Just when it looks like some peace might be found in House of The Dragon, the greatest mix-up of all time may have inadvertently started a war.
The Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon takes us back 200 years before Daenarys vowed to “break the wheel” and shows the Targaryen family at the height of their power. Ruling over Westeros is King Viserys Tagaryan (Paddy Considine), his daughter Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) and the disgruntled brother of the King, Daemon (Matt Smith).
Episode 8 ‘The Lord of the Tides’ time jumps another four years and Rhaenyra and Daemon have happily resided in Dragonstone raising their family while Alicent Hightower and her father scheme back at King’s Landing.
Spoilers ahead!
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Following a gloomy letter, Rhaenyra and Daemon are mysteriously summoned back to King’s Landing. Once again, the family have reunited following the rumoured demise of Lord Corlys Velaryon and they argue who should rule over Driftmark.
Hiding away in his room, it seems finally that the day is approaching that King Viserys is going to die, resembling Gollum more than man. “Now that is a name fit for a King,” jokes Viserys when Rhaenyra introduces him to her new child Viserys.
However, it seems with the King’s fragile state, Alicent and her father have really made King’s Landing into their own and Viserys. Jr may not make it to the Iron throne.
During the heated argument for Dritfmark, where Alicent plans to act in her own interest, she is interrupted by the sudden and unexpected emergence of the King. The meeting climaxes in the removal of Ser Vaemond Targaryen’s head, after he claims that Rhaenyra’s son cannot rule Driftmark as he is a bastard.
Regardless, it is the decision the King has made, adamant that Rhaenyra should rule over all.
A nice family dinner seemingly resolves the family tensions, but as soon as the King is gone, the fighting breaks out once more, possibly foreshadowing a greater battle to come when the King dies.
In one last twist, the greatest misunderstanding ever may have just triggered a war. With Viserys mistaking Alicent for Rhaenyra, he tells her that Aegon is the Prince that was promised. Unfortunately, Alicent interprets that as her son Aegon needs to be on the throne to unite the Kingdoms, and not that Jon Snow in two hundred years time should.
Just when it looked like Alicent was coming to terms with Rhaenyra becoming Queen, it looks like she will be able to justify all her actions in the future as the demands of the King. With both parties truly believing they are doing what is right for the kingdom, it seems war is the only possible outcome for House of the Dragon.
‘The Lord of the Tides’ can be streamed on Binge and HBOMax, now.
Check out the trailer for Episode nine!
