Jace and Luke stay quiet and whisper what happened to Rhaenyra, letting their loving mother fight their battle for them. The confrontation between Alicent and Rhaenyra is phenomenal and Olivia Cooke especially does a magnificent job of letting her character's frustrations boil over (see: Best Moment). Viserys' role in this scene is also excellent. Viserys has been such a compelling character and that continues in this scene. We know that he loved Aemma and doesn't quite share that same feeling for Alicent (he even calls Alicent "Aemma" in this episode), and it appears that this extends to his children. Aemond, Viserys' son by Alicent, has his eye cut out and Viserys hardly seems to care. But when the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's children comes into question, Viserys is immediately stepping up to defend his daughter. Viserys is a passive king, but he has a clear preferred child and will do whatever he needs to for his daughter. I like this extra dimension to the character, and it also helps make Alicent more relatable, having to put up with the frustration of Rhaenyra always being favoured by the king. I love the ending of the episode. Laenor may not quite be a fully fleshed out character, but we get a good sense of who he is in the past few episodes, and I found him easily likeable as a comparatively simple and honest man in a world where so many people are driven by ambition. Rhaenyra and Daemon finally have an opportunity to be married, but Laenor is the one obstacle that they face, and I was concerned that the show was going to go too dark by making Rhaenyra and Daemon too unsympathetic by ruthlessly arranging Laenor's death. After all, Laenor is a good man and we had just seen a lovely moment where he affirmed to Rhaenyra that he intends to sacrifice his own enjoyment to be a better husband. For her to kill him after that would be heartless, and a step too far into the relentless brutality in the world of Westeros. Instead we got a terrific twist reveal where it turns out that Laenor's death was faked and that Rhaenyra and Daemon worked out a deal where he would be given an escape from his trapped life, a happy ending for everyone involved. I was certain that Laenor was a goner, so that ending reveal was an unexpected delight and a rare moment of hope and optimism in a world that is often far too brutal and unrelentingly depressing. The sequence of Laenor's death was very well edited, and the events we were shown were intentionally slightly inconsistent, making the reveal of Laenor's survival satisfyingly explain the weirdness in this sequence. A great piece of film-making. I'm glad to see Rhaenyra and Daemon finally get together, which seemed like a given over the last few episodes. It will be interesting to see their relationship evolve considering how both of them have a reckless, volatile nature. Going into the show, it was expected that Rhaenyra vs Daemon would be the main conflict, so I think that it's a clever subversion to have them ultimately get married. The Bad: I have heard a lot of complaints about the episode being too dark in several scenes. It never bothered me and I was able to see just fine, but when a good portion of people are having a hard time seeing then something is definitely being done wrong. It was blatantly obvious to me that all of the night scenes were shot during the day and darkened in post, and I think that the effects should have been better. I suspect that overdoing this effect is likely what resulted in the scenes being too dark for people to effectively see, especially those who watch in a well-lit environment. The director Miguel Sapochnik made the same mistake with "The Long Night" in "Game of Thrones" and it is disappointing to see him not learning from what went wrong last time. The Unknown: How will Viserys react when he learns of Daemon and Rhaenyra's marriage? Will we see Laenor again? Or is this a happy ending of sorts for him? Corlys and Rhaenys lost both of their children in short time, how will this affect them and their relationship? How significant will Aemond acquiring Vhagar be? How far will his rivalry with Jace and Luke go? Best Moment: Alicent going after Rhaenyra was the highlight of the episode for me. It was intense since you had no idea what would happen next, and the introduction of a knife put everyone's life in danger. On top of that, the emotional stakes were palpable. Alicent once loved Rhaenyra as her closest friend, and yet now she is charging at her with intent to kill, having had enough of Rhaenyra's reckless, privileged behaviour. Alicent has had to play by the rules to her own detriment, so it disgusts her to see Rhaenyra behaving so poorly, and it's absolutely believable that the loss of her son's eye would push Alicent over the edge in this moment. The scene is believable and fantastic, also featuring superb acting and top-tier dialogue. Certainly the best scene of the show so far. Character of the Episode: Alicent. Conclusion: An excellent episode. Coming off of last week's rocky instalment, this episode roared back into form with excellent character scenes based on established relationships, suspense-filled character drama that was earned and exciting, and an ending twist that gave us a rare burst of hope and happiness in an often overwhelmingly brutal show. Score: 71 Summary: The story jumps 10 years in the future. Rhaenyra has given birth to 3 sons and Alicent notes that they are not Laenor's. The children are Harwin's and everyone knows it except Viserys, still alive, who is in willful ignorance. Alicent's sons train with Rhaenyra's sons under Criston Cole who is biased towards Alicent now. Harwin takes notice and is upset, Criston provokes him and Harwin attacks him in public. As punishment, Harwin loses his position in King's Landing. Lyonel goes to Viserys and tries to resign but he isn't allowed to do so. Lyonel asks for leave to take Harwin to Harrenhal. Alicent tells Larys what happened and expresses desire for Otto to return. Larys takes matters into his own hands and arranges for some men to create a fire in Harrenhal, killing Lyonel and Harwin. Feeling her grip on her power slipping, Rhaenyra decides to take her children to Dragonstone along with Laenor and his paramour Qarl. Meanwhile, Daemon has married Laena and they have two children. Daemon is happy to live in Pentos but Laena points out that he is unhappy. They return to Driftmark where Laena gives birth. It goes wrong and Laena takes her own life by dragon fire.
