House of the Dragon S3 Ep 8 Review

Tumbleton. For a good portion of its third season, House of the Dragon has been building us towards the pivotal battle that’s supposed to take place at this otherwise unimportant town. The Greens need it to retake King’s Landing, while the Blacks want it to deny them that threat. And while it’s final seasons did have its flaws, Game of Thrones was very good at building us up to these turning points in the story. The season opened with one of the coolest fights in the franchise, the Battle of the Gullet. For it’s finale, it gives us an equally stunning climax with the Treasons at Tumbleton. And while the battle itself only takes up a portion of the episode’s 70-minute runtime, the buildup is just as nail-biting…and the aftermath all the more heartbreaking.

Rhaenyra is crashing out

At this point, I think that it’s safe to say that Rhaenyra is in full crash-out mode. She tried to do things the way she thinks her father would have. She wanted to convince everyone that she was the rightful ruler of Westeros and win the hearts and minds of the people. But the events of the season have made her slowly abandon the morals and principles that would have made her a great Queen. And once word gets out that Aegon is alive, and people are proclaiming this a sign of his divine right to rule, Rhaenyra has reached her breaking point.

Honestly, I don’t blame Rhaenyra for getting to this point. We as the audience know that Viserys never wavered on having her as his heir, and that the Greens are usurpers. But there’s only so much adversity one person can take before they snap. The only reason I even consider this episode to be her tipping point is because she at least tried to take the moral high ground, even after she lost Luke. But she’s reached the point where she doesn’t care about making people love her. She is Queen, and she will kill anyone who says otherwise.

Now, I liked the way that Rhaenyra ordered the death of the High Septon for refusing to annoint her as Queen. That’s the equivalent of killing the Pope, and if the Seven are in any way real, then that just earned her a ticket to Hell, though I doubt she’ll care. However, what I don’t like is her speech to the people of King’s Landing. Having her tell everyone about Aegon’s dream and the Prophecy of Ice and Fire might make sense on paper. However, in practice, it just makes her sound crazy. The only reason we even know she isn’t is that we know what will happen almost two hundred years in the future. Otherwise, the whole thing feels incredibly clumsy!

At least there was one supernatural aspect of the episode that got handled better: Alys.

Alys is Immortal, Huh?

The show has made it no secret that Alys Rivers is some kind of witch. The fact that she disguised herself as Alicent last episode pretty much removed any remaining ambiguity. According to the books the show is based on, there are even rumors that she’s an unaging witch. Not only does the show confirm this, but it takes it a step further. She tells a poisoned Aemond a story that is, rather quickly, revealed to be her own. She was the wife of Harren the Black, the builder of Harrenhal, and mother to one of his children. She survived Aegon the Conquerer’s Burning of Harrenhal, and tried to use the power of the Old Gods to save her infant son. It failed, and seemingly cursed her with immortality that ties her directly to Harrenhal, forced to serve whoever claims it.

That is…honestly brilliant. I don’t know much about the Seven, but we’ve seen plenty of instances of how other deities and magic like that of the Old Gods are real. And, at least in this time period, Harrenhal has this era of dark magic around it that I really enjoy. It also explains why Alys wants Harrenhal so badly: she wants to be master of her own destiny once more, hence her attempts to use Daemon and Aemond. With Aemond, she almost succeeds. But it seems that fate has other ideas.

Having recovered his dragon, Aegon has made his way to Harrenhal and a repentant Aemond. He is very tempted to take his revenge on his brother, but ultimately decides against it. He needs him, and more importantly, he need Vhagar, to bring the Greens into line. We don’t actually know Aemond leaves Harrenhal or not, so we will have to wait until the next season. For now, our focus must turn to Tumbleton.

The Tragedy of Tumbleton

The Battle of Tumbleton is the moment that the show has spent half the season building up to. On one side, we have the Greens led by the mad Ormund, determined to make Daeron his puppet king. On the other side, we have Daemon, the Tullys, and the Winter Wolves aiming to take the town. And now Ulf the White has become a wildcard thrown into the mix. All told, Tumbleton is the sight of one of the most important battles of the war, and, in my opinion, the moment that will seal the fate of House Targaryen.

The Battle of the Gullet opened up the season with the most impressive naval battle in Game of Thrones history, and the Battle of Tumbleton ends it with the most impressive set battle since the Battle of the Bastards ten years ago. Whereas Danaerys’ sacking of King’s Landing in the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones had a notable lack of it, the Battle of Tumbleton has a more grounded depiction of an actual sacking of a town. The battle formations look and act pretty accurate to medieval warfare, the choreography is fast-paced and frenetic in the streets. And most importantly, the dragons are used in a strategic fashion. I especially liked the way Daemon used Caraxes to force open one of the gates, then had him kill any of the Green soldiers in range while keeping his body out of harm’s way.

But you know what I liked even more? Seeing Ormund die. I’ve hating that pompous fool from day one, and seeing Roddy the Ruin shove a dagger up his butt is the kind of death that he deserves. It only gets better, though, when Ulf kills them both with Silverwing.

Ulf the Rogue

I knew from the start that Ulf the White was going to go rogue, as that is what happens in the books. What I like about his character in the show, though, is that it gives an explanation for him turning on everyone. He is a drunkard, but Ormund made the mistake of treating him just as badly as Daemon. And that mistake cost him his life.

By the time the dust settles, I can’t say that anyone actually won the fight for Tumbleton. The Blacks are forced to retreat; Hugh finds his wife and her family dead; the only real winner is Ulf, and he’s now going to be labeled an outlaw. And the shots of the carnage were just the icing on the cake. A harsh reminder of the fact that war has no real winners.

And that’s not even the saddest part of the episode.

RIP Helaena. You were too Good for this World!

Poor Helaena. I knew what her fate was ultimately going to be, but that didn’t make it any less painful to watch. All she wanted was to leave the ugliness of King’s Landing behind, but the world would not let her. Rhaenyra wouldn’t even let her die. And the child in her belly would either be used as a hostage or killed outright. She was never going to be free, so she chose to end her own life. Everything that Alicent did has ended up being for naught.

The worst part of it, though? It’s the way that Rhaenyra closes the windows to Helaena’s room afterward. It was symbolic of her closing off the last remaining portal to her heart. The last bit of innocence left in her.

This entire episode was nothing but one great tragedy as the stage is set for the endgame. The next, and likely final, season is going to be nothing but heartbreak as we see the death of the dragons. And I don’t know how I’m going to get through it, but I will try. But at this point, no one is worthy of the Iron Throne.

