Tension in Westeros is as an all time high and episode 5 of House of the Dragon has shown us it’s only just beginning.
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 (Milly Alcoc), Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) and the disgruntled brother of the King, Daemon (Matt Smith).
Episode five ‘We Light the Way’ is the culmination of everything that’s come before. The King’s health is dire, Rhaenyra’s wedding day approaches and Daemon’s continues to boldly create havoc in the background.
Spoilers ahead!
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The episode opens to a woman riding through the mountations who we find out is Rhea Royce, the wife of Daemon. However, it seems it’s been a while since they’ve seen eachother and after a fiery exchange Daemon crushes her with her horse and murders her.
We then move back to King Viserys who is accompanied by the new King’s Hand: Lord Lyonel. Alicent farewells her father Otto who reminds her that it is her duty to ensure Aegon rises to the throne and not Rhaenyra, or war will follow.
King Viserys proposes a marriage between Lord Corlys’ son Laenor and Rhaenyra. However, Rhaenyra and Laenor subtly agree that their marriage is a duty, and their personal love lives will be another matter.
Naturally, this upsets Ser Criston who doesn’t wish to be the Queen’s side piece and instead wants to run away with Rhaenyra and start a new life.
The wedding celebrations begin and tensions are high all around the room as secret lovers threaten each other and Daemon returns incredibly upset over his dead wife (not).
Unfortunately, Laenor’s lover’s threat to Criston clearly pushes him over the edge. Chaos erupts as Criston turns his head into mush and the festivities are cut short.
Rhaenyra and Laenor marry in the cold and dark, with the blood of Laenor’s lover being eaten by rats. Just at that moment, the King succumbs to his sickness and collapses.
The next episode is expected to be another significant time jump. With Alicent now pulling strings and potentially Viserys death, Kings Landing is about to implode.