The Good: The opening scene of the episode was a magnificent way to re-introduce the characters and story after such a long time-skip. We are treated to a wonderful cinematic feat with the long-take oner as Laenor and Rhaenyra go to meet Alicent. This scene is so effective because it brilliantly introduces us to Emma D'Arcy's Rhaenyra and illustrating how she behaves while simultaneously showing us how her relationship with Laenor has evolved over the years with Laenor being a bit of an ignorant man, but he is honest in his attempted support at the least. Furthermore, we get a good introduction to the change within Alicent without even meeting her. Her demand to see Rhaenyra's baby immediately tells us that Alicent has embraced her ruthless side, and that much is confirmed when we finally get to meet her and see how she has changed. Seeing how these characters have evolved in the most enjoyable aspect of this episode. Rhaenyra is surprisingly quite similar to before despite becoming a mother. She maintains that same strong-willed fiery personality as she makes increasingly poor decisions out of lust. Namely, she and Laenor both decide not to force having sex with each other, and Rhaenyra ends up bearing Harwin's children, a decision that really hurts her in this episode. We also get to see a new version of Alicent, and I think that the timeskip worked best with her. Alicent was beginning to go through a transformation in the previous episode, and when we catch up with her now, she has become a ruthless politician just like her father. It's a natural development which feels earned and logical. Laenor is another character who aged up well. We didn't know him too well before, but this episode takes what we knew of him and shows how those traits have amplified. Laenor is a glory-seeking, vain, individual who indulges in the finer acts of life (hooking up with other men). He's still likeable, primarily because he is quite funny, but he is a product of a society that glorifies the roles of men. While Rhaenyra fights the political battle for her future, Laenor is out drinking and dreaming of going out to a glory-filled war, just like what he did when he was younger. I like this added depth to the character, it makes him feel more real. Some characters change without having to change actors, and these changes feel more natural since the character feels the same. Viserys is one such example. He looks horrible physically, like he's barely clinging on to life, and his characterization furthers that idea. Viserys used to have some fire to him when he was younger, but now he comes off as increasingly passive. He no longer troubles himself with whatever chaos Rhaenyra is causing, and he delights in the simplicity of peace, such as when Rhaenyra makes a proposition to Alicent. As he has aged and his health has worsened, Viserys has gained a newfound appreciation of peace. Daemon is a character who returns in a very surprising position. Following the last episode, he has kept quiet for 10 years, married a woman he loves, and started a family in Pentos. This was totally unexpected but it works pretty well. Daemon managed to find a satisfying new adventure through Laena, and it has kept him busy, unlocking a new part of Daemon. The time has come for the rogue Daemon to move on to something new, but newfound love for his family is holding Daemon back, and he bristles when Laena suggests that they return to Westeros, wanting to continue his current life. Though that quickly becomes impossible when Laena dies in childbirth, and it appears that the door has opened for Daemon's return. I like the idea of this story a lot, and it almost works very well. Larys is the star of this episode for sure. He went from a forgettable background character to a terrifying psychopath over the course of this episode. Larys seems innocuous and unthreatening because of his demeanor, but he proves that he is the terrifying Littlefinger-esque politician that is here to cause chaos to further his own agenda. Larys' decision to murder his own family based off of a mild suggestion from Alicent that she wants her father back was horrifying, and my reaction was the same as Alicent's when I realized what Larys was doing. The ending speech is superb, and Larys' utter lack of emotion is genuinely terrifying and gripping to watch. Also terrifying is the scene where Larys recruits some prisoners, cutting out their tongues so that they can't tell anyone who sent them. This is uncomfortable to watch, but it further establishes the psychotic extent that Larys goes to in order to further his agenda. The Bad: If you've read enough of my reviews, you know that I am not a fan of time skips, and this one caused a lot of issues for the story. It is jarring to continue the story with new actors coming in. While they do a good job, there is a certain suspension of disbelief that is always present when dealing with these new actors who are clearly not the grown up versions of the characters we knew. But this is not the biggest issue. The biggest issue is that the time skip has ruined the emotional impact for much of this episode. Three major characters die by the end of this episode, and none of their deaths hits hard because these characters' stories were rushed and all of the characters felt undercooked by the time of their death. It felt like there was much more we should have learned about these characters to make us care about them, and the show did not succeed at making these deaths feel impactful. Laena's death is the biggest offender of this. We hardly knew who Laena was until this episode, making it impossible to care when she died. But even worse is that her relationship with Daemon had zero development before her death. They briefly flirted last episode, but that is not enough to convince me that these two would be married in 10 years, exploring the world together. We don't get even a hint of why these two hooked up, and how it affected both of them. Laena brings up that she was a second choice for Daemon, and I wish that we got to see Daemon make this choice, giving more context to their relationship. Since we don't get that context, it is hard to feel for Daemon when Laena dies since we hardly know how they feel about each other. I wish that we had more time to spend with these two characters together. Harwin was similarly disappointing, and I was left underwhelmed by his character arc. He was a non-factor in the story up until this episode, and now we suddenly find out that he's in a relationship with Rhaenyra and is happy to be the father of her children. This comes right out of nowhere, and it was jarring to me. Looking back, we see hints of this relationship in previous episodes, but hints are not enough to justify this development and make me care. It's frustrating that this episode tries to make me care about Harwin being a caring father to make his death feel more painful when the character has not been built up or developed at all. It's a damn shame because there is a really good scene between Lyonel and Harwin in this episode that makes me wish that Harwin was a fully realized character so that this story could have more meaning. It should have been absolutely tragic when Harwin and Lyonel die in Harrenhal, but I felt nothing because the story was undercooked, just like Laena's. Much of these problems that I've outlined above could have been rectified if this episode had been split into two separate episodes. The stories felt rushed, and had the show taken the time to develop the storylines and characters in more depth, the plot beats would have landed much better. This makes me wish that this first season had received 13 episodes instead of just ten, so that it could have further developed some of the storylines that were raced through. I've expressed how I wished that certain characters and storylines were given more time (Criston, Crabfeeder, etc.), and extending the season would have fixed this. It's a shame that this show wasn't quite given the time it needed to breathe. The Unknown: Who will be the next Hand of the King? Will Otto return? Viserys has aged significantly, so it is realistic that he may opt for the familiarity of Otto instead of appointing a new face as Hand. What will happen with Rhaenyra returning to Dragonstone? Does she have a plan to keep hold of her power? Will Daemon return to Westeros now? How will his return be handled? What will become of his children with Laena dead? Daemon doesn't strike me as the type to settle down as a father with his wife out of the picture. What are Larys' intentions and motives? He just killed his own family on a whim. What is he trying to accomplish? Will Rhaenyra be able to maintain her narrative about her children? If she can't, then will Alicent's children be able to ascend to the throne? It should be very interesting to see who succeeds Viserys. Best Moment: The magnificent oner early in the episode was quite the spectacle to open with, re-introducing us to these characters perfectly. Character of the Episode: Larys. Conclusion: Easily the weakest and most disappointing episode so far. The massive time jump and a rushed narrative hurt the story badly and could very well cause significant narrative issues down the line. Despite all that is done well, these major problems cause this to be a weak episode. Score: 55 Summary: Daemon returns to the Vale and kills Rhea, framing it as an accident. Otto leaves King's Landing and tells Alicent that she has to stop Rhaenyra from going on the throne to protect her children. Viserys goes to High Tide where he proposes a wedding between Rhaenyra and Laenor to Corlys and Rhaenys, who accept. Rhaenyra meets with Laenor and they agree to do their duty but continue their own side relationships. Laenor is gay and involved with Joffrey, a knight. Criston proposes that Rhaenyra run away with him but she refuses, wanting things to continue as normal. Alicent learns from Larys that Rhaenyra had moon tea and she asks a conflicted Criston about it. Criston admits to having sex with Rhaenyra, surprising Alicent. The Velaryons arrive in King's Landing for the seven day wedding. Daemon is there too. Alicent arrives late dressed in green. Joffrey uncovers that Criston is Rhaenyra's lover and tries to make a peaceful arrangement with him. Criston snaps and murders Joffrey, causing chaos. The wedding is done on the spot that day. Viserys collapses afterwards.
