I’m really excited about House of the Dragon. There was trepidation on my part before the release of George R.R. Martin’s latest opus, but all my doubts were laid to rest after that terrific first episode. I won’t waste time recapping everything from the debut entry (you can read my analysis here), mostly because I want to jump into this!
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What Happened in House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 2
Okay, so Episode 2 opens with a grisly scene: the mutilated corpse of a man washed ashore after a shipwreck. Crabs feast on his flesh while smoke from a nearby vessel hangs in the air. Is this the work of Craghas Drahar, the Crabfeeder?
We quickly cut to Viserys holding Small Council and discussing the passing of Ser Ryam, a member of the Kingsguard who died peacefully in his sleep. Our new heir to the Iron Throne, Rhaenyra, dutifully pours drinks for the men — shouldn’t she be preparing to, you know, rule the kingdom? Small steps, I suppose. The very bald Ser Harrold Westerling wants to replace Ryam as soon as possible and has a list of worthwhile candidates.
Suddenly, Corlys Velaryon bursts into the room to proclaim some news: “Four ships have now been lost,” alluding to the shipwreck we saw in the opening. The situation is getting out of hand and Corlys wants Viserys to get off his ass and do something about it. He doesn’t want compensation or apologies. He wants to go to war with the Stepstones (aka the islands the bad pirates inhabit) and “this Crabfeeder!” Viserys objects to war against the Free Cities since they, you know, outnumber Westeros and are important trade partners within the Seven Kingdoms. That’s just a short explanation of why war is a bad idea.
Corlys offers a few other important tidbits. One, Daemon has fortified Dragonstone with a number of Gold Cloaks; two, nearly half a year has passed between episodes, which is probably why our noble king looks much calmer than he did following his wife’s tragic (and horrible) death.
Viserys assures Corlys that he will take care of the Crabfeeder but then Rhaenyra steps up to the plate. “You have dragonriders, father,” she exclaims as the men around the table groan. “Send us. It would be a show of force.”
“At least the Princess has a plan,” Corlys says.
Otto intervenes and suggests sending the Princess off to help with the whole Kingsguard search. In other words: we won’t be seeing dragonriders today. The camera lingers on Rhaenyra who looks like she wants to dracarys the hell out of everyone in the room, including her father. Obediently, she sulks out of the room.
We cut to Rhaenyra checking out the various knights up for the new gig as a member of the Kingsguard. Her father has to urge her to thank each knight for their service to the crown. She’s still learning the ins and outs of the gig, but has enough common sense to ask, “How many of these knights have combat experience?” The knight will offer her protection, after all.
Ser Criston Cole steps to the plate. Son of the Steward of the Lord of Blackhaven. He’s all dark, wavy hair and he immediately locks eyes with our Princess. (Also, I love how there’s a chess piece for each House. Whose job is it to carve out those pieces? Would one be forced to retire after carving all the pieces?) Cole has a lot of fighting experience. The other knights look ashamed.
“I choose Ser Criston Cole,” Rhaenyra says whilst slipping off her stool presumably to vacate this far too formal meeting. Otto steps in before she can leave and offers a more diplomatic/political take on the situation as Rhaenys, aka The Queen Who Never Was, watches with amusement. The Hand thinks Rhaenyra should choose a knight based on what his House can provide the kingdom, while Rhaenyra believes her father deserves a capable fighter to serve as his protection. Westerling silently watches the verbal back and forth, his expression blank. Eventually, Otto gives in but not without casting a vague look of, “Oh shit, this Princess could be a problem.”
Meanwhile, Alicent spends some time with Viserys pretending to show interest in his extremely detailed model of the kingdom. The pair share a few awkward moments and eventually discuss Rhaenyra — Alicent gives some very, ah, motherly advice here. Viserys bids her not to share their conversations with Rhaenyra.
Speaking of which, Alicent wanders around with Rhaenyra and asks: “What if your father were to remarry?” The look on Rhaenyra’s face says it all. She’s not over her mother’s passing. Alicent beckons Rhaenyra to kneel at a flaming altar and speak/pray to her mother. (Hopefully, all this religious talk has a better payoff than it did in that other show.) Rhaenyra does as instructed but ends up lamenting that her father sees her only as the little girl he was forced to promote after casting out his brother.
Alicent previously told Viserys to go to his daughter, but he scoffed at the idea. Here, she offers the same advice to Rhaenyra who offers a warm, “Thank you.” It’s a tender mother/daughter, er, friend/friend moment.
Later, Viserys tries to smooth things over with Corlys and Rhaenys. Corlys is like, “I accept and sorry for speaking out of turn, but can I also speak out of turn again because I have some thoughts?” He then lays down his theory that bad things are happening/about to happen as a result of Rhaenyra being named heir to the throne, among other things. Basically, Rhaenys says, the crown is vulnerable. Tackling the Stepstones/Crabfeeder problem would, at the very least, make others more hesitant to attack.
Oh, and Corlys wants to unite the two Houses through marriage. “Wed our daughter Laena,” he says while Rhaenys looks on in approval. (The pair probably discussed and rehearsed this scene several times.) “Unite the two great Velaryon Houses.” In other words: THAT + Dragons = invincible.