I Give “Treasons at Tumbleton” a 5/5

House of the Dragon S3 Ep 7 Review

You know, in a perfect world, Rhaenyra Targaryen would have been able to become Queen and stay as such without problems. That is what her dad wanted, and that is the oath that all the lords and ladies of Westeros swore to uphold. But while she now rules from King’s Landing, everyone is out to get her! She is surrounded by liars and people taking advantage of her, and this week, she has the biggest shock of her life as she learns the truth about Sheepstealer’s rider. And to be honest, I’m surprised that she shows as much restraint as she does with Rhaena in this episode. And meanwhile, Ormund continues to be the biggest d**** in Westeros since his relative, Otto, died.

Oh, and some racy scenes take place.

Why, Rhaena. WHY?!?

So, Rhaena once again proves how bad a decision-maker she is. Rather than accept living in hiding forever in the foothills of the Vale or flying into exile somewhere, she gets it in her head that if she hunts down and kills Vhagar, Rhaenyra will forgive her. I could only chalk this up to her guilt and lack of sleep, because any rational person would tell her that this was a stupid idea. Even if she tracked down Vhagar, there was no way Sheepstealer could kill her. That’s not even counting the fact that Sheepstealer refuses to listen to Rhaena! And she was still responsible for Jace’s death, so Rhaenyra won’t forget that.

Seeing how Rhaena’s storyline has played out in the show, it really makes me wish we had gotten Nettles. In the books, Nettles was a peasant girl who cleverly earned Sheepstealer’s loyalty by feeding him sheep every day. Not only that, but she was the only one of the major dragon riders of the war to walk away with her life and her dragon, fleeing to parts unknown. Unfortunately, Rhaena has proven neither clever nor as fortunate, and her luck ends up running out. After her sister and Addam spot Sheepstealer, Rhaenyra realizes Daemon lied and goes out to deal with the problem herself.

Once again, the characters on the show keep making the wrong decisions! Baela probably didn’t even realize that she had damned her sister. And Daemon is in full panic mode as he knows that his daughter’s life is in danger. When you hear him say “please” to Lady Jeyne Arryn, then you know that he’s desperate. He’s only able to get to his daughter for a brief moment, but in that moment, he shows off a vulnerable side to himself as he admits that he didn’t have a dragon of his own for a long time. It’s clear that he’s fully aware of how bad a father he’s been, and he is trying his damnedest to make things right. But it’s already too late: Rhaenyra and Addam soon come upon them.

The look on Rhaenyra’s face when she realizes that Rhaena was the one responsible for Jace’s death was absolutely superb. Emma D’arcy has really grown into playing the role of the dragon queen, showing just how more and more unhinged she’s become as time passes. But their acting in this episode was some of the best they’ve given all show. And to top it off, we get to see Syrax, Caraxes, and Seasmoke all fight Sheepstealer as the dragon goes berserk! We’ve already seen what dragon fights look like in the sky, but when they’re confined to the ground, they’re even more vicious. Seeing the maiming that Sheepstealer gets is just absolutely brutal; it’s a miracle that the dragon was even able to limp away intact. But it takes a lot more to kill a dragon.

What were the Show writers thinking?

Speaking of trying to kill a dragon, Alicent manages to make it to Harrenhal as part of Rhaenyra’s suicidal plan to kill Aemond. But before that happens, we apparently get yet another example of disturbing incest in the Targaryen family. We are led to believe that Alicent has come to find her son, and then we are treated to a scene of her and Aemond almost having s*x. It was even more disturbing than the kissing scene from earlier in the season. The only saving grace is that it was really Alys disguising herself as Alicent. Still, that’s messed up, even by Targaryen standards.

And then, when the real Alicent does meet her son, things don’t go well. Firstly, Aemond kills her escort out of fear that Alys is messing with him. Secondly, when Alicent tries to poison her son, he’s able to make it to Alys, which means he’ll likely survive. As for Alicent, she’s had to flee Harrenhal, and if she knows what’s good for her, she’ll head back Oldtown and stay there. But she won’t.

At least her one good son considers doing just that.

Ormund Has to Go!

Where do I even begin with Ormund? Even though the Winter Wolves are about to storm Tumbleton, he’s still acting like he’s going to have the last laugh. He arrogantly tells Gwayne that he’s got a secret trump card to use, but leaves everyone in the lurch about what it is. It isn’t until the end of the episode that we find out that it’s Ulf the White. He’s convinced him to turn on Rhaenyra in exchange for rule over Driftmark.

Full disclosure: I knew that Ulf was going to do this thanks to the wiki and the books. What I appreciate the show doing was giving some justification for why Ulf turned on his Queen. He thought he was going to become a Lord and someone important, only to instead be denied that and even the right to go drinking with his friends. The sad thing is, I think that if he had stayed loyal, she would have given him both after the war ended.

The crowning moment of this entire episode, though, has to go to Aegon. His plans to flee to Essos are dashed thanks to an army of Riverlanders bearing down on him, Larys, and Tyland. And while Larys opts to flee, Aegon decides that if he’s going to die, he’ll die fighting. It’s probably the first genuinely badass thing that he’s done in his life. At least, he tries to make it badass with that speech of his. But it turns out that the enemy was really just scared of the dragon behind him.

I KNEW Sunfyre was still alive!

Yes, against all odds, the show keeps with the book canon. Sunfyre is still alive, and arrives just in time to save his rider. And he looks absolutely hideous now! It’s hard to see from the darkness, but you can tell that Sunfyre has been just as maimed and scarred as his rider, to the point where I don’t even know how he’s still alive at all. But then he and Aegon get the last laugh as they set fire to their foes, symbolizing the return of the king. The fake king, at least!

What a crazy episode this was. Dragon-on-dragon violence abounds, Sunfyre rises from the dead, and Rhaenyra has no clue what to do with Rhaena. And next episode is supposed to be the last one of the entire season! With so much left to cover before the break as we await what is almost certainly the final season, I’m guessing as to who’s going to die. And I hope that it’s Ormund!

I Give “The Dragons in Winter” a 3/5

House of the Dragon S3 Ep 5 Review

Hatred and madness. Those are the only two words that I think can properly describe what the entire cast of House of the Dragon is falling victim to. Almost everyone in House Targaryen or serving them are just so consumed by hatred for each other, it’s sickening. And I didn’t think that the people in this story could stoop any lower than they already have, but you would be surprised! The sheer amount of hatred I see spewing out of the characters in this episode is palpable enough for me to feel it. It’s enough to make me wanna recoil but also refuse to look away, and I don’t know how to feel about that.