The Good: This was a thoroughly entertaining hour of television with a focused narrative. This entire episode centered around the marriage between Rhaenyra and Laenor, and the episode's story hinged around this development. The first half featured a lot of fun politicking as Viserys goes to visit Corlys to propose this marriage, and the episode heavily teases that Corlys might refuse. Corlys is really great in this section of the episode, as he plays up his wounded pride, taking pleasure in the fact that Viserys has no choice but to all-but beg Corlys to accept this proposal. Viserys is understanding of the games he has to play, and it's fun to see how he handles the prideful Corlys, who falls just barely short of arrogance in his interactions. On the other hand, we have Rhaenyra and Laenor who are amicable in their interactions, and surprisingly they understand each other really well. Both are already engaged in other romances, and so they make a sensible agreement to wed each other and paint an image for the world, but continue their romance on the side. I like seeing these detail-oriented conversations in this show, as they enrich character dynamics and make the story feel more realistic. All of these negotiations culminate in the episode's climax as the realm comes together to celebrate a seven day long royal wedding. Now seeing that this is a "Game of Thrones" TV show, a wedding is not nearly as fun and exciting as one might expect. Instead, the climax of this episode is packed with dread and suspense. We know that weddings can be the kiss of death in this show, and the stakes have been raised because every character is present at this wedding. All of the major players have gathered to celebrate this union, and you get the sense that something is going to go wrong. The scenes are dripping with tension, with every conversation capturing your imagination, making you wonder what is going to go wrong. Will Daemon do something reckless? Will he hook up with Rhaenyra in the middle of this wedding? Will Joffrey's conversation with Criston go wrong? Will Alicent make a unexpected, bold move? This sequence captures our imagination through these possibilities, and the direction brilliantly escalates the tension with how the episode is shot, with the relentless background noise only adding to the anxiety. Then, when all hell finally breaks loose, it is earned and it is terrifying as we try to figure out what has caused the panic, culminating in a horrific scene as Criston bludgeons Laenor's lover to death at his own wedding. Criston is a key character in this episode, and thankfully he is written quite well. He is the perfect definition of a gray character. Here is someone who you can easily sympathize with, and yet also condemn for the awful things that he has done. It's easy to relate with this poor guy as he gives in to temptation to have sex with Rhaenyra, and he is guilt-ridden as a response, having stained the honour of his white cloak, the one thing that he has accomplished in his life. His guilt and pain is understandable, and it's quite sad to see him so willingly accept death as a consequence for what he has done. I feel sad for him that his attempt to find success in King's Landing has gone so badly. And yet, I also despise Criston for the things he has done. He gave into temptation with Rhaenyra, but he could always have said no to her, avoiding this problem entirely. I sympathize with him, but his problem is one of his own making. And there is no excusing the fact that he murdered poor Joffrey for absolutely no reason, just to let out some emotion. That was an awful thing to do, and no amount of heartbreak that he may have experienced makes it acceptable. Alicent is another key character, and she is given some fantastic stuff in this episode. Her conversation with Otto was a tremendous way to start the episode. I've been hard on Otto as I've found him to be an insufferable manipulator who is working solely for his own gain. And yet I totally understood where he was coming from when he tried to make it clear to Alicent why he was so persistent about Rhaenyra not being the heir. He genuinely believes that he is doing it for the good of the realm, and has to give Alicent a reality check, letting her know that if she doesn't move against Rhaenyra, it will mean the death of her children. The acting from both Rhys Ifans and Emily Carey in this scene is terrific, and elevates it to the next level. Alicent takes this revelation deeply and we see how it affects her in the rest of the episode. Following the realization from Larys that Rhaenyra had lied to her and betrayed her trust, Alicen takes matters into her own hands. She gets the unexpected truth out of Criston in another excellent scene, and when she reappears after that, she is dressed in green for the first time in the series, declaring that the character has transformed and is no out for self-preservation. Now that she's all alone in King's Landing, it's time that Alicent starts looking out for herself. This character transformation was beautifully realized, and the full emotional impact of Alicent's choices landed. The other characters all remain interesting in this episode. Before arriving at the wedding, Daemon has a fantastic opening scene when he murders his wife. Daemon is so fascinating to watch because of his unpredictability. We don't know if this murder was pre-planned or if it was opportunistic, so it is engaging to see what Daemon does to poor Rhea when they finally meet again. Rhea's role in the show was brief, but meeting her does give us more depth on her relationship with Daemon. She's actually quite good looking, suggesting to us that the only issue Daemon had with her as his wife may have just been because she was not powerful enough to satiate Daemon's ambition. Rhea did not seem like such a bad person, and it looks like it was Daemon who was the problem in this relationship. Joffrey's stay in the show was also short-lived, but he was given a decent amount of character and personality. His attempted deal with Criston is a reasonable move, and he would have had no way of knowing that Criston would have snapped because of this. Larys is an intriguing character. His motives remain mysterious (see: The Unknown), but I enjoyed his monologue to Alicent. The character is the closest this show has to the manipulations of Varys and Littlefinger, and I'm excited to see more of him. Lyonel continues to be great as he offers Viserys an unbiased opinion. I wonder if Lyonel's loyalty will last, or if the power will inevitably corrupt him as well. The Bad: Criston's arc is very well written and well acted, but it feels rushed. There is so much to what this character goes through, but it is lacking in emotional significance because it all happens so quickly. We hardly get to know who Criston is in previous episodes, so we don't fully understand how traumatized he will be about the stain on his honour until his outburst in this episode. If we had a better understanding of who Criston was going into this episode, then this would not be an issue. The show needed to spend more time building up this character before having his entire world fall apart in the way that it did so that it would have an emotional impact. A result of the show skipping over introducing us to Criston is that this entire arc feels rushed. It is still well-written, but it is done too quickly, and that has sapped away the emotional impact of his despair. Criston murdering Joffrey openly in the middle of a wedding is very problematic. I'm not saying that Criston can't get away with this; he definitely can. He is a Kingsguard, which gives him a lot of authority, and I'm certain that if Alicent chooses to help him, she can use her power to come up with a reasonable excuse (Joffrey attacked him maybe) to protect Criston. This is not the issue I have with this scene. The issue is that this moment feels frustrating because it is the third scene in this show in just five episodes where we have seen murder occur in a public location with seemingly no consequences. If this was one incident in isolation, that's forgivable, but with this being the third incident, it continues to make Westeros feel like a place where murder has no consequences, which is completely untrue. This world has a legal system, so murders can't just happen in public locations without consequence to the murderers! The Blackwood boy in the previous episode should have faced major consequences, and Criston should in this episode as well. Furthermore, I suspect that we will not get to see or hear about how Criston gets out of being responsible for this death. Considering that next episode has an enormous time-skip, it looks like we are glossing over this detail. So nothing can be done to prevent this incident from continuing to make it seem like murder has no consequence in this world. The exchange between Harwin and Larys about Alicent wearing green is the one example of bad dialogue in this episode. I see why it was done, but I don't think that it was necessary to explain the significance of the colour. Astute viewers and book-readers will figure it out, and those who don't will understand from the tone of the scene. The Unknown: Did Daemon return to The Vale with the intent to murder Rhea? Or did he just cash in on a golden opportunity? Is he actually going to inherit Runestone? What's his next move? Pursue Rhaenyra further? Or will his flirtation with Laena become something more? What's in Rhaenyra and Criston's future? Will they continue to see each other or has that bridge been burned? What is Alicent going to say to Criston? I don't imagine that she is going to let him die. Will she use her power as Queen to absolve Criston of the crime he committed at the wedding? Will she try to turn him against Rhaenyra? Larys is a curious character. He seemingly intentionally drove a wedge between Rhaenyra and Alicent. Why? Who is he working for? Or did he do this off of his own volition? Does he have a plan for the future? What is his end goal? Is he working for his father Lyonel? Lyonel seemed honest and reasonable, but perhaps he has machinations in play now. What will Rhaenyra and Laenor's relationship be like? Will Laenor hold a grudge against her because of Joffrey's death? Did Viserys die at the end of the episode? I don't think he did, but it's possible. He has become badly sick. Does he have an illness? Or is somebody at court worsening his condition to get him to die soon? Perhaps Mellos? Best Moment: As tense as the wedding was, my favourite scene had to be Viserys reflecting on if he has been a good king. It's so sad to see the man agonizing on how his mettle was never tested in the same way it was for his predecessors; completely oblivious to the fact that he is being tested, just in a different way. It's so easy to feel bad for Viserys, who fails to understand that he is letting his legacy slip through his failure at handling the political aspect of the realm. Character of the Episode: Alicent. Conclusion: Another very good episode that continues to explore the deeply layered characters and their relationships with one another, with a tense wedding climax elevating this further. There are some problems, particularly surrounding Criston, which prevent this from being the next-level experience that it could have been. But overall, I enjoyed this a lot and this was the most memorable hour of the show so far. Score: 69 Summary: Rhaenyra cuts short her tour of Westeros to find a suitor, upsetting Viserys. Daemon returns to King's Landing and is forgiven by Viserys. Alicent and Rhaenyra begin to reconnect. That night, Daemon sneaks Rhaenyra out of the Red Keep and they have a good time in the streets. Daemon takes her to a pleasure house and he starts to kiss her. Rhaenyra gets into it but Daemon pulls away and leaves. Rhaenyrs goes back, upset, and has sex with Criston instead. The next morning, Otto's spies report to him that Daemon and Rhaenyra were together and he tells Viserys that they had sex. Viserys is furious at the allegations. Alicent overhears and confronts Rhaenyra who denies it. Viserys confronts Daemon and banishes him again. Viserys scolds Rhaenyra and tells her that he is forcing her to wed Laenor. Rhaenyra agrees on the condition that Otto is removed as Hand. Viserys, no longer trusting Otto's judgement, agrees and strips Otto of his position.