It’s a solid proposal, but Viserys looks like he wants to puke.
We cut to a quiet dinner scene between Viserys and Rhaenyra where he reveals how much he loved her mother. “As did I,” Rhaenyra says. And that’s that. Rhaenyra then apologizes for her slip up at the Small Council, which he brushes aside. “You’re young and you will learn.”
Later that night, we see Viserys still dealing with that rotting wound. During the weird medical procedure, the King reveals to Otto the conversation he had with Corlys. (I’m not getting a lot of positive vibes from Otto. He looks like a man who thinks a lot but says very little. He’s a schemer.) Viserys comes across like a simpleton who has no idea he’s being played. I have no idea if he’s being played, but he doesn’t appear strong … he’s a nice guy who might be surrounded by some extremely ruthless enemies. Maybe Daemon was right?
Otto uses some cunning to gain the upper hand over the other members of the council who like Corlys’ plan. Basically, he tells Viserys that he’s a dick if he replaces his wife with another purely out of duty. At least, that’s how I took it.
The next morning, Viserys walks with Laena who is … ah … really young. I mean, damn. The young girl recites some gibberish her father forced her to memorize about the importance of the union. “What did your mother tell you,” Viserys asks. “That I wouldn’t have to bed you until I was 14.” I mean, okay.
Rhaenyra looks on like, “Goddammit, he’s still trying to find a male heir,” and bumps into Rhaenys. The Queen Who Never Was offers some slight council by pointing out there’s an order to things; the King will remarry at some point, so it’s just a matter of who. New children will arrive. Chances are, one will be male and the new heir. “That is the order of things.”
Boldly, Rhaenyra claims she will do away with such nonsense when she becomes Queen before Rhaenys reminds her that she’s still pouring wine for the Small Council. (We also get our first “bend the knee” proclamation.) Here’s the hard truth: men would rather see the throne destroyed than hand it over to a woman. “And your father is no fool.”
Great scene.
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Viserys meets with Alicent who says all the right things whilst clawing at her own fingernails under the table. (I’m reminded of that scene in The Abyss where a psychotic Michael Biehn quietly sliced his wrist under a table during a meeting.) She presents a well-timed gift to Viserys — a figure for his model — before he is summoned out by Otto. (Father and daughter exchange pointed looks once Viserys leaves.)
The Small Council speaks with a dragonkeeper who explains that a dragon egg was stolen by Daemon. Why? The “true heir to the Iron Throne” — this statement causes Rhaenyra to flinch — is taking a new wife who will assume the title Lady Mysaria of Dragonstone. Lady Mysaria is also pregnant and will have a dragon’s egg “placed in the babe’s cradle in the custom of House Targaryen.”
Oh, and the King is invited to the wedding.
Daemon (whose absence in this episode is felt) is obviously provoking his brother. Viserys knows this. What can he do? Send him to the Wall? Kill him? The whole kingdom is watching, warns Corlys.
Rhaenyra can’t hide her anger. “Which egg did he take,” she asks, interrupting her father for the second time.
Dreamfyre’s egg, Princess. The same one she chose for Prince Baelon, or the brother who died during childbirth. Daemon gives no shits.
That’s it! Viserys stands to go to Dragonstone to drag his brother back to King’s Landing to face justice. Otto obviously can’t allow that to happen. It’s far too dangerous. He will go instead.
Later that night, Alicent helps her father with his armor. He notices her nails but then asks if she will go to the King that night. “If you want me to,” she responds. This is a healthy relationship between two stable people.
Ser Criston wanders in and interrupts the bizarre heart-to-heart. He has men at the ready.
We’re off to Dragonstone, a kingdom adorned in fog. Otto and his men wander the same walls we saw Daenerys and Jon Snow wander about in Season 7. (The production values on House of the Dragon are legit. Game of Thrones mostly looked great throughout its run, but at times the quality took a noticeable dip into SyFy channel territory.)
Daemon appears and welcomes Otto to Dragonstone. Otto replies by commanding the Prince to turn over the egg and relinquish the island by decree of the King, among other things. “Where is the King,” Daemon asks.
You’re not worth his time, Otto more or less replies.
Daemon sets his sights on Criston. The pair talk some trash. “I seem to recall knocking you off your horse,” Criston proclaims. Daemon laughs and probably locks away that insult for later.
Otto continues insulting Daemon and even calls his wife a “common whore.” This whole showing, he says, is pathetic. He also notes that Daemon doesn’t have the right to any of the Targaryen traditions, since he is not the rightful heir.
Basically, these guys don’t like each other.
Daemon holds out the egg. Come and get it, Otto.
“You would choose violence, even if it results in the death of your unborn child and its mother,” Otto asks.
He pressed too hard. Daemon draws his sword. Then everyone draws swords.
Suddenly, Daemon pressed “X” on his controller and summons Caraxes.
No matter, because Syrax leaps from the clouds carrying Rhaenyra. Everyone looks shocked. Like a boss, Rhaenyra lands her steed on the wall, calmly dismounts, cuts through Otto’s men, and approaches Daemon. She reminds her uncle that he’s living on her island and that he has angered his king.