Criston Cole Wants to Die

Firstly, we need to talk about Ser Criston Cole, the Kingmaker. I barely knew anything about him before the show started, but when I learned it, I asked myself, “how? How could this spitting image of what a knight should be turn into such a jerk?” Yeah, Rhaenyra did use him, but he chose to hold a grudge. And then he put Aegon on the Iron Throne in what can only be described as a coup, making me dislike him even more. But now? Now I can’t help but feel pity for him.

The show has made it clear that the Battle of Rook’s Rest broke Criston Cole. He realized just what madness he helped unleash on Westeros and regretted it. That hatred he had for Rhaenyra has turned on him into a deep self-loathing that has only gotten worse this season. As we see him try and wage a guerrilla war in the Riverlands, trying to keep the Blacks from making to…whatever their destination is, he’s at his lowest point. He’s tired, depressed, and is ready to die. In fact, Gwayne Hightower realizes that Ser Criston intends to get himself and what men he has left killed in a blaze of glory.

I’m all for the idea of going down fighting. I would rather die on my feet in defiance than on my knees. But this isn’t going to be some glorious last stand that people will romanticize centuries from now. It’s just a guy who got a horrible lot in life trying to take as many people down with him as he can, and it’s sad. It’s sad and disappointing, and I feel sorry for Ser Criston.

But then there is the hatred we see between Aegon and Aemond in this episode.

Brother against Brother

Aegon and Aemond are both waylaid in different parts of Westeros. Aegon is hiding at a refugee camp at Rook’s Rest, while Aemond is healing at Harrenhal while bounty hunters keep coming to try and claim his head. They’re both at their weakest and without their dragons, and that leads them both to open up to their respective companions. The irony is that we get to hear the brothers both envy each other for how their lives have gone. Aegon envies Aemond for being a genuinely good warrior and more of a king than he is as well as Alicent paying more attention to him. Meanwhile, Aemond envies Aegon for being the firstborn son and the one who got crowned King. This is in spite of the fact that their father never wanted this to happen, and the fact that Aegon was unfit to rule.

The difference is in how their companions react to their complaints. Whereas Aemond at least has a somewhat supportive ear in the form of Alys, Aegon has Larys. And Larys gives it to Aegon straight: he sucks. He was given all the best opportunities to succeed in life, and if he had applied himself and worked to be better, then maybe he could have earned the Iron Throne on merit alone. It was a long shot, but it could’ve happened if he proved better than Rhaenyra, but he didn’t. He had to have the Throne handed to him by his grandpa. Not only that, but he spent his life reveling in mediocrity and just assumed that he would never be king. If he was as smart as he thinks he is, he would’ve shut that down.

At the same time, this episode has us see Aemond open up to Alys about his own envy towards his brother. He knows, or thinks he knows, what it means to be a king. And like I said the moment he claimed Vhagar, he has the will to be one. But this episode also reminded us why he’s not fit. Yeah, he’s a good warrior, but as we’ve seen in Game of Thrones, that doesn’t equate to being a good king! But the worst part? Its that when Vhagar flies off to who knows where, he breaks down in fear. That shows just how skin-deep his bravery really is. Without his Dragon, he’s nothing. If anything, Daeron has more potential as a king than both of them.

Daeron is too Good for this world

Speaking of Daeron, I feel sorry for the young man. The only decent son of Alicent, thanks to being raised away from King’s Landing, and the most humble. But he’s now just a pawn of Ormund Hightower, whose teaching him to hate his Valyrian half. That can lead to serious psychological problems in the future, assuming Daeron survives the war! And I can’t say without spoiling anything!

A Feast for Traitors

While all of this is going down, things keep going downhill back at King’s Landing, for everyone. Alicent has found out that her daughter is pregnant again, and tries to get her to abort the baby. But Helaena, bless her soul, can’t bring herself to do it and keeps refusing. Knowing that they can’t keep this fact hidden forever, and that Rhaenyra may end up killing the baby, they try to escape. But in doing so, they get trapped in one of the hidden passages, along with some cats.

Yeah, the Red Keep now has the cats that will catch the rats from now on. Honestly, they’re the only happy thing to come out of this episode.

As for Daemon and Rhaenyra, they are facing an insurrection from people either working for the Greens or for Ormund. The Gold Cloaks are being killed off one by one, their disembowled bodies left for all to see. They’re afraid, they want their payment, and their loyalty to Daemon is reaching its limit. Talking to them is all the Dragon Prince can do to get them to stay loyal, but that may no longer be an option. Because by the end of the episode, we see one of the most grisly sights in the entire franchise.

Looking at the dead Luthor and his men like this almost felt like looking at sacrilege. Whoever did this set the whole thing up like a serial killer would! Even Daemon, who has seen it all and done it all, was shaken at the sight. I don’t know about you guys, but I would be packing my bags after seeing something like this!

Yeah, the madness is spreading to every corner of Westeros. Nowhere is safe anymore, and if I remember right, then almost everyone is gonna be dead before this is over.

I Give “Unbowed, Unbent” a 3.5/5

House of the Dragon S3 Ep 2 Review

The season three premiere of House of the Dragon managed to start things off on an absolutely crazy note. HBO proved that the time and money they put into the season opener was well spent with The Battle of the Gullet, one of the biggest clashes of the Dance, as this war shall be called. Thanks to the impulsiveness of Rhaena Targaryen, we had to watch as Prince Jacaerys and his dragon were slain by the Triarchy, depriving Rhaenyra of her eldest son and heir to the Iron Throne. And as we know thanks to her descendant, Danaerys, when Targaryens lose the ones they love, they will set the entire realm on fire. And that is what pretty much what happens in this episode as Queen Rhaenyra gets what she wants: she gets the Iron Throne. But I think she’s already questioning if it was worth it or not.

Rhaena is a Dead Woman Walking!

The opening to this episode is a somber one as Baella and Moondancer return to Dragonstone with Jacaerys’ body. Everyone on the island is shocked and horrified by the death of the prince, but the person who is most horrified is, naturally, Rhaenyra herself. Emma D’arcy has proven an oustanding actor as Rhaenyra, as they manage to have the Queen go through multiple stages of grieving in a matter of moments. Seeing her be in initial denial that her son is dead to howling in tears over it is absolutely heartbreaking to watch. It was Jace who chose to fly to what would be his death so he could prove himself a worthy heir, but Rhaenyra still blames herself like any good parent would. That, and she blames the person who rode Sheepstealer. Though she doesn’t know that it was Daemon’s own daughter…yet.