The Good: What I'm enjoying the most about this show is how varied all of the characters are. There are no traditional good or bad characters in this series, and viewers will be finding different characters to sympathize with. Some, like myself, will really connect with Viserys and his plight, while others will despise him for his weakness as king. Some will love Rhaenyra and find her relatable, while others will think she is bratty and too immature to be a good ruler. Some will love Daemon for being an entertaining rogue, while others will despise him for causing so many problems whenever he is around. Every single character in this series has upsides and downsides, and it is up to the viewer to decide who they want to support in the story. It's impressive that this show has managed to create interesting, compelling characters without allowing any single character to feel like the true protagonist of this story. This makes the show feel wholly unique, and it's going to be exciting when the conflict finally breaks out to see who we end up siding with. The stories in this episode are excellent and many relationships are given thorough explorations. Rhaenyra gets the most screentime here and she is excellent. Milly Alcock has been brilliant so far and I am going to miss her when she is replaced by an older actress. Rhaenyra has great scenes with every character in this episode. Her relationship with Viserys remains strained, and for every step forwards there are multiple steps back. The two of them worked out a deal in the previous episode, and yet Rhaenyra's inability to fit in with the expected role of women in the realm continues to be a thorn in Viserys' side. We don't ever see him explicitly scold Rhaenyra, but pointed remarks and looks make it crystal clear how angry Viserys is that Rhaenyra is still not finding a husband, even after he organized an entire tour for her. But Rhaenyra isn't wholly unsympathetic here. We see that she has a desperate urge for freedom and control in her life, and it frustrated when she realizes that she can't find it. That quality is relatable and it ensures that we still connect to Rhaenyra in spite of everything she does. Rhaenyra's relationship with Alicent is given more time in this episode as well. We haven't seen enough of these two since Alicent's marriage to Viserys, so I'm glad that we have a better idea of their relationship now. They are awkward around each other, but they still have a connection there, a connection that emerges again in a nice scene where Alicent opts to console Rhaenyra when everyone else ignores her. We see them finally starting to reconnect until it all goes wrong when Rhaenyra's actions go a step too far against Alicent's personal morality. Where Rhaenyra challenges the system, Alicent accepts the way things are and bears the consequences. This opposition forms a very natural conflict between them which occurs in this episode when Alicent hears the salacious rumour that Rhaenyra had sex with Daemon. Daemon is quite the loose cannon in this show. Early on it seemed that he was a misunderstood rogue, but this episode shows us that he's every bit as depraved, power-hungry and desperate for attention as he had initially seemed. After Viserys forgives Daemon following his return to King's Landing, Daemon wastes no time in trying to win over Rhaenyra to elevate his position and secure a new marriage. It's shockingly depraved for Daemon to do this, and he even throws the idea of marriage right at a fuming Viserys to make things worse. Matt Smith has done a magnificent job painting the charismatic awfulness of this character, and he is always gripping when he is on screen. From Daemon's creepy and uncomfortable seduction of Rhaenyra, to his blunt anatagonism of Viserys, the character elevates the show and is a genuine hook whenever he appears. Viserys has a good episode again, and he continues to be the most fascinating character on this show. We see him continuing to drink and run away from his problems, further proving that this man is not a good king. But at the same time, he manages to show a real fire for protecting his family. He shows genuine love in reconnecting with Daemon, making it that much more brutal when he realizes that Daemon betrayed him and was after Rhaenyra all along. Furthermore, Viserys has several fantastic scenes when he realizes how duplicitous Otto really is. Now that time has passed, Viserys has a full picture of how Otto has profited from being Hand of the King, so when Otto has a convenient gossip to discredit Rhaenyra, Viserys is wisened to his tricks. Seeing Viserys viciously tear down Otto for following Rhaenyra for his own selfish motives is superb, a great scene that lets us know how Otto has overstepped his bounds. And the scene is followed up with another cracker as Viserys gives Otto a final dressing down, telling him exactly why he can't be Hand of the King anymore before removing him from the position. Paddy Considine is amazing in both of these scenes, and it is so satisfying to see Otto's scheming finally backfire and he faces some very big consequences. Lastly, I want to talk about Criston Cole. Criston is given the unfortunate role of being Rhaenyra's second choice after Daemon spurns her. He tries to resist, but it's clear that he does have feelings for her and he eventually gives in to having sex with her. It's sad to see because this is clearly genuine for Criston, who had to break his vows to be with Rhaenyra, whereas Rhaenyra likely just sees the night with Criston as a bit of fun. Despite his poor choices, it's again easy to sympathize with Criston because his decisions are relatable. The Bad: I'm not a fan of how this episode handled Corlys. Corlys hasn't done much since allying with Daemon, and it feels like the character has been underserved significantly. This episode delegates him to being discussed at small council meetings, with his actions and decisions being treated as exposition. I'm not a fan of this, considering how important the character has been up until now. Surely we deserve to spend more time with the Velaryons than this. Some relationships in this show aren't quite as well fleshed out as they should be. For example, Rhaenyra and Criston's relationship could have used a lot more depth to build up to the moment of them having sex. It would have been nice to see what exactly Criston sees in her, and how Rhaenyra feels about him. We don't have much to go off of, and while it is fun to speculate, I feel that this relationship needed more clarity for their hook-up to be more impactful. The same goes with Rhaenyra and Daemon's relationship. Outside of the obvious chemistry between them, we don't know much about their relationship. I also wish that we spent more time with Alicent and Viserys. Alicent has a good scene where we see her dutifully having uncomfortable sex with Viserys, but I find myself craving for more insight on this relationship. It would be great to understand more about how Alicent feels about her current situation and if she regrets listening to Otto when he told her to visit Viserys the night his wife died. The show has got the broad strokes right, but some of these little relationship details haven't been nailed down just yet. While I was happy to see the famous Blackwood/Bracken rivalry on screen, it is absolutely ridiculous that a brutal fight and killing would ever happen in a major castle like Storm's End like this. Furthermore, it seems that there were no consequences for Willem murdering Jerrel and that's pretty shocking. Westeros can't possibly be this lawless, or we would be seeing much more murder than what we currently are. I feel similarly about this violence as I do to the deaths in the tourney from the first episode. The Unknown: Why did Daemon try to have sex with Rhaenyra? Was it to get back at Viserys, to attract more attention to himself, or because he genuinely does want to marry her? I'm can believe all of these reasons. Why did he leave her? Is it because he realized that what he was doing is wrong? Or could it have something to do with arousal issues, calling back to the first episode? How will Otto's demotion affect him? Will he return to King's Landing again? Who is going to replace it? Will it be Lyonel Strong? Will Rhaenyra drink the moon tea? Will this accelerate rumours that she slept with Daemon? Is the tea only for Viserys to uncover if she actually did it or not? Will there be consequences if she drinks the tea? Is Mysaria the White Worm? Was she working for Otto all along? Or did she recently ally with him once Daemon left her to fight in the Stepstones? Did Viserys imply that he suspects that Otto or is family played a role in Baelon's death? Is that true? Has Otto always been motivated by selfish interests? Or did he become corrupt over time? Best Moment: There were lots of excellent moments in this episode. I'll go with the immensely satisfying moment of Viserys stripping Otto of his position. It was great to see Otto finally get what he deserves, and yet