‘House of the Dragon’ Is Turning Rhaenyra Into Our New Daenerys
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The brother has been passed over and banished, the daughter has been named heir, and the King remains one missed heartbeat away from inciting civil war in the Seven Kingdoms.
The second episode of House of the Dragon picks up six months later with smaller vacancy in the Red Keep staff: a knight in the Kingsguard. The small council decides to fill the opening with one of several knightly candidates chosen by the Hand, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). The procedure seems administrative but will prove to be a moment of decisiveness for Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) as she adjusts to her position as next-in-line for the crown; by now it is clear that she wants to be Queen.
Meanwhile, the council is interrupted by Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussant), commander of Westeros’ largest Navy, who complains of hostile actions taken against his ships in the Stepstones, a pocket of islands south of Kings Landing. Pirates, believed to be supported by the Free Cities—located across western Esos and outside the control of Westeros’ ruling house—are responsible for the hostility. Lord Corlys demands the King take military action against the pirates, ruled by Craghas Drahar, the “Crabfeeder.”
The King’s advisors warn against war with the Free Cities. Lord Corlys counters by highlighting Westeros’ weakness, made evident by the King’s brother, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), who is now occupying Dragonstone with his army—an act of rebellion bordering on insurrection.
King Viserys (Paddy Considine) says he has already sent envoys to the Free Cities and the matter seems to be settled before Rhaenyra, serving as cup bearer for the council, interjects, suggesting they fly dragons over the Stepstones as a show of force. Her suggestion is met with awkward silence and then she is dismissed to choose the new Kingsguard knight, a decision meant to punish her act of naiveté, though only emboldens her.
Outside the council room, she immediately ignores the advice of Otto Hightower, who suggests choosing a Kingsguard from one of several influential families. She chooses instead Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), the knight who bested Daemon in the earlier tournament and the only candidate with military experience; he is not noble-born, a feature that he shares with the army of a future Targaryen Queen, Rhaenyra’s decdent Daenerys—who would later forge her alliance using slaves.
The remainder of the episode will feature Rhaenyra’s growing frustration with the leagues of men who seek to constrain her power.
Who Wants To Be Queen?
Viserys continues an apparently innocent relationship with Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), who we intuit has been visiting with him for several months since the death the of Queen; she visits on behest of Otto Hightower, who hopes she can seduce the King and mother the next heir.
The question of the King’s next marriage bothers Rhaenyra, who also confides in Alicent—the two sharing a moment of prayer, which reinforces their assumed romantic affection for one another.
Viserys meets with Lord Corlys and Rhaenys (Eve Best) (“The Queen Who Never Was”). Corlys apologizes for his earlier outburst but then proposes that Viserys marry his daughter to avoid speculation that the crown is unstable. The marriage would unite Westeros’ most powerful families.
Viserys later brings up the prospect of this marriage to his Hand, Hightower, who disapproves, bringing up his own wife’s death as a tactic to dissuade Viserys from marrying out of duty. Viserys struggles with the choice and is uncomfortable when meeting with the girl, who is now only 12.
Rhaenyra watches the meeting with Rhaenys, the two of whom verbally joust over the possibility of a woman becoming Queen; shafted before, Rhaenys wishes to persuade Rhaenyra to give up hope and accept her role. Rhaenyra, emboldened once again, says she will not.
Talkin' Bout an Insurrection
Hightower interrupts a meeting between Viserys and Alicent—Viserys had confided in her his reticence in marrying a young girl.
Viserys learns that Daemon has stolen a dragon egg in order to leave in the crib of his next child—a customary Targaryen tradition. Daemon leaves a message inviting the King to his wedding, a gesture the small council views as insulting. The egg Daemon stole was meant for Viserys’ son Baelon, who died and was later mocked by his uncle. The theft signals a desire to pass succession to Daemon.
Hightwower volunteers to go to Dragonstone with an attachment to retrieve the egg.
At Dragonstone, he is met with a defiant Daemon and his assumed wife Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno). Daemon and Hightower mock one another. Both parties draw swords before Daemon’s dragon emerges in an act of intimidation not dissimilar to Rhaenyra suggestion in the first scene. (We’re made to see both Rhaenyra and Daemon as like-minded adversaries).
When it appears as if Hightower must retreat without retrieving the egg, Rhaenyra rides in on her own dragon, confronting Daemon and taking back her dead brother’s egg. (Rhaenyra’s entrance, once again, alludes to Daenerys, who also interrupted many a power brokering moment with such aerial force.)
Mysaria storms off, realizing Daemon had bluffed that she was pregnant (or would become pregnant). He must retreat to assure her safety; she tells Daemon she is with him only to be liberated from fear. (Once again, a Targaryen exercises the power to unchain the enslaved; Daemon’s relationship with Mysaria will likely foil Rhaenyra’s own with her non-noble-born partners.)
The first matchup between Daemon and Rhaenyra goes to Rhaenyra.
She Gets To Be Queen?
Back in King’s Landing, Viserys chides Rhaenyra for going rogue. He then admits to his inability to fill the Queen’s seat. Rhaenyra appears to give permission for him to choose.
Later in the small council meeting, Viserys announces who he will chose to marry: Alicent Hightower.
Corlys is incensed and walks out. Rhaenyra is distraught and also leaves.
The moment becomes point of fracture similar to that of Baelon’s death in Episode 1. In choosing Hightower, Viserys has begun to alienate both Corlys and Rhaenyra, the series' most powerful forces.
Immediately after the decision, we see Corlys meet with Daemon, suggesting they unite for the sake of military conquest in the Stepstones—an action that would both protect Corlys’ navy and give Daemon’s claim to power some potency.
The insurrection has now officially begun.
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