Season 1, Episode 6: ‘The Princess and the Queen’
This week on “Home of the Dragon,” we had been reminded that rather a lot can occur in 10 years.
For one factor, Alicent and Rhaenyra now seem to be utterly totally different folks. The younger queen, a callow peacemaker as a woman, has grown indignant and aggrieved. In the meantime, the princess’ former rebellious streak has hardened right into a sort of royal courtroom realpolitik, whilst she retains having Harwin Sturdy’s kids.
Daemon, the previous rogue prince, settled down and even managed to have a few children of his personal with Laena. Laenor, the previous delicate younger warrior, is now a dissipated playboy trying to get unsettled any method he can. Elsewhere within the Crimson Hold, the following era of Targaryen males are gallivanting about, wanting simply as ill-suited for management as their predecessors.
On the similar time, there’s loads that hasn’t modified. Ser Criston remains to be hanging round. (What does a Kingsguard need to do to get fired anyway?) The Stepstones are a large number once more. Someway Viserys, final seen hitting the deck at Rhaenyra’s horrible marriage ceremony, remains to be alive. (These leeches have been working time beyond regulation.)
As we picked up the motion a decade after mentioned marriage ceremony, we discovered an sad household enduring in a sort of uneasy equipoise. How did we get right here?
Properly, you would possibly recall that Harwin Sturdy (Ryan Corr) had a few interactions with younger Rhaenyra, encountering her throughout her night time in town with Daemon and later hauling her out of the marriage brawl. Apparently someplace alongside the best way sparks flew after which saved flying, at the very least three extra instances.
The extra heirs exacerbated Alicent’s intense resentment of Rhaenyra’s place — born partly of Alicent’s reliable worry about her household’s future security — main her to lash out at everybody and make alliances with doubtful characters. She’s nearly satisfied herself that she is motivated by a hope that “honor and decency will prevail,” regardless that she’s teamed with the dishonorable likes of Ser Criston and Larys Sturdy to make it occur.
The simmering established order lastly turns into untenable when the royal cousins sq. off throughout their fight coaching, within the course of turning into pawns throughout the bigger drama. As a result of when a sparring train ends in their coach, Ser Criston, goading Harwin into giving him the beating he’s lengthy deserved, the incident throws a harsh highlight on the continued scandal.
“Folks have eyes, boy!” Lyonel Sturdy later shouted at his openly virile son. Quickly the Strongs and Rhaenyra had been on their method out of city, leaving Alicent to plot tips on how to get her ousted father, Otto, again in to even the enjoying subject.
The occasions kicked off the following section of the story, because the rivals for the Iron Throne collect their supporters and retreat to their corners whereas everybody waits for Viserys — now wanting just like the Crypt Keeper as he wanders from chair to chair, ignoring the rising discord round him — to die.
Alicent and Rhaenyra actually are totally different folks, after all, now performed by Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy. Different additions included Nanna Blondell (briefly) as Laena, John Macmillan as Laenor and Ty Tennant as Aegon, an enjoyably feckless twit who’s about as bold as a ham sandwich.
Alicent: “As issues stand, Rhaenyra will ascend the throne and Jacaerys shall be her inheritor!”
Aegon: “So?”
This week additionally noticed the emergence of different distinguished gamers, most notably Harwin (additionally briefly) and Larys. Heinous Act of the Week honors go to Larys, who freed just a few condemned males in alternate for 1.) them torching his household house, alongside along with his father and brother, and a couple of.) their tongues.
Larys appears to be filling the shifty manipulator function occupied by Littlefinger and Varys in “Sport of Thrones” — his identify is even a portmanteau of theirs — although to date he lacks their depth, subtlety and slippery charisma. The homicide of his father cleared the best way for Otto to return as Hand — issues appear to be heading that method, at the very least — even because it revealed to Alicent the standard of the corporate she’s retaining as of late. The elimination of Lyonel and Harwin additionally make Larys the lord of Home Sturdy, an actual victory.
It isn’t clear what impact Harwin’s dying may have on the difficulty of his royal concern — is it higher or worse for Rhaenyra, from an optics standpoint, now that he’s out of the image? May a part of Larys’s plan be to create suspicion that the princess or her supporters had him killed to maintain him quiet? With Rhaenyra and buddies on their strategy to Dragonstone, she received’t be round to defend herself.
Perhaps we’ll study extra about this subsequent week. We’ll additionally see how Daemon adapts to being a widower twice over — at the very least he didn’t kill his newest spouse himself.
Laena was a tragic determine, one other illustration of the constraints that even ladies of privilege face on this story. We met her at 12, being provided up as a political little one bride. She died in anguish as a younger lady, one other sufferer of the birthing mattress.
“I’ve reached the bounds of my artwork,” the obstetrician informed Daemon. The truth that he then simply let his affected person stagger off to commit Dracaryside means that these limits are fairly profound. I do understand that Laena assessed the scenario and sought the dragonrider’s dying she foreshadowed earlier, however the mechanics of the scene, with an exhausted, doubled-over Laena by some means outpacing Daemon to the seashore, had been odd.
What’s subsequent for the all of a sudden re-eligible bachelor prince? I don’t see him committing to life as a stay-at-home single dad — it wouldn’t appear to swimsuit him any greater than being a pet dragon for Prince Reggio (Dean Nolan) in Pentos would have, as Laena perceived. (Reminder: Pentos is likely one of the Free Cities in Essos.)
The turbulent Stepstones, the location of Daemon’s solely actual glory, could possibly be tempting. Or possibly he’ll head again to Dragonstone, too. Many issues change over the course of a decade, however I’m guessing his and Rhaenyra’s twisted mutual attraction isn’t one among them.