In the latest episode of House of the Dragon, the Queen and her new advisor continue to devise cunning plans that unleash chaos upon King’s Landing. Their collaboration brings them closer together than ever before. The episode begins with the return of Lord Jason Lannister, who had previously courted Rhaenyra in the first season. Notably, Lord Jason Lannister is the twin brother of Tyland, the Master of Coin, both portrayed by Jefferson Hall. Accompanied by his formidable forces, Jason Lannister arrives at the Golden Tooth, the stronghold of House Lefford, setting the stage for further intrigue and political maneuvering.
Jason won’t move his forces without Aemond and Vhagar’s protection. When the Prince Regent hears this in King’s Landing, he says, “I am the Prince Regent, not a dog to be called to heel!”
Alicent tries to be diplomatic, but Aemond ignores her and wants to ally with the Triarchy to break the blockade of the gullet. His Small Council warns that the Free Cities can’t be trusted, and it’s too risky to allow pirates into King’s Landing waters. Alicent reminds him that his father, Viserys, knew not to trust the Triarchy, but Aemond dismisses her from the council.
Aemond, consumed by his thirst for power, dismisses Ser Criston’s concerns about their reduced forces and the formidable warrior Daemon. He arrogantly declares his readiness to face the challenge posed by his uncle, showing a blatant disregard for the plight of his starving people in King’s Landing. As Aemond becomes increasingly fixated on breaking the blockade and emulating Aegon’s tactics, he fails to recognize the insidious threat posed by the unrest within the city walls. The stark dichotomy between the opulent banquets at the Red Keep and the dire scarcity faced by the common folk, underscored by Ulf’s reference to Viserys’ neglect of his people, serves as a poignant reminder of Aemond’s callous indifference.
When Rhaenyra secretly brings food to the common people with ships flying her banner, chaos erupts in the streets of King’s Landing. Alicent and Helaena get caught in the violent riot. They escape the Great Sept amidst chants of “Long live Queen Rhaenyra!” and “She still cares for us!” The common people attack the Kingsguard and throw rotten fish at both queens. Aemond not only alienates the common people, but also those on his council. With the current Hand of the King on the way to Harrenhal, Larys (Matthew Needham) tries to take his place, but Aemond sharply rejects him. He further antagonizes Larys by insisting on Otto Hightower’s return as Hand, saying, “My grandfather may be overly cautious, but his dedication to his family has never been in question.” The Prince Regent’s plans could face disruption, as King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) is proving to be more resilient than expected. Despite being permanently disabled, he regains consciousness. During a visit from his brother, he claims to remember nothing, but his fear makes it clear that he is not telling the truth. An upset Larys visits Aegon’s bedside to warn him that his life is in danger as long as Aemond is in power. Aegon, who has been underestimated due to his disability, can use this to his advantage. He hears these words and pleads, “Help me.”
Daemon is back in the Throne Room for another vision. This time, his brother Viserys (played by Paddy Considine) returns to confront him about the incident involving the “Heir for a Day.” Daemon is surprised that his brother is still upset about this. As Viserys becomes emotional, Daemon is touched and sheds tears. When Daemon tries to leave, he finds the doors locked. After the doors finally open, he encounters Sir Simon Strong (played by Sir Simon Russell Beale). Daemon accuses Simon of being two-faced, but Simon quiets him down.
Daemon was at his breaking point and decided that he couldn’t stand staying in the current place any longer. As he made his way to Caraxes, he unexpectedly encountered Alys Rivers (played by Gayle Rankin) in the Weirwood. She confronted him about his habit of fleeing whenever trouble arose. Daemon, realizing his vulnerability, humbly asked for her help in gaining the support of the Riverlords.
Alys was taken aback to see the mighty Daemon Targaryen in such a diminished state. She pointed out that the Riverlords were heavily influenced by House Tully, especially with the ailing Grover Tully leading them. She advised Daemon to bide his time, stating that “in three days time, the winds will shift.”