Viserys still makes sure to honour the many great things that Otto accomplished as Hand of the King. A well-written, well-acted scene that perfectly encapsulates the greyness within the characters. Character of the Episode: Rhaenyra. Conclusion: A very good character-centric episode that deepened the characters and story through some well-written drama that makes excellent use of the established characters and their relationships with each other. The strongest episode so far. Score: 67 Summary: Three years have passed. Viserys is at a hunt for his son Aegon's second name day. He is having more strife with Rhaenyra, who storms out after arguing Viserys over her marriage. Criston follows her and they go into the woods where Rhaenyra lets out her frustrations. She is attacked by a boar but Criston saves her and she kills the boar. Viserys is heckled by Jason Lannister and Otto over Rhaenyra's marriage options. Lyonel gives the most reasonable option of marrying her to Laenor. Viserys is conflicted between backing Rhaenyra or naming Aegon as his heir. In the end, Viserys and Rhaenyra have a heart to heart and he allows her to choose her groom and tells her that he intends to back her as heir. Otto tells Alicent that they need to make Aegon the heir over Rhaenyra. After speaking with Alicent, Viserys decides to send help to Daemon in the Stepstones. Daemon and Corlys are fighting a losing war. Daemon reads that Viserys is sending help and is furious. He makes a bold move to be bait to get the Crabfeeder and his men out of their caves. Corlys' men ambush them and Daemon kills the Crabfeeder.
The Good: Viserys was again the star of this episode. His plight is shown to us thoroughly and effectively, and it's easy for us to sympathize with the struggles he has to put up with in his life. He is the King, but boy does he have problems. He's lost the love of his life, his daughter is in her teenage phase, he is uncertain about who his heir should be, and he's constantly being badgered by everyone because of the power he has. Much like "Game of Thrones", this show does a splendid job of showing how hard it is to be King and that the position isn't as comfortable as you might imagine. Viserys' frustrations throughout the episode are palpable as he has to listen to everyone around him blather on while trying to arrange marriages. Jason Lannister is snobby and arrogant, and it is very satisfying to hear Viserys dress him down for his proposal and firmly establish that he will not heed any discussion of naming a new heir. And after that frustrating encounter, he has to deal with the slimy Otto Hightower subtly trying to get his grandson on the throne, which Viserys sees through despite how calmly and logically Otto tries to act with Viserys. Viserys' frustrations build and build, and we can see him drinking more and more wine to run away from all of these problems. The show did a magnificent job of showing us how endlessly frustrating it is to be King, and it's easy to sympathize with Viserys, even when he does make mistakes. Paddy Considine has been terrific, and Viserys has felt so purely human throughout his reign. Rhaenyra also has a good episode. She has been an easy character to connect to, and that remains true here as she goes through a bit of an angsty phase, angry at the whole world and everyone in it. But unlike most series which turn this into useless melodrama, "House of the Dragon" does a nice job of showcasing Rhaenyra's struggles and relationships through her conflict. We learn that she has remained cold and distant from both Viserys and Alicent over the last three years, and it's easy to understand why. The conflict from the previous episode between Viserys and Rhaenyra remains here. Viserys tries to get through to her and doesn't know how, while Rhaenyra is so disgusted with him that she refuses to open up at all. Rhaenyra is too frustrated to ever open up to him currently. Following her talk with Rhaenys, it seems that Rhaenyra has internalized that she will never hold power, and realizes that Aegon will be heir, she will be sold off to some snobby rich guy, and she can't do anything about it. But of course she is wrong. She's misjudged her father, and as Criston reminds her, she is never going to be entirely toothless. She had the power to bring Criston into the kingsguard, so she is clearly being over-dramatic with how powerless she is in this world. Rhaenyra eventually gets out of her own head and finally has that honest conversation with Viserys at the episode's end where the two of them finally seem to understand each other. Viserys allows Rhaenyra control over her own life, and Rhaenyra accepts that Viserys is backing her to be his successor. It's a sweet moment that may finally resolve the issues between them that have resonated through this season, at least for now. Some other character relationships get a nice exploration. Rhaenyra and Criston seem to have developed a friendship since Criston is her protector. He seems to be an outlet for her to let out her frustrations. Lyonel Strong continues to be one of the most reasonably sound people at court. He once again gives Viserys good advice, free some selfish motivations, and it will be interesting to see if Viserys heeds it this time. The Stepstones story had many problems (see: The Bad), but it had its fun moments. The visuals were spectacular as ever, and it was a lot of fun watching Daemon seek his glory. His reaction to Viserys' message was terrific, and fits his motivations for starting this war. Daemon is here for personal glory and to prove himself, so accepting help from his brother defeats the entire purpose of his war. The Bad: The timeskips are disrupting the flow of the story quite significantly. We needed to see the aftermath of Viserys' decision to marry Alicent and how it affected Rhaenyra, but the story had to jump forward three years for this episode. What results is some awkwardness because the episode has to show us Rhaenyra's distaste for this decision three years after the betrothal has happened, making us wonder why she is holding a grudge for three years. It's also awkward that Viserys and Rhaenyra seemingly never tried to work things out with each other for three whole years, which is a very long time considering that they would have always been together. It's hard to believe that these frustrations would have been boiling for so long without any conflict. Furthermore, we miss out on the development of character relationships, and that makes us feel disconnected from the characters and their stories. The timeskip problem extends to the Stepstones too. This war has been going on for years and we never know what exactly has happened. Since much of the war is glossed over, it's hard to understand what the situation is and why we should care. Apparently the Triarchy are cornered on Bloodstone, and yet we are told that they are apparently winning. How? Why? We don't get fully fleshed out answers to these questions, and it makes the War in the Stepstones feel more like a plot device rather than an actual event occurring in this world. Further, it would have been exciting to see how Daemon and Corlys evolved throughout this war, and the decisions that they made in charge. We are told that Daemon is the figurehead of this war, and I would have liked to see why he commands such respect from his armies. I feel that this war had a lot of storytelling potential which got glossed over due to the timeskip. Another issue is that this entire war feels like filler. The Crabfeeder was built up so much only to be killed unceremoniously after doing nothing of note. I was very disappointed with how ultimately useless this character was and I wish that we got to see more from him. Furthermore, this entire plot ended up feeling like an unnecessary distraction, just to give Daemon something to do. I suspect that this entire story will feel frivolous when we look back at it, a waste of time that is only there to provide an action spectacle when we could have spent more time on the fascinating political drama. The battle itself was ridiculous. Daemon not getting hit by all of those arrows is absurd, and frankly there's no way that he should have survived this scenario. It ruins any chance of making this feel like a gritty and realistic war, making it blatantly clear that this just is a silly Hollywood production. Furthermore, the plan is ridiculous. Would the Triarchy really not have any scouts to watch for the approach of Corlys? The ambush should never have worked to begin with. Additionally, why did everybody come out to meet Daemon? Surely they should have stayed inside the caves and sent only a handful of men to take care of Daemon. The logistics of this battle are questionable at best, and we're not given enough context to appreciate the strategy in place. This universe continues to be overwhelming to newcomers because of how poorly it introduces characters. We are introduced to Laenor in this episode with no inkling of who he is. We hear his name mentioned