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House of the Dragon S3 Ep 3 Review

Well, Rhaenyra got what she wanted. King’s Landing is hers, and with it, the Iron Throne that she was promised. Otto is dead at her hands, and Aegon is on the run m. She should be happy that she’s righted this injustice towards her, but she’s not. Far from it, this entire episode demonstrates that the Iron Throne has become a curse. And while the show doesn’t show the Throne cutting her like in the books (yet), it comes up with an even better metaphor for her rule already starting to crumble: rats. There are already rats in the Red Keep, and the symbolism the show gives them in this episode is just amazing. And that’s not even getting into its name, either.

Rhaenyra is in a Worse State than Ever

I heard tell that the last two episodes of HOTD were actually meant to be the finale for season two. If that’s the case, then I think the second season would not have been so heavily criticized. More importantly, though, it feels like this episode is the start of an entirely new season. And unfortunately for Rhaenyra, she’s not starting things off on a high note.

To put it bluntly, Rhaenyra’s household is in shambles. King’s Landing is starving from lack of food, partially thanks to her blockade and the nobles’ hoarding it. In addition, the Greens saw fit to pilfer the Crown’s treasury and move it elsewhere, leaving her short on money. Now she can’t pay anyone or help people get back on their feet. And to make matters worse, the Red Keep is dealing with an infestation of rats.

Rats are Everywhere in the Red Keep

The rats are a very big symbol throughout this episode. Throughout history, they have been maligned as harbingers of plague and death, as while they themselves are often very diligent with their hygiene, they carry diseases and parasites. Hence why they are so hated by most other beings. And in this case, the constant presence of rats is meant to symbolize what Rhaenyra’s status is like right now: it’s rotting from the inside out. And nowhere is this better shown than with Rhaenyra herself.

The thing I hate the most about the world of Ice and Fire is just how much it beats down good people. Like her descendant, Daenerys, Rhaenyra has the potential to be a truly great leader. However, because of the mistakes she makes and the actions of the buffoons around her, she isn’t getting the chance to be the leader she could have been. It also doesn’t help that she’s trying to act like her father, Viserys, ignoring the fact that while he was a good man, he was a weak king. She’s getting no chance to show what she can do, mostly because she is a woman. Even the Faith is getting bold enough to defy her, saying her dragons are abominations.

Putting the Rats in their Place

Now, the way that Rhaenyra tries to assert her dominance and gain some favor is pretty badass. She gets rid of the rats by feeding them to her loyal nobles as a show of force. She takes their hoarded food and gives it to the poor. It’s a pretty badass way to let everyone know that she is in charge, and in a kinder world, this would be enough. But it ain’t. Coryls criticizes her for refusing to legitimize his sons, potentially costing her her biggest ally. And then there are the problems outside of King’s Landing.

At the beginning of the episode, we saw Lord Ormund Hightower apparently bend the knee to Daemon and head home. Daemon captures the youngest of Viserys and Alicent’s children, Daeron, AKA the only decent kid besides Helaena. However, it is a ruse. Honestly, the fact that his dragon, Tessarion, didn’t react should have been a dead giveaway that Daemon should have seen. And the worst part? Ormund has now taken Tumbleton, a town on the road to King’s Landing.

Yeah, is it any wonder that Rhaenyra is starting to lose it? Emma D’arcy is knocking it out of the park showing just much she’s starting to lose it.  I love it.

I Give “Rhaenyra Triumphant” a 4/5

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

6 Biggest Deaths in Season 2 of Game of Thrones

With Ned Stark’s wrongful execution at the hands of Joffrey, any chance of peace in the Seven Kingdoms went up in smoke. Now the War of the Five Kings has begun, and lots of people are going to die.

Season Two of Game of Thrones continued the momentum that started in the first, as the war for Westeros began in earnest. More people began to drop like flies, and here I am, trying to talk about it. With six days left until the final season begins, our look back continues with the 6 biggest deaths in Season Two of Game of Thrones.

Now, in the immortal words of the most useless King in Westeros: KILL THEM ALL!

#6- The High Septon, “The Old Gods and the New”

This guy was a nobody, at least to us viewers. In Westeros, he was the head of the Faith of the Seven, making him the Seven Kingdoms equivalent to the Pope. Not even that title was enough to save him, though. After Joffrey’s stupidity causes the Riots in King’s Landing, the starving refugees surround the unfortunate man and then tear him to pieces.

I think that this death is important because it shows just how far Westeros has fallen since King Robert’s death. The people are so desperate that, if given the chance, they would attack the royal family and nobility. Even the leader of their religion, which is a big part of their lives, isn’t safe from their baser instincts. Everyone watching shared Tyrion’s terrified look.