Dameon objects. He’s merely celebrating a wedding.
“You already have a wife,” Rhaenyra says sharply.
Not of my choosing, Daemon snaps back. He only wants the egg for his kid.
“You’re going to have a child,” Rhaenyra asks.
He glances at his fiancé. “Some day.”
For some reason, Lady Mysaria storms off. Is she mad that he’s using her to get an heir?
Rhaenyra tells Daemon that he must strike her down in order to achieve his means. After some contemplation, he tosses her the egg and heads back to his fortress. Our Princess hands the egg over and then shoots Otto a “f*** you” look before hopping on her dragon and flying away. Damn.
Dameon heads upstairs and finds a very pissed-off Lady Mysaria. She’s mad that he basically threatened her with childbirth. He tries to diffuse the situation, but she’s not having any of it. Actually, she’s kinda scared for her life now that he’s basically painted a target on her back. (Matt Smith’s acting here is great.)
Back with the King, he oodles Alicent’s gift. Heads to his council chambers to ask Lord Lyonel Strong for some no-bullshit advice. Basically, Viserys wants Alicent, but knows marrying Corlys’ 12-year-old daughter is the right thing to do for the kingdom at large. What to do?
Strong essentially says, Well, Corlys is really strong, my Lord, and uniting with him would make your kingdom incredibly powerful. So, do that. (There’s more to it than that, of course, but this recap is getting really long.)
A knight enters to inform the King that the Princess has returned from Dragonstone. He looks shocked. He confronts his daughter and goes all Sarah Connor: “It was stupid of you to go to Dragonstone. You’re too important.”
Surprisingly, the conversation gets intimate. He apologizes for not comforting her more after her mother’s death. But he needs a new wife. She gets it. “You are my only heir,” he says. “Our line is vulnerable, too easily ended.” It is a fine match with Corlys, it will ensure their survival.
“Against who,” Rhaenyra asks.
“Against whoever chooses to challenge us.”
Rhaenyra understands that his duty is to the throne, the kingdom. “Mother would have understood this. Just as I do,” she says.
As the Small Council enters the room, Viserys looks like he wants to pull a Tommen and leap from the balcony. Instead, he addresses the room and announces that he will marry — Corlys has a smug look on his face, and Rhaenyra urges her father along until she realizes what is happening — the Lady Alicent Hightower.
What.
Everyone — except Otto, of course — looks shocked. Corlys angrily stomps out of the room. Rhaenyra follows after making brief eye contact with her friend. This didn’t go well.
We cut to Corlys speaking in a dark chamber complaining to someone about his lot in life. He worked hard to get to his position, see, and was passed over just like … Daemon. And wouldn’t you know, the dark Prince is the man seated opposite Corlys.
The discussion turns to the Crabfeeder who is backed by powerful entities that want to see Westeros weakened. (We get our first glimpse of the crab guy as he nails some poor bastards to a wooden post whilst thousands of crabs feast on nearby carcasses.) The King has allowed the Crabfeeder to gain strength. “If those shipping lanes fall,” Corlys says, “my House will be crippled.” He’s asking Daemon to step up and prove his worth. (Surprisingly, Daemon defends his brother here, whilst also admitting he’s not a very good king.)
“Our worth is not given,” Corlys says, “it must be made.”
We end with some creepy shots of the Crabfeeder who looks like the long-lost cousin of Leatherface. I’m not sure where all of this is going, but war seems like a foregone conclusion.
Final Thoughts on House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 2
The interesting thing about Game of Thrones is how many people make bad decisions out of desperation to retain power. Shaky alliances were often forged in such a manner and many horrible people ascended the ranks simply because they were generally seen as the better option. Bad decisions and behind-the-back conspiring are what led to Cersei’s rise to power, which resulted in, well, nothing good.
We’re seeing a similar pattern emerge in House of the Dragon. Corlys has a problem and needs it solved quickly or must watch his House fall. He took steps to find the right solution, but when Plan A failed, he broke the glass and dialed up Plan B. Now, Plan A only failed because Viserys is a damned moron … unless there’s an ulterior motive to marrying Alicent Hightower that I’m not seeing. Viserys has a chance to make things right, and while the opportunity itself was a little weird, it seemed like the most sensible solution to his problems.
Or maybe it wasn’t.
Daemon doesn’t seem to think his brother is a good king, but won’t outright go to war with him. We saw as much when he tossed aside the dragon egg. He’s a dick, but not coldhearted. I think he truly wanted to help his brother, but his banishment left some deep wounds that may never heal.
Of course, I could be reading this all wrong. Is Daemon supposed to be the bad guy? Or is the Crabfeeder our de facto villain? To be honest, he looks more like a henchman than a villain. Someone is obviously controlling this pirate and telling him when and where to strike in order to bring down Westeros. At least, that’s my guess.
Anyways, another terrific episode in this already absorbing series. Everything from the production design to the special effects to the performances was right on the money. I’m fascinated by these characters. At some point, I’m sure the other shoe will drop — someone will make a power move for the throne. But who will strike first? And why?
Until next week!