earlier, but we are not given a face to match the name. Then he seemingly inexplicably shows up in the Stepstones with a dragon that we are never told that he has. This would likely be extremely confusing to new fans, and the show should have done a better job of introducing Laenor to correct this. The Stepstones story in general needed to be given more time for it to have any impact. The Unknown: Will Viserys stand by Rhaenyra completely? He has wavered in his decision at points, and I wonder if he will ultimately change his mind. Will Alicent support Aegon over Rhaenyra? Or will choose to back her childhood friend over her self-centered, ambitious father? Is the War of the Stepstones over? Did Daemon just win the war? How will this affect his relationship with Viserys? Who will Rhaenyra choose to marry? Will Viserys try to get her to marry Laenor following Lyonel's advice? Best Moment: Viserys getting frustrated after man after man seek him out to further their own ambitions. Character of the Episode: Viserys. Conclusion: Another solid episode of story progression that was hurt by some major issues in the Stepstones storyline. I enjoyed most of this episode, but I can't help but feel disappointed with certain aspects of this show. Score: 58 Summary: 6 months have passed. Corlys again brings up the issue of the Crabfeeder but Viserys doesn't want to take action. Rhaenyra is sent to pick a new Kingsguard member and she picks Criston. Alicent continues to meet with Viserys. Viserys meets with Corlys and Rhaenys and considers their proposal for him to wed Laena. It's a good match but she is very young. Word arrives that Daemon has stolen a dragon egg and is intending to wed Mysaria on Dragonstone. Otto is dispatched to stop him, and Rhaenyra comes along anyways. Rhaenyra gets back the egg without bloodshed. Viserys is surprised when she returns, but they end up finally opening up to each other. Viserys tells her that he intends to wed. At the next small council meeting, Viserys reveals he intends to wed Alicent. Corlys storms off and returns to Driftmark where he meets with Daemon to form an alliance.
The Good: A lot of the developments here were entertaining to watch. The main plot of this episode centred around Viserys' impending decision to take on a new wife. Through this story, we got a bit of a battle between background characters as both Otto and Corlys attempted to play the game to get Viserys to pick their respective daughters. Viserys may feel like he has agency, but it's abundantly clear after this episode that Daemon was right and that he's simply being manipulated by those around him. Corlys is the more honourable and straight-forward man, openly telling Viserys what he wants and why Viserys should care. Corlys creates the strongest argument for Viserys to wed Laena, and the episode makes it clear that this is the best move politically for Viserys. But the only issue is that Laena is 12, and seeing Viserys interact with her was suitably icky. It's easy to see why Viserys would be against this idea, and Otto is cunning enough to take advantage of this. He's smart enough to not directly ask Viserys to marry Alicent instead, but he continues to force his daughter onto Viserys, so when Viserys is uncomfortable with Laena's age, he will have a much older option directly in front of him who he has developed a good connection with. Otto's plotting is clever, and he outdoes Corlys to make the Hightowers the most direct ally to the throne. Otto is extremely detestable with his subtle manipulations, and you can't help but feel for Corlys who hasn't done anything wrong but has now been spurned from the throne two successive times (first with Rhaenys and now with Laena). It's no surprise that he's had enough and decided to ally with Daemon. The king spurns him and refuses to address the pirates that are attacking his fleet, so why should Corlys remain loyal? Viserys' decision to wed Alicent is already having dangerous consequences. Speaking of Daemon, he plays a surprisingly small role in the episode, but he continues to steal the show. Matt Smith is so good at portraying this ruthless rogue and he brings a level of humanity to Daemon through his obvious love for his family. The dragon egg confrontation is an excellent scene that is dripping with suspense since we don't know what's going to happen. Otto is certainly looking for any excuse to take Daemon out of commission, while Daemon is exactly the kind of guy to escalate this situation unnecessarily. Plus, he has a dragon. Right when things look to be heating up, Rhaenyra arrives and we get to see more of how she handles problems as she comes up to Daemon with a resolve to end things without any bloodshed. She is very impressive in this scene, carrying herself with confidence and being observant enough to realize that Daemon is lying about the whole situation. We would expect Daemon to be brash enough to re-marry, but it becomes clear that this entire situation was nothing more than an attempt to get some attention. Daemon has no intention to wed Mysaria, since she has no idea about any of this, and furthermore, she's not even pregnant! This was a surprising twist, but it makes sense and humanizes Daemon a bit more. It also makes Rhaenyra look good since she's the only one who recognizes Daemon's little stunt for what it is and she takes care of it in a mature way. Rhaenyra has a really good episode overall. I had voiced my concerns about how the show didn't do a great job of connecting us with the character in the last episode, but that is rectified here. We get a much better idea of Rhaenyra's plight by getting lots of scenes with her. We can see her frustrations when she is ignored at court, we can see her pain when she breaks down in the Sept while trying to make peace with all of her troubles, and we see her determination and persistence when she talks back to Rhaenys and goes to resolve the Daemon problem. This episode does a terrific job of characterizing her further, making us understand her motives and fears, and the scenes with her are all quite good. Corlys allying with Daemon is a strong ending to the episode. This is likely a big moment of alliances shifting that will have huge repercussions on the upcoming conflict. I'm interested to see where the Crabfeeder story will go. We don't get to meet him directly, but the brief, horrifying scenes of what he has been up to are effective in making this guy feel like an interesting, exciting threat. It was nice to learn a bit more about Lyonel Strong. The previous episode saw him get cut off by Otto, but here we get to see that he has a good head on his shoulders. He's a pragmatic man who isn't afraid to offer up his opinion, and he (so far) doesn't seem to be playing the game of thrones for his own gain. The production remains a treat to experience. Caraxes and Syrax looked and sounded fantastic in this episode, and their presence elevated the Dragonstone stand-off further. I also adored that establishing shot of Dragonstone, with the fog adding so much more atmosphere and mystique to this ancient location. The Bad: I thought that the relationship between Viserys and Rhaenyra wasn't handled very well in this episode. A lot of their dialogue with each other felt clunky. At the start of the episode, it was intentional to establish how awkwardly they feel around each other, but even when they were "opening up" to each other, the dialogue still felt so stale. It didn't feel like either was being genuine, and I was very confused that the show was trying to tell me that they were genuinely connecting in these scenes. All Viserys did was say how much he misses Aemma in a flowery way, and I'm not sure why this made Rhaenyra feel like she got to connect with her father. Especially since Rhaenyra's troubles stem from her feeling like her father isn't recognizing her talents. I think that their moment of connection could have been written far better. Why on Earth would Viserys not tell Rhaenyra that he planned on marrying Alicent? If he genuinely wanted to connect more with her, surely he would have tried to explain his plans to her instead of surprising her at the small council alongside everyone else. Viserys makes some bone-headed decisions in this episode, and while most are understandable, this one is baffling to me. I also found that Viserys' decision to marry Alicent wasn't appropriately built up. It would have been more effective if we had a better idea of their relationship and what Viserys likes about her. The show tells us that Viserys has connected with her, but we don't see enough of it for this to fully work. I get the sense that the show tried too hard to make this a surprise, and some of the storytelling depth was lost as a result. The visual effects weren't quite as pristine in this episode. I especially noticed it on the establishing shot of King's Landing, which looked notably worse compared to the last episode. The Unknown: Who exactly is the Crabfeeder? How big of a threat will he be for the Seven Kingdoms? Will Daemon and Corlys try to take him down without Viserys' approval? Will this start a war? How does Alicent feel about marrying Viserys? How will this affect her relationship with Rhaenyra? Will Rhaenyra be able to accept her best friend marrying her father? What are Daemon's current goals? Does he intend to wed Mysaria? Why? What will become of his new alliance with Corlys? Will they work together and oppose the king? Or will they simply put their powers together to fight the Crabfeeder? Best Moment: Daemon's confrontation with Otto and Rhaenyra was exciting and interesting. Character of the Episode: Rhaenyra. Conclusion: A solid episode of table-setting that pushed the plot along. I had a couple of issues with the lack of emotional storytelling, but this was fine enough. Score: 60 Summary: The Great Council of 101 sees a vote happen where Viserys is selected to be the next king over Rhaenys. 