House of the Dragon S2 Ep 5 Review
When I watched Aemond burn Rhaenys and Aegon with Vhagar at the Battle of Rook’s Rest, a thought crossed my mind: this reminded me of The Lion King. To be more precise, it reminded me of the moment when Scar let Mufasa fall to his death so he could become King. The look on Aemond’s face, as he ordered Vhagar to attack Rhaenys, Aegon, and their dragons, screamed, “Long live the king,” to me! And while Aegon, unlike Mufasa, remains alive, the result is the same. Aemond is now King in all but name, and both sides are left to deal with the fallout of this and Rhaenys’ death. And it’s not pretty!
Parading Meleys Around Was the Stupidest Thing the Greens Could Do
After a quick stop at Driftmark, the episode shifts to King’s Landing, with the Greens having yet another procession. Whereas the previous one was meant to show off the murdered Prince Jahaerys and discredit Rhaenyra, this time, it’s meant to celebrate the Greens’ “victory” at Rooks Rest. The centerpiece is the severed head of the slain Meleys, claimed to have been slain by Aegon himself. But if Ser Criston and Aemond hoped to hype up their side, they fail. Miserably.
The Battle of Rooks Rest was hardly a victory, and everyone who took part knows it. In a later conversation, Criston Cole shows signs of PTSD, haunted by the burning bodies consumed by dragonfire. To make matters worse, the smallfolk take one look at Meleys’ severed head and realize that when Rhaenyra comes for King’s Landing, she’ll be low on mercy. However, what I consider a bigger problem is how this act of showing off the head of Meleys destroys the mystique of House Targaryen.
A comment from one of the smallfolk reminds us of Viserys and Rhaenyra’s conversation from the pilot. The people of Westeros see dragons as gods, and their Valyrian riders thus closer to gods than mortals. By showing off the head of a dead dragon, the Greens are letting everyone know that dragons aren’t invincible gods. They can be killed, even if by other dragons. That thought will stay in the minds of everyone in King’s Landing, and thus have serious consequences for House Targaryen in the long run.
Aegon’s In a Coma. Aemond is In Charge Now
The more immediate consequences are shown once we see the state Aegon’s in…or what’s left of him.
I’ll be honest: as bad as Aegon looks, this isn’t the worst I’ve seen someone get burned alive. That honor falls to Anakin Skywalker being set alight by lava in Revenge of the Sith. That being said, the sight of Aegon having compound fractures and having his valyrian steel armor peeled off is a close second. As bad as Aegon is, seeing him cry out weakly for his mother is still hard to look at. All he wanted to do was prove he wasn’t a failure, and this is what happened to him.
As for Aemond? He doesn’t even care.
At the next meeting of the small council, the question arises as to who will rule in Aegon’s stead. Alicent, having done so for Viserys for years, tries to put her name forward. And, in hindsight, this might have been subtly influenced by her realizing she helped started this because of a misunderstanding. However, it’s like she told Rhaenyra: there’s no stopping what’s happening. So it is no surprise that the small council chooses Aemond. And with that, Westeros’s second most dangerous man is King in all but name. And knowing him, I expect Aemond plans to stay there for as long as possible.
The Blacks Mourn Rhaenys’ Passing
And while the Greens deal with this shift in power, the Blacks reel from the death of Rhaenys and Meleys, with everyone dealing with it in different ways.
Rhaenyra is devastated to lose her biggest supporter and her side’s strongest dragon in one fell swoop. And that’s on top of everything else she’s dealing with. Her husband won’t listen to her; her council can’t agree on anything, and she can’t go charging into battle on Syrax despite wanting to do just that. At one point when she’s talking to Jacaerys, you can feel her frustration.
Speaking of Jace, the young heir to Rhaenyra also wants to fly out into battle, but is continually frustrated by his Mom’s unwillingness to let him do so. That reaches a breaking point here when, at Baela’s advice, he sneaks out of Dragonstone and manages to talk the Freys into siding with his Mom. I liked this, as it shows that Jace can step up and be a leader, even if that means putting him at risk of being attacked by Aemond and Vhagar. Plus, when Rhaenyra bemoans not having dragon riders for her many dragons, it’s Jace who comes up with the idea of seeking out Taragaryen and Velaryon bastards. Which is going to play a huge role in events to come!
Corlys is a Just a Broken Man Now
The one who’s taking Rhaenys’ death the hardest, though, is her husband, Corlys, and it’s not hard to see why. Compare him to the start of the series. In another life, he could’ve been the King’s consort, which led him to make a play for the Iron Throne through his daughter. Now, that very same Throne has cost him his wife, his children, and one of his grandchildren. He’s had enough of the game and just wants to save what he has left. Yet the game won’t let him, with Rhaenyra offering to make him Hand, and Baela intending to keep fighting for her. Time will tell if takes up that offer, though.
Can We Please Get out of Harrenhal Now?
Then, we have the weakest part of the episode, and this season as a whole: Daemon at Harrenhal. If it seems like I haven’t talked about that as much, there’s a reason for it: I don’t know where to include it. As interesting as Harrenhal was initially, it’s already started to wear out its welcome. What’s worse, I feel like Matt Smith is being wasted as Daemon in these moments as the castle (which may actually be haunted) is getting to him. In one of the series creepiest moments yet, we get Daemon making out with a beautiful woman…only to learn its his mother. Not. Cool.
Daemon’s behavior isn’t winning him any fans, either. Getting involved in the Blackwood-Bracken feud, he discreetly lets the Blackwoods commit war crimes on the Brackens. Instead of cowing the Riverlands, they’re so disgusted they tell him to his face that they won’t follow him. So, good going, Daemon.
Let the Dragonseeds Come!
This episode might seem weak compared to the aboslute banger we had before. However, like the season premiere, “Regent” deals with the aftermath of a major watershed moment in Westerosi history. I hope things start to pick up once more before the season ends, and the next episode already looks promising. After building them up throughout the season, the Dragonseeds might start to play a role in the Dance of the Dragons. Until then, though, we must deal with the fact that Aemond the Kinslayer is the King of Westeros.