As for Rhaena, she is pretty much a dead woman walking. She defied orders to flee to Pentos so she could claim a dragon. Then she impulsively decided to ride said dragon into battle without any further training, leading to Jace’s death. She knows that Rhaenyra will kill her for this, so rather than let that happen, she flees back to the Vale to hide, though Lady Arryn say she doesn’t want to see her again. I don’t blame her, either. I was happy that Rhaena got her own dragon at last, but what Sheepstealer did only proves the late Viserys point that dragons are too dangerous for man to control. Which sucks, because the dragons are the coolest part of this entire franchise!

The one Silver Lining

The only silver lining to all of this is that Corlys Velayron is still alive. But Driftmark is now in ruins, and it’s likely the Triarchy made off with a lot of his fortune. His house will never be as big as used to be. But at least he has his granddaughter and sons, Addam and Alyn. The latter of whom is now ready to accept Corlys as his dad.

So, with Aegon in the wind and Aemond having flown to capture Harrenhal, Alicent has held up her end of the bargain to Rhaenyra, but it almost gets her r*ped in the process. No, really. Lord Jasper, the Master of Laws, figures out what she’s up to and tries to blackmail her for s*x in exchange. And then we get a very graphic moment where he attempts to r*pe her! I actually thought the show was going to go through with it, but thankfully, Alicent is saved at the last second. Sadly, she and Helaena are unable to escape King’s Landing before Rhaenyra, Daemon, Hugh, and Ulf fly in to capture it.

The Queen Lands

The capture of King’s Landing is incredibly well-executed, in my opinion. The sight of the people panicking as Queen Rhaenyra’s dragons fly overhead is an excellent contrast to how nonchalant they were about in the first episode. Seeing Rhaenyra and Daemon tear through the Red Keep and take it for themselves is an excellent display of assertiveness. And that moment when the City Watch helps them take the city out of loyalty to Daemon? Chef’s kiss. Of course, I think that my favorite scene has to be how Rhaenyra deals with those who tried to deny what was promised to her.

So Long, Otto!

Like Littlefinger centuries later, Otto Hightower is the man responsible for the chaos unfolding in the show. He tried to put his own blood on the throne by selling off his own daughter as a bride. He and his conspirators basically enacted a coup by putting Aegon on the throne against the wishes of Viserys. Otto was a traitor hiding behind a veil of tradition, and it cost him his life. I was happy to see him go, but that joy was muted by the show’s decision to have Rhaenyra execute him herself.

The bloody footprints as she climbed towards the Throne that was promised to her is peak symbolism, in my opinion. It’s a Throne she’s had to win in blood, and the distraught look on her face as Alicent enters the throne room says that she is shocked at what she had to do to get it. But the bloodshed has only just begun.

The season is far from over, and while Rhaenyra can now say she is Queen, she has to hold it while Aegon and his brothers are still on the loose. And holding the Iron Throne is even harder than winning it! Ball’s in your court, Rhaenyra. Let’s see how long you can hold it.

I Give “Queen’s Landing” a 4.5/5

House of the Dragon S3 Ep 1 Review

Remember back when Game of Thrones was in its heyday, and every episode was enough to make the Internet shake? The battles were epic, the betrayals and drama had us on the edge of our seats, and we cared when the characters we liked bit the dust? So many of us were hoping that House of the Dragon would recapture that feeling, but outside of a few key moments, last season was a snooze-fest. For all this talk about a civil war between the Targaryens, there was barely any war involved. But that has now changed. The fight at Rook’s Rest was a good warm-up, but Season Three opened up by giving us the best battle the franchise has seen since the original series! Smoke and salt, fire and blood, the gullet runs red!

So Much to Keep Up With!

It’s been two years or so since we last saw House of the Dragon, so I was a little disappointed to see the new season not open with a recap. Plus, I still don’t know if I like the tapestry intro. It was hard for me to keep track of things on this new tapestry, but that’s just one small gripe.

Given how massive the show’s cast is, there’s a lot of jumping around, with some moments proving to be more important than others. However, the most important aspects of the episode center around a few key plot points. Firstly, Alicent has now decided to sell out the Greens to stop the war that she partially started, offering Rhaenyra King’s Landing in exchange for sparing her and her daughter. Her plans are almost derailed, though, by Aegon’s flight (the irony that he’s captured by Rhaenyra’s supporters is not lost on me), and Aemond now declaring himself King like he always wanted.

Which reminds me. Remember how I said that I respected Aemond more than his older brother, and thought that he at least had the potential to be a king? What respect I did have for him is largely gone now, and it all has to do with that one scene with him and his mother. I know that incest is common in the Targaryens, but kissing your own mother? Somehow, that feels even worse than kissing your sister! What the heck were the writers thinking with that? Furthermore, it feels like Alicent’s attempts to trick her son out of King’s Landing were way too telegraphed! Aemond should be smart enough to realize his mom was up to something, but no! He falls for it hook, line, and sinker.

I know the show is trying to follow the established history, but come on. The writers can do better!

Speaking of doing better, we have one of the moments that I wanted to see only for it to get rushed: Rhaena and Sheepstealer.

Sheepstealer Didn’t Disappoint…but his Rider did

I was excited when the season two finale gave us a look at Sheepstealer, the wild dragon that will come to have a role to play in the Dance of the Dragons, and while I’m sad that his rider from the books was written out, I’m happy to see another dragon. Though I have to admit, Sheepstealer is one ugly-looking SOB! His scales are jagged, his teeth are crooked, and it’s obvious that he’s had a hard life. I guess the dragons the Valyrians raise tend to look much healthier, given how they’re probably well-fed and groomed. Beyond that, though, I didn’t like how quickly Rhaena was able to gain Sheepstealer’s trust onscreen. It should have taken her more than a single episode to win him over, but she does so by eating some of the sheep he cooked? That doesn’t make much sense! In all honesty, it feels like the show was rushing things just so it could get to the real highlight of the episode, the Battle of the Gullet.

Why didn’t we get the Battle of the Gullet in Season Two?!?