Despite his desire to leave, Daemon decided to heed Alys’s counsel. His decision was soon followed by a poignant encounter with Viserys, who was mourning the loss of his beloved wife, Aemma. Touched by his brother’s pain, Daemon embraced Viserys and uttered the words, “You needed me. I’m here now.”
Soon, Daemon received news that Lord Grover Tully had passed away, and Rhaenyra loyalist Lord Oscar Tully had assumed the role of lord paramount of the Riverlands. Overwhelmed with relief, Daemon broke down in tears. With real support in the Riverlands now secured, he wondered if this turn of events could pave the way for reconciliation with his wife.
As Rhaena (played by Phoebe Campbell) and a homesick Prince Joffrey (portrayed by Oscar Eskinazi) venture on a hike through the Vale, they come across the charred remains of a sheep and signs indicating the presence of a massive dragon (Could this be a sighting of Sheepstealer?!)
Following this discovery, Lady Jeyne informs Rhaena that Prince Reggio of Pentos has agreed to provide shelter for Rhaenyra’s youngest sons. In response, Rhaena questions why she was not informed about the dragon’s presence in the Vale. Lady Jeyne reveals that rumors of a wild dragon have circulated since the war began, but she quickly shifts the conversation to well wishes for Rhaena’s upcoming journey across the Narrow Sea.
Not content with the explanation, Rhaena appears to be plotting a new direction for her character. This development strongly hints at her potential assumption of the dragonseed Nettles’ plotline in Fire & Blood.
The Dragonseed Project is off to an intense start. While it seems like Rhaena might finally become a dragonrider, nobody at Dragonstone knows about it yet. As her grandfather Corlys settles in as the Hand of the Queen, Rhaenyra brings Queensguard Ser Steffon Darklyn before the council. It turns out that Ser Steffon’s great-grandmother was a Targaryen princess, so he might have enough Targaryen blood to become a dragonrider. Despite being warned about the risks, Ser Steffon is honored to be chosen.
Inside the Dragonmont, Rhaenyra and Jace watch as Ser Steffon and the dragonkeepers try to lure out a dragon for him to mount. After much chanting, Seasmoke appears and seems to bend its neck for Ser Steffon. But just when Steffon thinks he’s done it, Seasmoke rears back and bathes him in dragonfire. This greatly affects Rhaenyra.
Meanwhile, Seasmoke ranges over Driftmark’s nearby beaches and Corlys’s bastard, Addam of Hull, starts running for his life when the dragon chases him. He hides under nearby trees, but the dragon finds him. Instead of attacking him, Seasmoke stares at Addam and a bond seems to form.
On Dragonstone, news of Rhaenyra’s behavior leaves the castle abuzz. Jace sympathizes with his mother’s difficulties but still believes they need Daemon and his dragon. Rhaenyra, however, considers her husband a lost cause and is frustrated by the notion that she needs him to rule.
Mysaria, played by Sonoya Mizuno, doesn’t agree with that. She keeps causing trouble in King’s Landing as planned and tells Rhaenyra about her difficult past. Her father sexually abused her, got her pregnant, and abandoned her to die. But she survived by not trusting anyone until now. She tells Rhaenyra, “I think you are loyal. Because of that, I will serve you.” In return, Rhaenyra hugs her, which leads to a kissing moment that gets interrupted by news that Seasmoke has been spotted with a rider.
Rhaenyra, fearing the dragon has been claimed by the Greens, quickly flies off on Syrax when Jace calls after her.
From Alicent’s conversation with her brother, we learn the most about her third son, Daeron. Sounds like he’s the only one of her children who turned out well. Alicent feels bad because she didn’t raise him.
The credits now include the Battle of Rook’s Rest in the tapestry.
The show seems to have made up Ser Steffon’s ancestor, Aeriana Targaryen, as she hasn’t appeared in the Targaryen family tree.
In Fire & Blood, both Alyn (Abubakar Salim) and Addam have silver hair, not just Alyn.
Seasmoke originally had Ser Laenor Velaryon as its rider. Since Laenor is still alive, it creates a challenge to established dragon lore that Seasmoke would accept a new rider. This is only supposed to happen when a dragonrider dies.
