Uh oh, shit is gonna go DOWN in season two…
Ohmahgawd! Last night’s season finale of House of the Dragon was bananas.
Spoiler Warning: If you have not watched the season one finale of House of the Dragon, this post is chock full o’ spoilers. Feel free to skip it. More bookish goodness is coming up on the blog in just a little bit!
KEEP READING TO SEE MY THOUGHTS ON THE EPISODE.
SWEET BABY HAYSUESS, WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK JUST HAPPENED???
Okay, before we begin, I want to address the fact that the last time we talked about House of the Dragon, I said we’d be talking about it week to week. Well, I ended up deciding not to do that. I waffled back and forth with several reasons but in the end, I landed on just posting about the show when the inspiration strikes. So, I may post weekly sometimes but not always, but I will make a point to post predictions after each season premier and a wrap up after every finale.
Tonight, HBO delivered.
This season finale episode was one rabbit punch to the feels after another. First Rhaenyra gets word of her father’s passing, word of her throne being usurped (which means she and her children are now all walking targets), gives birth way too early to a disfigured stillborn child (ugh…so heartbreaking…), and has a funeral for said child.
The only shining queenly moment to come out of it is when Ser Erryk Cargyll arrives with the Conqueror’s crown and a sworn oath as her Queen’s Guard to protect her with his life. He’s the first to take the knee. Then, after placing the crown on her head, Daemon takes the knee. Then the rest of her guard. The lords and ladies. Princes and princesses. The moment ends with an armor-clad Princess Rhaenys smirking with pride. It was awesome. The balls on these ladies!
Oh! And the war room at Dragonstone!
The table being lit from beneath by candle light was a very cool touch. If that was something they showed on Game of Thrones, I somehow missed it in the eight million times I’ve watched the show through. I see Etsy recreations coming to a storefront near you. I’m here for it.
Despite the sheer volume of loss she experiences in such a short span, she still remembers her father’s teachings and expresses restraint where launching right into war is concerned. For years, he stressed to her that the greater role for the Targaryens is to unite the realm to stand against the coming darkness. She knows the importance of not taking the throne back by force but with the support of those who had sworn their allegiance to her when she was named heir. If the men around her had their way, she’d have gone right from her child’s funeral to a dragon saddle.
When her war council convenes, she echoes a sentiment we heard from Daenerys in Game of Thrones (though Dany proved to be full of shit so there’s that…):
“Viserys spoke often of the Valyrian histories. I know them well. When dragons flew to war, everything burned. I do not wish to rule over a kingdom of ash and bone.”
Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen to
King Consort Daemon Targaryen
Daemon Targayen, you dipshit. Defensive because he doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about, Daemon chokes Rhaenyra when she mentions the Song of Ice and Fire, the Conqueror’s dream. When Viserys named her heir, he filled her in one the big ‘ol family secret but apparently, even when he was the heir, Viserys never told Daemon about it which means he never really considered him the heir to the Iron Throne.
Burn on him but to choke out Rhaenyra??? Bitch, you’re supposed to be her PARTNER IN CRIME!! The fuck?! I know I shouldn’t be surprised but I really hate that they went there. I thought Daemon was her ride-or-die. Now I’m thinking it might be Rhaenys.
Stupid mother fu━ Well, she’s his niece, not his mother, but you get the point.
The long awaited decision from the Driftmark throne comes down when Corlys Velaryon finally throws his support behind Rhaenyra’s claim. As men of House Targaryen, Rhaenyra sends her three sons on dragonback to act as messengers on behalf of the queen. They’re each sent to different houses who’d previously sworn allegiance to determine where their support lies in the war to come. Lucerys, the heir to Driftmark and the Iron Throne, is sent to Storm’s End, the stronghold of House Baratheon. When he arrives on his adorable little dragon Arrax, he finds that Vhager is already there (Prince Aemond’s dragon and also the oldest and largest in existence).
Having already beat Lucerys to the punch, Aemond tries to attack him in the Baratheon throne room as he’s leaving but Borros Baratheon doesn’t allow it. Lucerys is given a guarded escort out to his dragon but then he’s on his own.
Ooooof, you can feel it coming. Even when they try to fake you out with the clear blue skies and break in the storm visual, it’s not convincing. You know that dragon is going to come out of nowhere and ruin everyone’s day. Ripping the boy and his adorable dragon to shreds in one bite fits the bill perfectly, I think.
In Aemond’s defense, the dragons were doing their own thing. Arrax shot Vhager in the face with a fireball and she chose to deal with it by absolutely obliterating him and his rider. Both riders were demanding that their dragons obey, and their dragons were having bouts of selective hearing. Aemond may not have meant to ignite this war but he did all the same.
Quick Note: Going back to the scene in the war room, there is some foreshadowing of what goes down here. Daemon makes a comment about how sometimes a dragon does kill a dragon. In the moment, he writes it off as a non-issue because their numbers are far superior to that of the greens. Little does he know how much it actually matters…
When word gets back to Rhaenyra of Luc’s death, regardless of whatever restraint she had before, I’m fairly certain that’s all gone now. And I cant wait for season two! She lost two children, her father, and her throne, all in a blink. Anyone else feeling echoes of the Mad Queen moniker??? BRING THAT SHIT ON!
What did you think of the finale? Will you be continuing with the series? Scroll down and let me know in the comments.
