This episode of House of the Dragon has continued its trend of twist after twist, still making viewers go “wait, what?” after every single scene. Read this recap to figure out where the dragons have been, what on Earth Daemon is up to, and if Rhaenyra and Alicent actually CAN work things out, or if their relationship is beyond repair.
The Mill
The first scene of this episode is incredibly well done, and somehow gave me chills even though I don’t have air conditioning and it’s 80 degrees. We get a look at two groups of teenagers dressed in squire’s clothing, each representing one side of two warring houses. One of the houses’ teen representatives points a sword at another that’s been taunting him, who bravely says “you wouldn’t dare.” It then immediately cuts to the dead body of that boy, with a sword through his throat. It then slowly pans out, revealing what looks like thousands more dead, from both houses. It’s truly a SHOCKING opener.
Next we see Arryk and Erryk’s burial, ending in the line from the trailer that we’ve all been waiting for! Rhaenys says to Rhaenyra, “There is no war so hateful to the gods as a war between kin, and no war so bloody as a war between dragons.” She uses this bit of wisdom to suggest that they try to contact Alicent, and find an agreement that ends in little to no bloodshed.
Politics Again!
Next we move to the Red Keep, and peek in on a small council meeting. It’s there that we learn what happened in the episode’s first scene; the houses Blackwood and Bracken have been fighting for decades, the rivalry coming to a head when the Brackens take it upon themselves to strike down the entire house Blackwood in the name of King Aegon. With so many casualties, it’s hard to call this one a win.
During this meeting, Criston Cole decides it would be best to strike quickly, and take Harrenhal. Alicent (reasonably) tries to reason with him, explaining that they’ll be vastly outnumbered and immediately killed. Aegon takes Criston’s side and overrules Alicent’s REASONABLE suggestion… again. Maybe it’s because he’s enchanted with Criston’s new haircut. I know I’m not.
Lord Strong is Pretty Chill
In a somewhat surprising (but not altogether unexpected) turn of events, we find Daemon in Harrenhal. He stalks his way through the ruins of the once-great castle until he gets to a dining room. The occupants look up from their dinner in surprise when Daemon opens the doors, but make no move to stop him. He says, after a moment of silence, “I’m taking Harrenhal” to which the head of the table, Lord Simon Strong, replies “…apparently so.” So, Daemon has Harrenhal now. Honestly, this scene is hilarious; a well timed moment of humor in an otherwise super dark show.
Meanwhile, Alicent’s brother comes into town to ride into battle with Criston, which he does NOT like. We also see a small council meeting in Dragonstone, where Rhaenyra expresses her wishes to avoid using dragons as much as they can, as it leads to bloodshed. She says that for now, fear is their best weapon — to which one of the council members LAUGHS and disagrees. I don’t know about you, but if I’m a queen and someone laughs at me, they’re getting fired. It seems to be a theme throughout this episode (and season, really) that men think they can just laugh at and dismiss the women of power at their councils. Let’s hope Rhaenyra and Alicent put an end to that soon so I can stop screaming at my screen.
Dragon Egg Sightings
After the meeting, Rhaenyra sends Rhaena away with the young princes, begging her to protect them from the coming war and ensure they are brought up properly. Rhaena seems to resent this task, wishing she could be more than a glorified nanny, but soon changes her tune when Rhaenyra reveals a crate with four gorgeous dragon eggs in it. She wishes for Rhaena to guard and protect them, explaining that she was essentially chosen as a person of power should anything go wrong; Rhaenyra tells her, “You bear our hope for the future.” No pressure though, right?
More Questions Than Answers
Okay, the next two scenes are incredible, so brace yourself. This first one involves Daemon, and foreshadows his possible demise. We see him pacing around his room, seemingly unsettled, when his door rattles and shakes like a ghost haunting a house in a scary movie. He follows a sound down the hallway, where he sees none other than our very own Milly Alcock! Well, obviously he doesn’t see Milly herself; instead he sees an incredibly creepy scene in which a young Rhaenyra sings a lullaby to a dead Jaehaerys, sewing his head back on.
Obviously frightened, Daemon then wakes up from what was apparently a vision, standing in front of a tree in the courtyard. He turns to face a woman with long black hair, who says, “You will die in this place” in an off putting LA-like accent. It’s just… weird.
Communication is Key
Anyway, in our last scene we finally, FINALLY get what we’ve been waiting for: A Rhaenyra and Alicent reunion!! Rhaenyra dons her religious plainclothes (does she just have some laying around?) and sneaks into the Red Keep, finally getting Alicent alone to talk. What comes next is both everything we could have wished for and a resolution for exactly nothing. Rhaenyra finally confronts Alicent about Viserys and how he intended the throne for her, and her only. Alicent, obviously, steadfastly denies this, claiming he “changed his mind.” Rhaenyra immediately calls BS, explaining that all Viserys wanted was for her to take the throne, and never would have changed his mind.
Alicent explains to Rhaenyra that on his deathbed, he told Alicent that Aegon was “the prince that was promised”, and that he would unite the realms. Rhaenyra finally knows the truth! With chills, she looks up at Alicent in disbelief, and tells her about the Song of Ice and Fire, which was a story that Vicerys used to tell Rhaenyra when she was young. “The prince that was promised” is a quote directly pulled from that story, she says. And it’s a story about Aegon the conqueror. Alicent looks at her like her whole world was shattered (because I mean, it was) and then stands up to leave. She denies there was any mistake and, with tears in her eyes, tells Rhaenyra that it’s too late to stop anything. She then leaves.
Well, there you have it folks! This story is moving along pretty quickly, which unfortunately means that with five episodes left, there are sure to be dozens of plot twists and turns to come. I will personally go to the Red Keep and confront Alicent myself if this war thing doesn’t get straightened out, because it’s stressing me out! Let us know what you thought of the episode on our socials! Instagram, Facebook, and X.
For a recap of the second episode of this season, check out our article!
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