House of the Dragon continues with "The Rogue Prince", questions of King Viserys' rule, political forces, and Daemon Targaryen's actions! Re:cap - the Heir’s Tournament begins, Ser Criston is matched against Daemon Targaryen. King Viserys tries to comfort Queen Aemma, she sees the knife and starts screaming, Grand Maester Mellos cuts her open! This is so disturbing even after the violence of Game of Thrones that viewers should be warned. Ser Criston batters Daemon with his flail and then forces him to yield. By the Blackwater Bay, the funeral pyre of the queen and we see sadly, her son. Daemon has Rhaenyra walk up to her dragon, Syrax, and I know the word, but was tense when it was said, “Dracarys.” At the Small Council, the question of succession is argued, overheard by Daemon. In the Tower of the Hand, Otto High Tower sends a raven to Oldtown, his castle. He sends his daughter, Alicient, to comfort the king. Viserys works on a white city model of Valyria like the models seen in the Game of Thrones titles.
At a brothel, Mysaria encourages Daemon to make a speech, this is reported on by Otto Hightower the next day. The prince has called the lost child, the “Heir for a Day”! Viserys confronts his brother with the speech the next day while on the Iron Throne with his Valyrian sword, Blackfyre. He orders Daemon back to the Vale and his wife. The giant, black skull of Balerion, the dragon of Aegon the Conqueror, is surrouned by candles. This is where Viserys meets with Rhaenyra and says that she has her mother’s best qualities. He explains that Aegon had a dream that is called “The Song of Ice and Fire”! This is the name of George R.R. Martin’s book series! The next day, the lords bend their knees to the king and his heir, Rhaenyra! Prince Daemon rides with Mysaria on his dragon, Caraxes, to the Vale. We get the familiar GoT theme to an epic title scene with compass-like symbols sending blood pouring down stone channels of the ancient capital, Valyria.
Tiny crabs pick at skeletal remains and survivors of a battle on a beach. Reminders of the pirate, the Crabfeeder! Viserys in Small Council asks about the replacement for Ser Ryam of the Kingsguard. Rhaenyra quietly pours drinks as the cupbearer. Ser Harold Westerling has five candidates to replace Ser Ryam. Lord Corlys bursts in frustrated at the loss of four ships to the Triarchy at the Stepstones. Viserys says he will reject war with the Free Cities that he says are supplying the pirates. Corlys sees no threat to the pirates with Daemon taking over Dragonstone with his gold cloaks for half a year. Viserys says he is sending ambassadors. Rhaenyra brings up the dragonriders to her father. Instead, Viserys has Ser Harold take her to choose the next knight who will also be her protector. Otto Hightower introduces the knights while Princess Rhaenys watches. Rhaenyra wants a knight who actually fought battles.
The next candidate is Ser Criston Cole who has fought in the Dornish invaders. She tells Lord Hightower that Ser Criston will be the protector. King Viserys shows Alicent his Valyria model and remarks about the thousand dragons and its great navy. Alicent asks him if Westeros could be like Valyria and Viserys holds the model of Balerion and drops it on the floor. He asks Alicent about his daughter who doesn’t really speak to him. At the Sept with rings of candles, Alicient talks with Rhaenyra about the king, and then has them both pray. Alicent to her mother and she has Rhaenyra pray to the gods. She also confides that she has to start a conversation with her father. Viserys meets with Rhaenys and Corlys, the latter of whom sees the threats to the Red Keep. Corlys tells Viserys that he can marry his daughter, Laena, to have the last Valyrian houses together. At dinner, Rhaenyra and Viserys eat quietly, and then she is interested in talking with her father. Rhaenyra brings up that Ser Criston would make an excellent knight for the Kingsguard.
Later, Otto Hightower has prepared maggots to take care of Viserys pinkie finger turned black. The king brings up the meeting with Corlys and Rhaenys. Also, the marriage with Lady Laena, this surprises Lord Hightower. Corlys watches as the king walks with his young daughter (Nova Foueillis-Mosé). The white wig for the actress doesn’t seem right. She asks about his riding of Balerion and then about the marriage. Rhaenyra also watches her father and the girl walking together. She passes by Rhaenys sitting on a bench. The Queen that Never Was says that Viserys will remarry and have a child to replace Rhaenyra. Not very supportive of a potential queen on the Iron Throne. Viserys at a meal talks about the Small Council’s decision with Alicent. It seems like Hightower wants his daughter to be the king’s confidante, but as a wife, it’s more like the Friend Zone. She has brought him a gift, a broken piece of Balerion, which she had restored.
Her father, the Hand, enters and says he asked for an emergency session. An old man speaks in Valyrian about a thief that stole a dragon egg! Daemon has taken it and left behind a letter noting that he will have another wife, Lady Mysaria. She is going to have a baby and Daemon announces that the dragon egg will be placed with the child. The Small Council reacts, but Rhaenyra interrupts them in High Valyrian asking which dragon egg was taken. The dragonkeeper says it was Dreamfyre’s egg. This was chosen by Rhaenyra for Prince Baelon! Lord Hightower offers to go to Dragonstone. Later, Alicient helps her father with his armor, he sees that her nervousness has bloodied her nails. They are joined by Ser Criston who says twenty guards and Ser Harrold will protect him. The misty island in Blackwater Bay, across from King’s Landing, the Hand’s group meets with Daemon, Mysaria, and their guards.
Daemon has the dragon egg in his hands, Lord Hightower orders him to turn over Dragonstone, and Ser Criston notes he defeated the prince. Otto’s constant demeaning of Mysaria has her with a solemn face. They draw swords! Otto hears the movement as Caraxes appears and roars! Lord Hightower orders his guards to put away their swords. They hear another sound coming from the mists! It is Rhaenyra on Syrax, stalemate! She lands her on the bridge behind Hightower’s men. Rhaenyra walks up to her uncle and says her father made her Princess of Dragonstone. She continues that he stole her brother’s dragon egg. He says it is for his child, turns to Mysaria, and it is clear she is not pregnant so Mysaria leaves. Rhaenyra says she is the reason why he was not made the heir so asks him to kill her. The defiance by Alcock against Smith who seems like he is out of his league here! Daemon walks away and tosses her the dragon egg. Everyone appears to have underestimated Rhaenyra. “The Rogue Prince” has excellent character moments, political machinations, and the aftermath of last episode’s end!
Four Dragon Saddles out of Five!
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