House of the Dragon
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Want to watchHouse of the Dragonwith us?
If you might believe it, we watched that happen 20 human months ago.
Between then and the premiere of season two, five Westeros minutes appear to have elapsed.
Now, hes finally arrived to receive Cregans tepid reply.
Wildlings and weather, as Jacaerys puts it, but Cregan gently corrects him.
Winterfell, then Dragonstone, and finally Driftmark.
A son for a son, he tells her.
But Rhaenys is tired from patrolling Blackwater Bay on dragonback, and she doesnt answer to Daemon anyway.
The conflict between them is a holdover from last season.
Rhaenys (correctly) believes her cousin to be ambitious and impetuous.
For his part, Daemon considers Rhaenys insufficiently loyal; her knee is bent, but how deeply?
The conversation seems to serve two purposes.
First, to introduce the character of Alyn, who saved the Sea Snakes life.
The outlook, though, is not sobueno.
They dont have enough seaworthy ships.
With Luke dead, Driftmark has no heir.
House of the Dragonis a very intentional series but generally not a subtle one.
Viserys took 20 years to die, yes, but mostDragonsubplots resolve themselves in the same episode theyre introduced.
If Helaena is afraid of the rats whatever that means everyone should listen the fuck up.
And once she utters the wordrats,the idea is everywhere.
At times, Alicent is as much of a pawn as Aegon.
Otto notices them enter together, but the indiscretion is upstaged by Aegon arriving with wee Jaehaerys in tow.
The Starks and the Vale still havent declared for Aegon II (nor will they).
House Baratheon is Team Green thanks to the marriage pact Aemond brokered last season.
And more Hightowers are marching south from Oldtown.
Otto is more sensible.
Maybe Greyjoy could be enticed to clamber aboard Team Green if named Master of Ships?
House Tully, too, has yet to declare.
So whats Aegon like as a king?
On the other hand, everyone hates a Lannister.
Hes lacking in strategic foresight or at least bad at dragonmath.
But Aegon keeps Aemond close, which is shrewd.
War may not be his specialty, but he demonstrates interest in the sociopolitical side of ruling.
He wants to address the difficulties that the smallfolk are facing in the run-up to war.
Hed at least like to be adored if thats not too much to ask.
It has a certain ring to it if only Grandpa Otto would stop souring his populist vibe at court.
Alicent picks the wrong ally in Otto.
But on Aegons other shoulder sits Larys, who is already poisoning the young king against the Hand.
Doesnt he want someone younger and hipper by his side?
On the other side of the board altogether is Queen Rhaenyra.
When we finally see her, shes dirt-smeared with red-rimmed eyes.
She looks brittle and heartbroken but still formidable.
She sobs on the shores of Storms End, clutching her sons washed-up cloak.
She returns to Dragonstone to light Lukes funeral pyre and give her orders.
I want Aemond Targaryen, she declares.
What it lacks in specificity, it makes up for in urgency.
Daemon is, of course, oh so keen to comply.
He needs something to do besides blame everyone around him for Aegons coronation.
If she hadnt found Aegon for his kin last season, maybe he wouldnt be king?
Its thin as far as accusations go, but Daemon imprisons his ex all the same.
(Intentional, not subtle.)
He proposes to pay these two bozos to kill the most accomplished fighter in Kings Landing.
It has disaster written all over it, but perhaps thats Daemons intention.
What if we cant find him?
asks the (literal) exterminator.
I would not be confused for long.
When they eventually make it to the royal bedchambers, Aemond is nowhere to be found.
(Intentional, folks, not subtle.)
A son for a son is such gruesomely straightforward arithmetic.
Helaena eventually complies, fleeing to find her mother as the men behead the child.
Its a mercy we dont glimpse the crime, just hear it happening from behind the nursery partition.
Jaehaerys wont be king or even have to make the choice Helaena dreaded.
There are no terms to be agreed on, no spheres of influence to be divvied between them.