This was the kind of battle that we expected to take place in season two. The Battle of the Gullet is the biggest naval battle that we’ve ever seen in the franchise, and HBO clearly went all out on it. The sight of ships being set aflame, the brutal melee combat on the decks, and the sight of dragons flying overhead all made for spectacle that we haven’t seen since the heyday of Game of Thrones. I think that the franchise has improved its combat scenes since then, if this is any indication. I especially appreciated the one on one between Corlys Velaryon’s crew and Admiral Lohar of the Triarchy. That chase between the shallows was nail-biting! And then seeing Corlys lose the will to fight as Driftmark was sacked! Watching his legacy be tarnished while his own ship, the Sea Snake (I’m assuming), died under him is just incredible! Even if he survives the war, House Velayron may never recover what it has lost.

Speaking of which, this battle sees Rhaenyra suffer another devastating loss: her son, Jaceaerys. And the worst part is that it was his decisions that got him killed.

RIP, Jace

I think we all saw the red flags waving when Jace ordered his Mom be kept in her room so she couldn’t join the battle. I know he was trying to keep her safe, but he was depriving himself of another dragon rider in a situation where that was desperately needed. Maybe if she and Syrax had been there, Jace wouldn’t have had to die. Of course, it wasn’t just Jace’s desire to prove himself that did him in. Why Rhaena thought it was a good idea to take Sheepstealer into battle right after she got him to let her ride on his back is beyond me. She wanted a dragon so badly, she forgot the training that goes with it. And now, her cousin’s death is on her hands.

The Battle of the Gullet is nothing short of a bloodbath that neither side can say they won. The only real winners were us, the viewers, who got to see the bodies hit the floor, and it’s only going to get worse. By the time the show’s done, almost everyone on the cast will likely be dead, and the show knows it. Steel yourselves for what’s to come, guys.

I Give “Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood” a 5/5

House of the Dragon S2 Ep 8 Review

I don’t know when it happened, but I do remember my reaction when I learned that season two of House of the Dragon would only be 8 episodes: disappointment. It felt like HBO hadn’t learned the lessons from the final two seasons of Game of Thrones. By shortening the season, they fail to give the show the time it needs for the plot to properly develop. The end result is the episodes trying to tell too many stories at once, damaging it as a whole with important moments not being given the time or focus they need! And despite making up for Blood and Cheese with Rook’s Rest and The Red Sowing, my worst fears came true. The finale is incredibly mid, capping off a season that, outside those and a few other key moments, fails to deliver on the show’s premise: dragons fighting dragons!

The Beginning of the Mid!

Did HBO learn nothing from the shortcomings of Game of Thrones‘ final seasons? The season finale to House of The Dragon seems to indicate that they didn’t because they made the same mistake. Rather than giving the various stories it has to juggle time to breathe, the finale seeks to cram as much in as possible to its own detriment. And that becomes especially egregious when it comes to three separate storylines that take up valuable time.

Firstly, we have Tyland Lannister trying to recruit the Triarchy for the Greens. Normally, I would like this because the setting and local attire remind me of pirates. However, while seeing the haughty Lannister mud-wrestle the Triarchy admiral was amusing, this bit of worldbuilding took up valuable screen time it couldn’t afford to waste. Thsts only made worse by the fact that all this does is confirm that the Triarchy will fight for the Greens in exchange for the Stepstones. That could’ve been explained through a bit of exposition.

Secondly, there’s Rhaena’s search for the mystery dragon. They shouldn’t have wasted time showing the progress. Instead, it makes more sense to have opened up on her finding the dragon, Sheepstealer, and the rest of her scenes showing her taming it. The episode doesn’t even have Sheepstealer appear until the final moments, far too late to make an impact. Considering he was the dragon I wanted to see most, this was dissappointing.

Lastly, we have the scene between Alyn of Hull and Corlys Velaryon. I loved seeing Alyn blow up at his father for only caring about him now that he needed a male heir. It’s rare for the Westerosi elite to get called out for how selfish they can be. However, I didn’t like how this happened in the season finale. Had we got more episodes, seeing the fallout to this and how it affects Corlys would be interesting. It’s apparent that what Alyn said, combined with his wife’s death, aged him a lot!

The Good Stuff

All these missteps made the finale a very mid one. And that doesn’t even get into the fact that we got little time with the other Dragonseeds. But there were still a few good moments.

The first involves Daemon’s Harrenhal arc finally coming to an end. Having had his ego knocked down by…whatever is messing with him, Daemon reunites with Rhaenyra and makes amends with her. Seeing him finally accept that he’s not fit for the Iron Throne is some major character development, but time will tell if this humility will stick. However, some fans are already upset about what it was that made Daemon change his mind: a vision of the future.

The weirwood trees give Daemon a vision of what will come centuries from now: most notably, the White Walkers and the rise of Danaerys. Thanks to that, Daemon gets the bigger picture. He finally understands why Rhaenyra and Viserys are so serious about ensuring their rule. I thought that it’s a cool call-forward to the events of Game of Thrones, but I know many fans won’t agree and call it mid. In addition, there’s also the matter of how Daemon could see the future.

The headcanon I’m going with is a fan theory that Brynden Rivers, Daemon and Rhaenyra’s descendant that everyone believes will become the Three-Eyed Raven, sent him a message from the future. The reason why is to ensure that events proceed as they do and lead to the White Walkers eventual defeat. It seems a little contrived, but I don’t care.

Alicent’s Bargain

The moment that I do care about is when Alicent sneaks onto Dragonstone to talk to Rhaenyra. After losing all her power and influence and doing some soul-searching, Alicent came to a single conclusion: she wants out. She wasted her whole life doing what others expected of her, and she’s done. She just wants to be free of it all, so she offers Rhaenyra a deal: she opens King’s Landing for her, and in exchange, she can take her kids and granddaughter and leave.

Rhaenyra, still salty about Alicent rebuffing her earlier, makes a counter offer: Aegon (and likely the rest of her sons) must die. It’s a very sadistic choice, and both of them know it. Alicent is being asked to betray two of her sons, something no mother should ever have to make! However, both of them know that it’s the only way. Now that Aegon took the Throne and Aemond also wants it, they wont stop until they’re dead. And, Alicent actually agrees.

For such a mid episode, this moment was a major highlight to me. The irony of how the two women’s positions are reversed isn’t lost on me, either. Speaking of which, the irony is that when Rhaenyra gets to King’s Landing, Aegon won’t be there. He and Larys fled to escape Aemond, who responded to being driven off by burning down an entire town.

Rhaenyra is right: they have to die. Aemond’s a war criminal and Aegon’s a usurper and rapist. Even the pity I feel for Aegon for what happened to him doesn’t change that fact.

Unfortunately, this is where the episode, and the season, choose to end things. No major deaths, no big battle; nothing. Hence why the episode is mid.

What a Mid Ending!