11 years later, Viserys is king during a peaceful time, and his daughter Rhaenyra rides a dragon. He has a small council meeting where everyone discusses an upcoming tourney to celebrate the birth of what will hopefully be his first son. Viserys' brother Daemon returns to the Red Keep where he meets with Rhaenyra. That night, Daemon has his Gold Cloaks maim and murder criminals to send a message. At a small council meeting the next day, Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, is furious about this, but Viserys lets it slide. At the tourney, Daemon dominates but is eventually beaten by a newcomer Criston Cole. Viserys' wife Aemma goes into labour but she and the baby die in childbirth. Viserys is stricken by this. Otto tries to suggest naming Rhaenyra as heir ahead of Daemon the next day, but Viserys won't have it. That night, Otto sends his daughter Alicent to comfort the king. Daemon celebrates with his God Cloaks at a whorehouse and makes a toast to the King's late son. Otto spins the story out of proportion to make Daemon look bad, so Viserys exiles him from King's Landing. He names Rhaenyra as his new heir and tells her of a Targaryen secret: they need to unite the realm to prepare for the end of the world. Lords gather at King's Landing to recognize Rhaenyra as the new heir.
The Good: Before I start this review, I want to mention that I have read the source material for this show, George R.R. Martin's Targaryen history book "Fire and Blood". As such, I am vastly knowledgeable in the characters and plot, and while I will not mention any spoilers in my reviews, I won't be able to accurately convey how this show will feel for someone who is dipping their toes into this era of Westerosi history for the first time. I may also have a bit of bias as a fan of the series, but I will do my best to not let that factor into my opinion of this show. With that established, let's talk about this first episode. It feels good to be back in Westeros. Rather, it feels good to be back in a Westeros where the story feels like it matters again. It's still early days, but this episode was written refreshingly well. No armies regenerate at will, no characters teleport at will, no awful dialogue slashes at the immersion, and characters are no longer behaving in ways that are at odds with what is established. After struggling through seasons 5-8 of "Game of Thrones" where the writing got gradually worse over time, it's nice to see that there is care taken to present the events of this show through carefully written interactions instead of needless dramatic spectacle. I hope that this first episode is a sign of things to come because the quality of the writing is a very encouraging sign. The production value is equally impressive, and I was wowed by every aspect of this show. Visually, this was phenomenal. Not only is there excellent CGI, but everything else is simply magnificent. This episode has a consistent use of sweeping camera shots, which help realize this fantasy world on an epic scale, similar to how "Lord of the Rings" created the spectacle of Middle-Earth. The dynamic camera throughout the episode is fantastic. Aiding this is the magnificent set design. Locations like King's Landing, the tourney grounds, and the Red Keep are brought to life with excellent physical sets that look and feel like they are a real place in Westeros. Just compare the tourney in this episode to the one from the first season of "Game of Thrones". It is so much grander in scale and feels like a much larger event, which is how a King's tourney should be. Seeing the high budget of the show spent wisely was great. Plus, it's so good to see so much love put into the world-building, which is something that "Game of Thrones" got worse at as it went along, getting too fixated on the action and surprise twists. Another aspect of production that was spectacular was the costume design. These characters look great (the wigs aren't nearly as bad as some people are making them out to be), and their outfits and armour have that extra bit of detail-oriented care put into them. Of course everyone will be asking about the dragons, and they look quite good. We meet two dragons, Syrax and Caraxes, in this episode and they look and feel very distinct from each other. The show wisely doesn't shove dragons in our face for a whole hour and chooses to focus on the story instead, and the few scenes we have with them are quite good. The characters that we are introduced to are pretty interesting. They are all immediately portrayed as grey characters, which is an ambitious approach that has its ups and downs (see: The Bad). The positive aspect is that grey characters are much more realistic and interesting, so just about every character has piqued my interest throughout this episode. The stand-out character for me was King Viserys, who was a fresh and gripping take on a King, different from what we have seen in "Game of Thrones". Paddy Considine puts in a fantastic performance, and he makes it easy to connect with this man in spite of him having so much more power than anyone else watching this episode. Viserys is portrayed as a kind-hearted, peace-loving king and a lot of the situations he is thrust into are genuinely tough moral dilemmas (allowing his wife to be cut open, choosing between Daemon and Rhaenyra). It's so easy to feel bad for the character and sympathize with the responsibility on his shoulders. However, the character is clearly portrayed as grey because, despite all of his upside, he did ultimately lead his wife to her death by forcing pregnancy after pregnancy onto her in a desperate attempt to produce a male heir. Two other stand-out characters for me were Daemon and Otto. I'll start with Daemon, who is the more exciting character so far. He is portrayed as an uncontrollable, ambitious rogue that does terrible things. At least that is our first impression of him. His first scene sees him sitting on the iron throne, immediately introducing us to his ambition, and his second scene sees him enforcing an extreme level of brutality on criminals, rounding them up and hacking off their parts in a horrifyingly violent scene. Add on his cocksure arrogance in the tourney and Daemon immediately comes off as a power-hungry villain, one who will most certainly be a problem going forwards. To contrast him we have the Hand of the King, Otto Hightower. Otto seems like a reasonable and honourable man at the start of the episode, offering his counsel to the king and opposing the loose cannon Daemon at every turn. Otto comes off as initially likeable since Daemon is the one who provokes him often, and we get a few delightful scenes as Daemon slyly jousts against Otto's son and gets the favour of his daughter. Daemon's arrogance makes it easier to relate with Otto, who at this point has not done anything to make us dislike him. One thing that this episode does really well is that it turns our initial perception of these two characters on its head as it goes on. Daemon starts off utterly despicable, but as the episode goes on, we get more dimension to him. We see that he genuinely does care about his family, evidenced by his softness with Rhaenyra, and a surprisingly melancholy toast to the King's lost son at the whorehouse. Furthermore, Daemon gives a surprisingly reasonable justification for his brutality in this episode, bringing up that he needed to ensure the protection of the nobles in the city, and bringing up that the innocents have felt that laws aren't enforced enough within the city. And as we begin to see this softer and more reasonable side of Daemon, we see a more malicious side of Otto. Later in the episode, Daemon accuses Otto of being a power-hungry, manipulative threat, and some of Otto's actions justify this. Otto obviously hates Daemon, and we see him take action against him. Daemon gets banished by Viserys in an excellent scene (see: Best Moment), and this was all Otto's doing. To turn Viserys on his brother, Otto takes a report about Daemon and completely blows it out of proportion to get Viserys to exile Daemon. A melancholy toast was interpreted to the king as a roaring