Monday, October 3, 2022

House of the Dragon, “The Princess and the Queen” - Part Two, Review!

The part two of "The Princess and the Queen" pushes Rhaenyra to make an important decision, Alicent conspiring, and Daemon faces a mirror of the first episode!  At the King’s Small Council, a dispute between the Blackwoods and the Brackens is brought up, Alicent passes it to Lord Blackwood’s son.  Still, Rhaenyra knows they are in a blood feud, this what she saw on her marriage tour in “King of the Narrow Sea.” She tells the Hand, Lord Strong, that the commoners would know the boundaries for the territories.  Alicent passes it off, Rhaenyra shows she’s the wiser leader, point Rhaenyra.  Lord Tyland Lannister, Master of Ships, moves the topic to the Stepstones, shifts to Daemon, whom Alicent says left the Stepstones.  Rhaenyra says that the kingdom has left the Stepstones without defenses; forts, watch towers, and ships.  Alicent says it is too costly, Rhaenyra says war is more expensive.  Another point for Rhaenyra.  The queen ends the session, King Viserys agrees, Rhaenyra has something to say.  

Viserys has everyone sit down, Alicent stands with an imperious look, Rhaenyra wants to end the conflict with Alicent.  She apologiezes and makes the proposal of her son, Jacaerys, take the Iron Throne and marry Alicent’s daughter, Helaena.  They will rule togther which makes Viserys happy.  This is not an outcome that Alicent’s father, Otto Hightower, had said would happen.  She adds that if Syrax has eggs, then Aemon can choose one of them.  Very generous since the Hightowers and Viserys have no dragons.  Alicent says she will consider it, foolish, and has Viserys rest.  He could have certified his daughter’s proposal then and there.  As they walk as king and queen, Viserys agrees, and Alicent wants to reject the proposal.   She doesn’t see unity, she sees that Rhaenyra sending away her father unforgiveable, to Viserys she says he can rule as he wants when she is dead.  Cheap tactic.  Alicent doesn’t play the Game of Thrones well.  She has turned from  kind queen into Cersei Lannister without the venom.   



The king sits in his chair and the Hand arrives, Alicent says her husband needs rest, but Viserys says he will talk with Lord Strong.  He wants to give up being the Hand due to the actions of his son, Ser Harwin, fighting with Ser Criston in the yard.  Viserys says his son is out of the City’s Watch.  Still, Lord Strong does not change his mind. Viserys gets out of his chair, disappointed how loyal Lyonel Strong has been as Hand for a decade.  He wants to know the reason and Alicent seconds it.  She has her connections with Ser Criston.  It’s ok to set up others, but not when it happens to you?  Viserys refuses the resignation.  The Hand says he must take his son back to Harrenhal to prepare to be in charge of it.  Viserys agrees and Alicent leaves.  What he really should do is exile Ser Criston not only for the fight, but for killing Ser Joffrey at his daughter’s wedding!  


Alicent walks down a hallway, upset, then goes to her room.  Waiting there is Larys Strong, I don’t trust him, and continues his meal.  Larys is the Wormtongue of Westros.  He does not know about the meeting with his father and the king.  Alicent informs him and Larys says his honor is his weakness.  We can easily see that Alicent needs her father back as Hand.  She wants someone in her corner, Larys says nothing, he is trying to play the Game of Thrones with Alicent as his pawn.  In the dungeons, we see the worn faces of prisoners, then we see the cane with a bug, a firefly.  Yes, it belongs to his brother, who smiles.  He offers them freedom, but takes their tongues in very painful ways.  At Pentos, Laena is screaming with a difficult birth, Daemon watches silently.  The surgeon says the baby is not being birthed and that a blade may work.  We go back to the birth of Aemma in the first episode, oh no.  Laena, bloody, stumbles over to her dragon, Vhagar.  



She pleads for him, “Dracarys!”, again and again, but her dragon ignores her.  Daemon starts to run towards her.  Vhagar draws back, we see the fire roiling in his gullet, and Daemon watches as the dragon bathes her in fire, a dragonrider’s death.  Rhaenyra rocks baby Joffrey, Ser Harwin says his goodbyes to her sons, and he promises to return.  Harwin says goodbye to Rhaenyra and leaves.  Jace asks his mother if Harwin is his father.  Lil’ Jacaerys is like Jon Snow!  She says he is Targaryen like Jon Snow.  In the courtyard, Laenor is dueling with Qarl, Rhaenyra watches them.  Qarl wins the duel and Rhaenyra asks to speak to her husband.  Laenor if “he”, Harwin, is gone.  Rhaenyra says they are leaving.  He wonders about her offer, but it is just rumors now, so they are headed to Dragonstone.  She also asks Laenor to bring him, “Qarl.”  A royal procession heads to Harrenhal, three men watch them, silent because they have no tongues.  They wear the firefly badges.


Lord Strong wakes up coughing, Harwin is shouting about the fire, then fiery roof parts fall on him!  I never trusted Larys.  We hear his words about children being a weakness, not a legacy?  At dawn, Rhaenyra walks with her children over the bridge to Dragonstone.  The three assassins see bodies of Lyonel and Harwin’s bodies taken on stretchers.  The daughters of Laena see her body from the parapet along with Daemon.  Alicent realizes that her advisor is a Kinslayer.  This is all to get Otto Hightower to return as the Hand.  Alicent’s word goes very far, just get Ser Criston or some other knight to push him out of the  tower, and say he plotted to have his father and brother killed.  Alicent is pushing events towards her father's prediction, I'm on Team Rhaenyra, it looks like the toes are tapping to the Dance of the Dragons!  Maybe Daemon will join her, but there may be dragons for Aegon and Jacaerys.  This is a grim episode of House of the Dragon, we know that Rhaenyra is good for the Seven Kingdoms, leaving the corruption and bullies at King’s Landing!      


Four Dragon Saddles out of Five!       


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