Truthfully, it feels like the entire season was mid. All that build up for the Dance of the Dragons, and outside a few moments, the season barely gave the fans what we wanted. Fans wanted to see the two sides tear each other to pieces. I wanted to munch popcorn and laugh at how pointless the whole thing was! Instead, the whole season is mostly just more talking and teasing us about what comes next. But that’s not what we wanted to see, and the whole thing leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And the fans know it. This post on Twitter stood out to me the most:

I don’t know what made HBO decide to do things the way they did, but they’re losing the faith they worked so hard to regain from viewers. What makes it worse is the fact that when the series decided to buckle down and follow through on its potential, it was awesome! This ending, though, wasn’t awesome! It was mid as they come!

We don’t know when the third season of House of the Dragon airs, but something has to change at HBO. They need to give the show whatever they need to give us more of Rook’s Rest and The Red Sowing. This is a show about a war between dragons. It needs to start acting like one!

At least next year, we get “The Adventures of Dunk and Egg.”

I give “The Queen Who Ever Was” a 2/5

House of the Dragon S2 Ep 7 Review

I’ve been waiting for three moments to happen in season two of House of the Dragon: Blood and Cheese, the Battle at Rook’s Rest, and the Red Sowing. AKA the moment when the Dragonseeds claim their dragons for the Blacks. Or rather, when the dragons claim their riders, because, as the last episode made all too clear, the idea that a rider can claim their dragon is a lie. The dragons choose their rider, regardless of who they are or where they come from. But while letting Valryian bastards claim dragons might seem like a good idea on Rhaenyra’s part, is it worth it? The events of the Red Sowing put that into question before it’s even done.

Firstly, though, let’s go over the other plots in the episode.

Oscar Tully Goes Full Gangsta on Daemon

Daemon Targaryen might be one of the best characters in House of the Dragon, but his time at Harrenhal has not done his character justice. For weeks now, Daemon’s time onscreen has either been about him trying to raise an army or being haunted by visions of his regrets and misdeeds. At first, it was interesting to see Harrenhal mess with Daemon like that, but it quickly got old. It feels like a waste of Matt Smith’s acting abilities; he was my second favorite Doctor!

Fortunately, it would seem that Daemon’s time at Harrenhal is coming to an end. Now that the old Tully lord is dead, his grandson, Oscar Tully, is Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. And, unlike his first appearance, Oscar has taken a level in badass. He’s much more willing to sass the adults in the room. Firstly, he takes jabs at Daemon for being just a Prince and for having the Blackwoods commit war crimes. Then, he throws shade at the Riverlords when they question him because he’s a child. Oscar’s less an Edmure and more like a young Brynden the Blackfish!

Oscar does agree to honor his oath to Rhaenyra, but there’s a catch: the Riverlords want justice for what the Blackwoods did. And, despite being the one who gave Willem Blackwood leave to commit said war crimes, Daemon doesn’t hesitate to turn his sword on him. It’s not made clear if Willem is dead, but I just looked it online, and he’s not a character from the books. Thus, he’s likely dead. I’m only bringing that up because the fact that Daemon was willing to betray someone who followed his orders could hurt him in the long.

Alicent’s Woes and Aegon’s Physical Therapy

On the Greens’ side of things, the episode focuses mainly on two characters, Alicent and Aegon. Both have endured great pain throughout the series thus far, each in their own ways, and it feels like the episode puts great emphasis on what they have to go through. And despite giving fans plenty of reasons to hate them, I still couldn’t help but feel pity for the mother and son.

Alicent has lost almost everything she had and is deeply depressed over it. That prompts her to leave the Red Keep with her sworn sword for the isolation of the Kingswood, and there’s one scene where she strips down to her undershirt and starts swimming in a lake as a bird flies overhead. Since they can fly, many people see birds as a symbol of freedom. For Alicent, they’re a symbol of the freedom that she’s never had. All her life, she tried to follow the rules and act like how the men expected a woman to act. Alicent has realized that she should’ve followed Rhaenyra’s example and played the game by her own rules, which is the most tragic aspect of her character.

Then we have Aegon. I’ve made it no secret that I think he’s a loser and a terrible excuse for a person. But even I can’t help but feel bad seeing him try to walk across his bedroom in excruciating pain. He knew he wasn’t worthy of the Throne, but he let himself buy into the hype, and now he’ll remain like this for the rest of his life. Aegon may be a sad excuse for a man, but no one should have to experience this.

How Can a Commoner Claim a Dragon?

Now we have the best part of the episode: watching the Dragonseeds claim their dragons in the Red Sowing. And long-time fans know that any event in the franchise that starts with the word “Red” is bad news, and the Red Sowing lived up to this. But before that, there’s the event that gives birth to the idea.

After Rhaenyra confronts Addam and Seasmoke and they pledge their loyalty to her, the Queen and Mysaria go on a recruitment spree. They invite dozens of lowborn Targaryen bastards to Dragonstone like it’s an audition for Westerosi Idol. But while Rhaenyra sees this as a great idea, others either scoff at it or flat out refuse to accept it. While the Dragonkeepers refuse to help her, Jace argues that letting commoners claim dragons breaks the myth that the Targaryens are these godlike people. He’s right, but his argument stems from him fearing letting others claim dragons robs him of his greatest claim to the Iron Throne since he’s also a bastard. He might be right, but for the wrong reasons.

The Red Sowing Was Worth the Wait

Then we have the Red Sowing itself. Rhaenyra has all the Dragonseeds audition for King Jahaerys’ dragon, Vermithor, at once. And I don’t understand that for the life of me. Rhaenyra saw what Seasmoke did to a smaller group of people, so imagine what the second-largest dragon in Westeros would do?

The Red Sowing is as horrific as you expect. The show does a good job of using camera’s and special affects to play up Vermithor’s slaughter of most of the Dragonseeds. All of that leads to Hugh Hammer, the blacksmith of King’s Landing, claiming Vermithor. I really liked this moment. The fact that Hugh chooses to stare down Vermithor while trying to save another Dragonseed speaks a lot about his character up to this point. And unlike the others, Hugh faces Vermithor without any fear or arrogance, neither of which the dragons seem to like. And it seems to seal the deal for Vermithor.

As for Ulf, he flees from Vermithor, only to run into the nest of his mate, Silverwing. Luckily for him, Silverwing chooses him as her new rider. Silverwing was also pretty friendly with other humans. The entire scene is pretty funny, as is the reveal of what Ulf does next. He proceeds to fly Silverwing to King’s Landing, scaring everyone below and likely impressing Ulf’s fellow barflies. And with the three dragons, Aemond is forced to retreat from Dragonstone when he tries to pursue Ulf.