#5- Qhorin, “Valar Morghulis”

This guy was one of the best members of the Night’s Watch, and he had the battle scars to prove it. Nicknamed Qhorin Halfhand after losing most of the fingers on one hand fighting a Freefolk, Qhorin was said to be able to survive an entire winter Beyond the Wall by himself. Considering how that’s where Freefolk, Giants, and the White Walkers live, that’s an impressive feat.

In the end, Qhorin ends up dying at the hands of Jon Snow, though of his own volition. When both were captured by Freefolk, Qhorin pretended to try and kill Jon so that he would be in place to spy on the enemy from within, then sacrifices himself as the last piece of the puzzle.

Qhorin’s sacrifice would lead to Jon’s story arc among the Freefolk throughout Season Three. This would ultimately lead to Jon deciding to save them from the true enemy, the White Walkers. The Freefolk would return the favor time and again, become some of Jon’s biggest allies in the fight against the White Walkers. Your death was not in vain, Qhorin.

#4 -Pyat Pree, “Valar Morghulis”

From the moment I first saw Pyat Pree of the Warlocks of Qarth, I thought he was a creep. My feelings became justified when the Warlocks and Xaro teamed up to take over Qarth and imprison Daenerys and her infant dragons. Their plan was to keep them locked up forever and use the dragons inherent connection to magic to strengthen their power. Daenerys just said one word to them: dracarys. And Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion burn the jerk down.

This death is important on a number of levels. First, this marks the first time that Dany’s dragon children kill a person. That’s the equivalent of them taking their first steps. Second, it let’s everyone, and I mean everyone know that if they think they can use Daenerys Targaryen for her power, they will die. Having spent most of Season Two relying on the help of others, Daenerys finally lets everyone know who the boss is.

# 3- Billy and Jack “A Man Without Honor”

Another example of two nobodies whose deaths had a big impact on the show. After Bran and Rickon manage to escape Theon’s occupation of Winterfell, the man begins a desperate search to get them back. To the North’s horror and rage, it appears that he flat out killed them, putting their burned corpses on display for all to see.

In reality, though, Bran, Rickon, and their group had doubled back and hid in the crypts of Winterfell. The boys Theon killed were two orphans that Bran sent to a nearby farm.

The deaths of these two would have huge ramifications, both good and bad. On the one hand, everyone in Westeros thought Bran and Rickon were dead, letting them move around easier. On the other hand, everyone in Westeros thought they were dead. Catelyn died thinking all her sons were dead. While Rickon would later die by Ramsay Bolton’s hands, Bran would survive to play a key role in the war against the White Walkers. As for Theon, he deeply regrets what he did, and now seeks to atone for his sins. Rest in Piece, Billy and Jack

# 2- King Robert’s Bastards, “The North Remembers”

What do you do when you’re King and want to want to keep that crown on your head? Kill off everyone who may have a better claim to the throne than you. When Joffrey learns that his “father”, Robert Baratheon, had dozens of illegitimate children in King’s Landing, he has the Gold Cloaks kill any in the capital they can find. He feared, correctly I may add, that his enemies would say they had a better claim to the Iron Throne than he did.

While it did help secure his hold on the Iron Throne for a while, Joffrey’s purge of Robert’s Bastards backfired and hurt his and the Lannister’s image, badly. It also drove the point home that anyone with royal or noble blood in them, even if they didn’t know it, had a target on their back.

Despite Joffrey’s efforts, though, he missed one: Gendry the Blacksmith. As of the start of Season Eight, Gendry is the last surviving descendant of House Baratheon. If the show is willing to let it happen, then Gendry will live to become Gendry Baratheon, Lord of the Stormlands. That’s my hope at least.

#1- Renly Baratheon, “The Ghost of Harrenhal”

Of all the deaths in Season Two, this one had the biggest ramifications. Renly Baratheon was the youngest of his siblings, and unlike Robert and Stannis, he was never a warrior. Yet when Robert was about to kick the bucket, Renly was the first to try and grab the Iron Throne. And he took a huge chunk of the Baratheon forces with him.

When it became apparent that Renly was willing to fight his own brother Stannis (and probably win), Stannis was willing to resort to using blood magic to assassinate Renly in his own camp. Thus, the first of the Five Kings fell.

Renly’s death was both shocking and a game-changer. It led to Stannis gaining control of most of the Baratheon forces, and we know how that turned it. On a personal level, it led to Brienne dedicating herself to avenging her King’s death, something that she would eventually do. No one knew it at the time, either, but it was the beginning of the end of House Baratheon.

Do you agree with my picks? What deaths do you remember the most from Season Two? Let me Know!

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