credit: House of the Dragon
Things are moving right along, and getting worse as they go when it comes to the house of Targaryen. It’s fair to say that Rheanyra feels as though she’s getting little to no actual attention other than to be married off to an arrogant Lannister lord, which is custom, unfortunately. Daemon is still doing his own thing and fighting against the Crabfeeder, while the king is slowly but surely finding that his rule is anything but blessed. In fact, during the customary hunt that takes place during this episode, it can be seen how far the king is falling into madness, though he hasn’t fallen headlong just yet. Things are only getting worse, and the great houses feel as though they’re held together by threads ready to snap. The time jump experienced in this episode is enough to disorient anyone who hasn’t been paying attention up to this point. Still, if one has no trouble realizing that the queen has given birth to a male heir, and is pregnant with yet another child, then they’ll know that things are progressing as they should.
credit: House of the Dragon
It’s very easy to feel sorry for Rhaenyra, but not pity.
This isn’t a woman that wants pity, though she does desire to follow her own path, which is not the way things tend to go in Westeros when one is royalty and expected to do their duty. But despite the tense meeting she has with her father and the general idea that she and her friend Alicent are not on the same page any longer since technically, the queen is now Rhaenyra’s stepmother, not to mention she has given birth to the child that will easily take the throne from his older sister when he comes of age. Aegon obviously has no knowledge of this at the age of 2, but the princess is a little too well aware of the machinations that will take place when it comes to keeping Aegon on the throne and her wed to a lord that she possibly can’t stand. At the very least, Rhaenyra does have a companion in the knight that guards her, and they do manage to share a couple of moments in the woods, such as when they kill a wild boar that attacks them, and when they witness the white hart that the king and his men were after.
Despite his good fortune, things don’t appear to be going Viserys’ way at the moment.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown, right? That’s never been more true than now in Westeros since the rule of the Targaryens is nowhere near as secure as it was when the crown was passed at the beginning of the season. Infighting and intrigues are often the true enemies of the court, and the time is coming when the platinum-haired lords and ladies will come to blows over the right of succession, and civil war will tear the house apart in a manner that their enemies could only dream about. The feeling that this is coming is inevitable since it’s already well-known from Game of Thrones that the house tore itself apart at one point, and that the other houses rose up against them eventually. But it’s still fun to see the details.
credit: House of the Dragon
Daemon’s situation has not improved, but things take a serious turn in this episode.
The Crabfeeder has still been a major problem for the shipping lanes, but with Daemon presenting himself on the battlefield, it’s been clear that the two opposing forces have been a little more, even since a dragon does tend to lend a serious advantage. But even with this in mind, it does appear that it takes a seriously bold attempt to flush the Crabfeeder out and make certain that his forces are eradicated. When Daemon is given a missive by his brother, stating that he will finally help the effort, he goes absolutely nuts and takes on the Crabfeeder’s forces on his own before the Velaryon forces bolster his efforts and take the beach. With the aid of two more dragon riders and Daemon’s murderous approach, the enemy has literally torn apart the final shot of Daemon covered in the blood of Drahar is chilling since it makes clear the fact that Daemon, petty and arrogant as he is, still stands out as a highly-trained warrior that’s not to be messed with.
Civil war is coming within the house of the dragon.
At this point, it’s becoming repetitive, but it’s still important to take note since the elements leading up to it are still being gathered. Between births, deaths, marriages, and political maneuvering, this show is shaping up to be a barn burner by the time the first season is done. There are still more time jumps to come, but it feels safe to say that once things really get moving, the show will become a chaotic mess filled with blood and dragon fire.
Personally, I can’t wait.
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