There’s also more hints about the dragon in the Vale that Rhaena is looking for, but nothing comes of it…yet.

What’s in Store for the Finale

And thus, the Red Sowing comes to an end. And with how bloody it was, it seems like Rhaenrya starts to question whether or not this was worth it in the end. However, that doubt seems to have evaporated with the sight of Aemond and Vhagar. Or I might just be reading too much into her actions. Either way, Rhaenyra now has the advantage against the Greens in terms of dragons as we head into the season finale.

Yes, the show ends its second season, but the preview seems to be promising. I don’t want to spoil what might happen, but we might get a battle that’s on-par with the one we got at Rook’s Rest. Until then, though, I’m going to look back on the Red Sowing with morbid fondness. The one complaint that I might have, though, is the fact that a few dragons from the books have not been introduced. And I’m not just talking about the one in the Vale, but two other dragons.

I Give “The Red Sowing” a 4.5/5

House of the Dragon S2 Ep 6 Review

After spending most of the season dragging its feet on the matter, HoTD is finally getting somewhere with the Dragonseeds. In the books and the show’s universes, the Dragonseeds are Targaryen and Velaryon bastards with the potential to become dragon riders. While that makes them a very hot commodity in the Dance of Dragons, what interests me is how most of the named seeds come from the smallfolk. By its nature as a medieval fantasy, the smallfolk are often out of focus in the Ice and Fire franchise. Smallfolk have been essential characters, but they mainly exist on the sidelines, with most of the elites not thinking about them. However, if you’ve seen Game of Thrones, or read your history, then you should know how looking down on the smallfolk can be a terrible idea. Especially when said smallfolk could potentially bond with dragons!

Also, the title sequence starts getting updated again. It now includes the Battle at Rook’s Rest.

Don’t Underestimate the Smallfolk

As the title of the episode suggests, a good part of the episode focuses on the smallfolk. Besides scenes that focus on specific members of the smallfolk in the form of the Dragonseeds, the episode touches on how they perceive their lords and ladies. While the Great Houses make their moves in the growing civil war, the smallfolk of King’s Landing end up suffering. They’re running out of food and can’t leave the city thanks to Aemond barring the gates, and the while, they have to watch as meat gets carted off to the Red Keep and the Dragon Pit. And while the Greens are too busy fighting their war to care about them, the Blacks show us why it’s important to have the people on your side.

First, Msyaria has her spies stir up discontent among the people. Then she and Rhaenyra smuggle boats of food across the Blackwater for the people of King’s Landing.

This was a master stroke of good PR on Rhaenyra and Mysaria’s part. While Rhaenyra doesn’t wholly understand their plight, she’s pragmatic enough to recognize that having the smallfolk side with her makes her job much easier. Their plan works even better than they hoped: not only do the smallfolk of King’s Landing start Rhaenyra’s name, but the rush for food erupts into a full-blown riot that nearly kills Alicent and Helaena.

I should also point out that several scenes are focused on two smallfolk characters: Ulf the White and Hugh Hammer. Both of them have Valyrian ancestry and want to make a better life for themselves, and if the show continues following the books, they will have roles to play.

The Hulls Are Gonna Move Up in the World

Meanwhile, across the Blackwater, we have two more Dragonseeds in the form of Alyn and Addam of Hull. By now, people watching should know they’re the illegitimate sons of Corlys Velaryon. However, what sets them apart is how they each handle that. Alyn is far more guarded about that fact, believing it isn’t his place to claim his family ties and cause Corlys problems. Despite the fact that he’s not only a capable sailor, but saved Corlys’ life. In contrast, we have Addam, who wants nothing more than to move up in the world and doesn’t get why his brother isn’t taking this opportunity. He would do anything to get the chance Alyn has.

Thankfully, he does.

Seasmoke: “And THAT is how I Adopted Addam”

I can’t lie: my favorite part of the episode was the plot with Rhaenyra trying to find more dragon riders. Her plan to find descendants of the Targaryens and Velaryons in the other Houses seems solid…but the results prove otherwise. RIP to Ser Steffon Darklyn and that dragon keeper.

The sight of Seasmoke rejecting Ser Steffon symbolically represents how the Targaryens don’t have full control of the dragons and never have. The dragons are their own beings and follow their own rules, and if they don’t like someone, they will make it known. It did feel like a waste for the show not to change things up by acknowledging that in this version, Laenor’s still alive. But what happens next more than makes up for it.

As dark as it was to see Seasmoke burn two people, I thought his actions the rest of the episode were pretty funny. He basically decided “Screw this! I’m going to go pick my own rider.” He then proceeded to fly to Driftmark, single out Addam as Laenor’s half-brother, chase him down, and corner him in the forest while the man’s scared out of his mind. It reminded me of videos I’ve seen of cats running up to humans and adopting them. Because humans don’t adopt cats; cats adopt humans. It’s funny.

I Didn’t Think We’d See Paddy Again

There were plenty of other moments from the episode that I liked beyond the stuff with the smallfolk, but the best, ironically, came from the plot line that has been the season’s weakest: Dameon. This week, Daemon’s Harrenhal induced dreams revolve around his relationship with his brother and the deep-seated regret he feels. I did not expect Paddy Considine to return as Viserys, but seeing him and Matt Smith play off each other again was immensely satisfying. For all of his bluster and bad boy behavior, Daemon did care about his brother, and a part of him always regretted not being there for him when Aemma died.

The storyline culminates in an entirely new scene, where Daemon dreams of what he should’ve done. Instead of partying at a brothel, he chooses to comfort his brother as he grieves the loss of his wife and son. Had he done that, the Dance of Dragons may never have happened.

This Next Episode Could Cook

Sadly, the episode ends on the disappointing note of Rhaenyra riding out on Syrax to find Seasmoke’s new rider. However, the ending gets counter-balanced by how much “Smallfolk” set in motion. The Dragonseeds begin to enter the game, Daemon deals with his inner demons, and in the Vale, we get our first hint about the dragon that I’ve been wanting to see more than any of them. And he’s a real…sheepstealer. If you know, you know.

Also, who’s hearts melted when they saw Rhaenyra’s kids playing alongside the baby dragon?

I Give “Smallfolk” a 4/5

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.