celebration by Daemon, showing us Otto scheming to get what he wants. More disgustingly, Otto also sends his own daughter Alicent to "comfort" the king in his time of need. It sounds innocent enough, but the underlying intent from Otto is blatantly clear: he wants Alicent to get intimate with the king, just one day after the death of his wife. I was surprised by how my opinions on these characters changed as the episode went on. Both characters are completely correct in their negative judgement of the other, and I'm intrigued to see where this conflict goes and which side I ultimately take. I was pleased to see some quality small council scenes once again. It's fun to see the characters discussing the happenings in the realm, and we get a good idea of who these people are. Outside of Viserys, Daemon, and Otto, there are a few other characters we meet here. Corlys Velaryon is intriguing from the start. Married to "The Queen Who Never Was" Rhaenys, it's curious to see who Corlys supports in an attempt to eke out what his motives are. So far, Corlys seems to side with Daemon, and is treated as something of an outsider at the small council. Few people take his concerns seriously, and he is mocked whenever possible. Though the show hasn't revealed much about Corlys, I really like this detail since Corlys is a wealthy self-made man in a world where such a thing should not be possible. It's sensible that people don't like him and what he stands for as a result. We also meet Grand Maester Mellos, who is consistently backing Otto's views. Lastly there is Lord Beesbury and Lyonel Strong, both of whom are given few chances to speak and as such we don't get much about them. I'm interested in the characters that we have seen so far, and I want to learn more about them. It seems inevitable that at least one or two of these people will be furthering their own agendas behind the scenes. Lastly, this episode does a great job at showing us action and dramatic scenes. Hosting a tourney was smart because it gives us some engaging action through the jousting, climaxing in an engaging fight between Daemon and Criston. I really like that this action scene was edits alongside Aemma's pregnancy, calling back on her comment that giving birth is a woman's battlefield. Speaking of, Aemma's death was deeply disturbing and harrowing. The episode does not shy away from the brutality of her death, making everything wrong with Westerosi society explicitly clear to us. This deeply sad and disturbing scene in this first episode serves as a hook to promise to the viewers that this show is capable of making us feel intense emotions. The Bad: The problem with having so many grey characters is that it's entirely feasible that we don't connect with any of the characters while watching this first episode. Layered characters are fascinating, but in order for us to find the greyness fascinating, we need to invest in the characters and story first. By having everyone be so morally murky right from the onset, it's tougher to get emotionally invested. Over time we might get to a good level of emotional investment, but it's always better to get the audience invested first and reveal the layers within the characters afterwards. This episode doesn't do this, and it suffers as a result. I liked Milly Alcock's performance as Rhaenyra and found her interesting. I think that she's the most easily likeable character in the show so far since she hasn't been presented with any major character flaws. But I was vastly disappointed with how little of this episode focused on her. This is especially true with Aemma's death. We spend a good amount of time with Viserys following her death, but Rhaenyra isn't given the same amount of personal emotional connection. We get a suggestion that she harnesses some bitterness towards Viserys for pushing her mother to her death, but it's never explored or brought up again, which I thought was a shame since it was an original idea to explore. Overall, I wish that Rhaenyra was given more focus in this first episode, so that her plight could be better fleshed out and more emotionally resonant. Similar to "Game of Thrones" season 1, we are never given any rules for the tourney, which makes it shocking when some brutal events happen and nobody does anything. Surely Daemon isn't allowed to attack Gwayne Hightower's horse like that during the joust? But nobody does anything, so I suppose it is legal? We aren't given any hint of if this is legal or not, and that makes the moment more frustrating than dramatic. Furthermore, I was horrified when the tourney suddenly turned towards the violent with knights and nobles actively murdering each other in a brutal melee. This is way too over the top! How is this allowed at a tourney? Is it seriously legal to kill whoever you want? I was left so confused on the rules, and I was frustrated by the show's lack of an explanation. I suppose you can say that Daemon gets extra rope since he's the King's brother and that the violence maybe only happened since Viserys was absent. But these explanations feel half-assed, and it doesn't change the fact that the show did not make any of this clear. Viserys' big reveal on Aegon's motivations was a good surprise, and as a book reader, this is a huge reveal that has tons of implications (see: The Unknown). But in the canon of this universe, this reveal falls flat because of how bad and anticlimactic the long night ultimately was in season 8 of "Game of Thrones". Instead of being a big reveal, calling back to such a disappointing moment from "Game of Thrones" encourages a reminder of disappointment and anger. It's a shame that this first episode chose to associate itself with those emotions from the final season of "Game of Thrones". I found the opening scene to be disappointing, especially with how "Game of Thrones" started. The nuances of the Great Council of 101 as well as its implications on Westerosi law were not explored at all. This is egregious considering how monumental this event was for setting a precedent for succession. Instead, the Great Council isn't even mentioned after that opening scene, making it feel somewhat pointless. The narration was cheesy and unsubtle, which is out of character for this show. The Unknown: The reveal of Aegon's dragon dream is quite substantial. We know that Daenerys does not have this information, so when in the Targeryen lineage did this information get lost? What is the significance of the information being lost? This reveal also goes a long way towards explaining Rhaegar's strange behaviour in the books. It is well known that Rhaegar was a bookish boy until one day he decided that he has to become a warrior. It seems increasingly likely that the reason behind this change, and for his perplexing actions that kicked off Robert's Rebellion, were due to his knowledge of this prophetic dream. I'm sure Daemon will be back in King's Landing eventually, but how long will it be until he returns? Will he actually go back to The Vale, or does he have another destination in mind? Also, what are Daemon's ambitions? Does he want to take the throne for himself? What is his plan to pull this off? How about Otto? What are his ambitions? What motivates him? Is he trying to get Alicent to connect with the King? Does he want her to become a Queen? Is he as duplicitous and self-motivated as Daemon suggests? Viserys has a pretty nasty looking wound from the throne. Will this be a problem going forwards? Considering that this is a succession story, I imagine Viserys will have to die at some point for the conflict to really take off. What will be the general reaction to Rhaenyra being named heir? Will this go down well with the lords? Or will they object to there being a female heir? Will Rhaenys support Rhaenyra, or will she be bitter over being passed over only to see a different woman given the throne? Best Moment: Viserys banishing Daemon was a magnificent moment, with great performances from both. Daemon could have defended his actions better, but you get the sense that he is disappointed that Viserys let himself be manipulated by Otto. Instead, Daemon takes the chance to let out ten years of frustration on a brother who already feels betrayed and heartbroken by Daemon's lavish, uncaring actions. Both actors do brilliantly, and the scene closes in a wonderfully ominous way with Viserys cutting himself on the throne, suggesting that he has just made a big mistake. Character of the Episode: Viserys. Conclusion: This was a good first episode. The return to Westeros was done really well and I'm intrigued by the story and its characters. As a hook for the rest of the series, this episode more than did its job, and provided some quality entertainment as well. There were a couple of issues, but thankfully nothing that ruined the episode. I can safely say now that I am excited for this show. Score: 65 |
Aaron DhillonJust a university student who loves to watch TV. And analyze it way too much. Archives
March 2024
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