In this ep. of House of the Dragon, the aftermath of the Battle of the Stepstones, Rhaenyra ends her marriage tour, and Daemon returns! Re:cap - “Second of His Name”, at the Battle of the Step Stones, mentions that there should a fleshy volunteer when Caraxes lands. Ser Leonor, Corlys Velaryon’s nephew, says it should be Daemon. The knight prince walks down and a messenger arrives with a letter from the king. Daemon casually reads it and then bashes the messager with his helmet. We hear the words of King Viserys sending ten ships to support the battle. He seems concerned. A boat rowed by Daemon crosses the wreckage of the Narrow Sea. Daemon wakes a white flag standing on the battlefield. The Crabfeeder, Craghas Drahas, appears and Daemon holds up his sword, Dark Sister. The Crabfeeder can see no dragon in the sky. Troops approach Daemon as archers nock their bows on a cliffside. Daemon knees and his sword is taken away. He suddenly stabs the man with a dagger and takes Dark Sister to hack at soldiers. Daemon runs for cover as arrows fly! He cuts down more soldiers while running. Drahas sends out more warriors.
The Crabfeeder again calls in reinforcements, seemingly none of them are struck by arrows!, while cutting the neck of a soldier, Daemon is hit by arrows. He takes cover under some wreckage and tears out the arrows. Daemon appears to be weak and Drahas’ army starts to swarm out towards him! He limps out surrounded by warriors. Then, Corlys Velaryon’s army is there! The Crabfeeders’ men are roasted! It is the dragon Seasmoke ridden by Ser Laenor! So if there are two dragons, why doesn’t one cut off the Crabfeeder’s retreat and the forward element burned by Caraxes? Seasmoke burns all of the archers. The battle between the Sea Snake and the Crabfeeder’s army continues. I think a better strategy would be to have Seasmoke land behind the enemy and start tearing them apart and then press Velaryon’s men forward. Drahas runs for the cave. The Sea Snake is deadly in the battle. Daemon, covered in blood, walks out of the cave with half of Craghas Drahas’ body! We pick up with close-ups of Rhaenyra fingering her Valyrian steel necklace from Daemon.
At the castle of Storm’s End, Lord Berric Dendarrion drones on about Blackhaven. He pauses to take a drink then continues on. Rhaenyra interrupts the elderly man about the beauty of Alyssane Targaryen which he says was a half century ago. The others laugh at her remark. Lord Boremund Baratheon says this was rude, but Rhaenyra says a man older than her father asking to marry her is disrespectful. He calls for the next marriage candidate, William Blackwood, a boy. The boy nervously goes over his house, but is mocked by Jerrel Bracken. They draw swords and Rhaenyra leaves with Ser Criston. William kills Jerrel. On a ship with a black sail and red Targaryen symbol, Rhaenyra stares at the Red Keep. Ser Criston notes that she cancelled the tour two months early. They hear from the sky a dragon, that batters the ship, Rhaenyra sees that it is Caraxes. King Viserys is given his crown and sword, Blackfyre, as the Kingsguard enters. Rhaenyra is among the crowd whispering about Daemon. He walks in with a crown and in armor. Ser Harrold Westerling keeps Daemon at swordpoint.
Daemon drops the war hammer of the Crabfeeder and says with the defeat of the Triarchy he was made King of the Narrow Sea! Daemon kneels and offers his crown and the Stepstones. He explains that Lord Corlys returned to the Driftmark. Viserys looks to Lord Hightower and gives the Stepstones crown to a knight. Game, set, match Lord Hightower! Whatever brutality Daemon has done, this victory was pivotal. The courtiers are silent. Viserys has his brother stand and they hug while the crowd claps. They walk away. At a celebration feast at the Weirwood, Viserys admits he is not the warrior as his brother. Rhaenyra congradulates her uncle. Queen Alicent, no longer with child, tries to invite Daemon to see the new trapetries, but the two brothers start laughing. Where are the children by the way? Rhaenyra leaves alone. Alicient joins her and thinks Rhaenyra’s courtiers is fortunate. Rhaenyra says she doesn’t want to be trapped in a castle and made to give birth to heirs, burn for Alicent! She feels alone as queen. Rhaenyra says she misses their friendship.
Daemon closes his eyes by the Weirwood tree. Rhaenyra asks him in High Valyrian why he has returned. Daemon says he misses home and that they haven’t seen each other in four years. They speak in High Valyrian, I think when they do this show screams out Game of Thrones!, he thinks Rhenyra married off is good, but that his wife is troublesome. Alcock and Smith are great scene partners! At the Small Council, they discuss the matter of Lord Velaryon. Lord Hightower notes that he heard from Oldtown that Corlys is going to match his daughter, Laena, to the son of Sealord of Braavos, makes sense to me. He says that this would make a bond with the Free Cities. Servants bring candles to the room of the queen who is trying to calm her crying baby. Rhaenyra says good night to Ser Cirston standing outside her door. She goes in and empties a bag that has clothes and a map. From her room, Rhaenyra opens a secret passage, now in normal clothes, follows a corridor down stairs. This leads to the skull of Balerion. She meets Daemon, in a hooded robe, who takes her to the rowdy Street of Silk.
King Viserys is having a bath, we can see his left hand has a single finger, Alicent takes over a cloth from an attendant and sends everyone away. I do like the contrast of commoners and royalty, Rhaenyra needs to know both. Street performers play the story of the Targaryens with the Iron Chair drama. Rhaenyra hears the boos from naming her heir. The player as Rhaenyra sits on the throne like a toilet as she is mocked. Aegon, the son, is cheered. Rhaenyra boos and leaves, Daemon tells her that the smallfolk want Aegon to be king. She pretends to steal a fruit and runs while Daemon says he will chase her. In an alley, a knight catches her, Rhaenyra recognizes him as Ser Harwin. Daemon catches up to her and they walk down another alley. A messenger tells Queen Alicent in bed that the king asks for her. Naked dancers perform and then we see Viserys, scarred back, on top of Alicent who makes no word, just stares. Daemon removes their disguises as they enter a pleasure house. Then, Daemon kisses Rhaenyra, a Targaryen tradition. Daemon leaves and Rhaenyra returns to the castle. Ser Criston is surprised when she returns to her room. She playfully takes away Ser Criston’s helmet to kiss him. We kinda knew both would happen, but in one night?
Four Dragon Saddles out of Five!
#HouseOfTheDragon, #KingOfTheNarrowSea, #MillyAlcock, #MattSmith, #EmilyCarey, #PaddyConsidine, #FabienFrankel, #RhysIfans, #GrahamMcTavish
No comments:
Post a Comment