I Give “Regent” a 3.5/5

House of the Dragon S2 Ep 4 Review

When did the Dance of the Dragons, the civil war that nearly destroyed House Targaryen, begin? The answer was simple to me: when Aemond lost control of Vhagar, and she ate Lucerys and Arrax over the Stormlands. That seemed like an appropriate opening salvo for a war. So imagine how frustrated I was to see the first few episodes of House of the Dragon’s sophomore season drag their heels on the matter. Satisfying as it was to see Rhaenyra tell Alicent how badly she misunderstood Viserys last words, I wanted more. I wanted to see the epic battles and the Dances between Dragons that give this war its name. A huge draw to the series was the promise of seeing dragons fighting dragons, which we only got once in Game of Thrones. And since that once was in the divisive “Long Night”, that wasn’t a very high bar for fans.

No more. After weeks of dealing with poorly-adapted war crimes, offscreen battles, and trying to delay the inevitable, the Dance of the Dragons gives us what we want: dragons fighting dragons, epic medieval battles, and people dying in spades. I daresay it, but this might be the best the Ice and Fire has been since Battle of the Bastards!

Aegon Finally Realizes How Much of a Loser He is

Aegon II will be known to history as Aegon the Elder, distinguishing him from Rhaenyra’s son, who shares the name. However, I have a better epithet for him: Aegon the Foolish. The show’s pulled no punches in, showing us how inept and unsuitable Aegon is to be king. He and everyone else knew it, but people wanted him to be king anyway and talked him into it. And Aegon was enough of a fool to buy the hype. But once he became king, he realized that it was just that: hype. In truth, no one sees him as a king, and this episode drives that point home. His advisors don’t respect him. He learns his Hand and brother are making war plans behind his back, with the latter insulting him in High Valyrian, which Aegon can barely speak. Even his mother, now aware thanks to Rhaenyra that Viserys never wanted him to be king, tells Aegon that no one expects him to do anything! His mother thinks he’s worthless!

Aegon may be scum and lacking as a human being, but this episode still managed to make me feel pity for him. Knowing what King’s Landing is like, he likely grew up having people tell him he was meant to be a king because he’s a man. But I’m betting that even Aegon the Conquerer would consider him a disappointment! It’s not hard to imagine how much of a negative impact that has on the man. He becomes so desperate to prove he’s not a loser that he takes his Dragon, Sunfyre, and flies out to fight the Blacks. He thinks he’s being heroic and brave! But, as this episode demonstrates, he’s not; he’s just a fool, and it’s about to cost him everything.

How happy Aegon is when he sees his Dragon Sunfyre makes things even sadder. For all his faults, he genuinely loves Sunfyre, and the feeling is mutual. If only Aegon had taken Sunfyre and fled Westeros when he could, he would have been truly happy.

The Battle of Rook’s Rest Was Franchise’s Best in Years

One of the saddest aspects of the later seasons of Game of Thrones is how much the large-scale battles decayed in quality. By the time of the final season, the series had abandoned any sense of tactics or strategy in favor of the mindless charging headfirst that’s all too common in Hollywood. Instead of making the show look good, all it did was make the characters taking part look stupid, culminating in the final battle against the White Walkers. Many of the casualties we saw (when we could) could’ve been avoided if the living had a plan in mind.

Thankfully, the first large, onscreen battle in House of the Dragon avoids that pitfall.

Criston Cole and Aemond launch a siege on Rook’s Rest, the last Black stronghold in the Crownlands, to draw out Rhaenyra or one of her dragon riders. And, thankfully, House of the Dragon gets how to portray medieval battles. We see Green warriors moving in organized units, planning out their attack and not just mindlessly rushing the castle walls like idiots. The result is a sense of realism that late GoT failed to demonstrate. The fact that the battle was filmed in the same woods used for the opening to Gladiator only makes the entire thing even cooler than it already is. This! This is what the fans have wanted for years!

As good as that is, it’s just the appetizer before the main course.

The First Dance of the Dance of the Dragons

While Rhaenyra and Jace wanted to go to Rook’s Rest, Rhaenys is smart enough not to let them take the bait. Unfortunately, she’s not smart enough to ask others to accompany him, leaving her to face the Greens alone and giving us the first true dragon-on-dragon battle of the Dance of the Dragons.

Since Danaerys had the only known dragons left in the world, we didn’t get to see dragon fights in Game of Thrones until near the end, and the one against the undead Viserion was pretty lackluster. Seeing a real fight between dragons was one of the big selling points for the prequel, and the show did not disappoint! It was as brutal, violent, and fiery as fans expected. And even though I already knew how things would play out, I still felt my jaw drop at the outcome.

F in the chat for Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen who never was, and Meleys, the Red Queen. They died, but at least they went out like badasses. As an aside, I couldn’t help but feel sad when I saw Meleys use her last moments to look at Rhaenys. Dragons may be unable to speak, but I could tell Meleys was asking Rhaenys to forgive her for letting her down.

That isn’t even the most surprising moment of the episode, though. It’s what happens afterward.

I Think Aemond Tried to Commit Regicide

Ever since I saw Aemond claim Vhagar as his Dragon, I thought he would make a better king than his brother. Looking back, I was impressed by the feat he pulled off, as he’d likely be no better a king than Aegon is. However, that won’t matter, as Aemond made a play for the Iron Throne.

Aemond ordering Vhagar to attack Rhaenys and Meleys while his brother was still fighting wasn’t just him being reckless. I think Aemond was trying to kill his brother, having become fed up with him after years of being belittled. The fact that Criston finds him standing over the mauled Sunfyre with his sword drawn and holding the crown and dagger of Aegon’s namesake proves it to me. If Criston hadn’t shown up, Aemond might have killed Aegon then and there. He might have even tried to kill Sunfyre. In addition to being a kinslayer, he’d be a kinslayer and a dragonslayer.

Aegon remains alive, but from what I remember from the books, he’s going to wish he had died that day. And Aemond can act as king in all but name. And with Rhaenys and Meleys dead, neither side has won anything.

Finally, House of the Dragon is Showing What it’s Made of!

Now that’s more like it, HBO. This was everything that the fans had been wanting for the Dance of the Dragons and then some. And this isn’t even the halfway point for the season. I can’t guarantee it, but I hope we see even more battles like this! This was the best the franchise has been since the Battle of the Bastards eight years ago! And plenty of others seem to agree. Just look at the ratings.

And that’s not even getting into the other storylines from this episode, like Corlys bastard sons or how Harrenhal is getting to Daemon. This was everything that I’ve wanted from the show, and I cannot wait until next Sunday to see where we go from here!

I Give “The Red Dragon and the Gold” a 5/5