‘House of the Dragon’ Recap: Season 1, Episode 8 — [Spoiler] Dies

For a short second on this week’s House of the Dragon, it appears like King Viserys’ dream of household unity may really come to move. Because, actually, who’d have the ability to refuse the final needs of a visibly dying man who’s merely asking his kin to not destroy one another?

But then there’s a complicated dialog that occurs proper earlier than Viserys breathes his final, and that looks as if it is going to change the whole lot. Are we actually shocked? After all, whereas it may be good to think about a world by which Alicent and Rhaenyra fly collectively on dragon again, see the nice wonders throughout the Narrow Sea and eat solely cake… effectively, everyone knows how issues are inclined to go on this violent, incestuous, power-hungry universe.

Read on for the highlights of Episode 8.

WHO’LL REPLACE THE SEA SNAKE? |  Rhaenys questions a maester about the well being of Corlys, whom she hasn’t seen in six years. Seems like a superb time to test in! The man studies that the Sea Snake led his males into an ambush, suffered a gory neck wound after which fell into the ocean, dropping so much of blood in the course of. “But the greater concern is the fever that followed,” the maester says, including that Corlys is due residence in three days.

Vaemond warns that his brother could also be useless by the time his ship reaches residence port, “and who will take the Driftwood throne?” Though Rahenys has been ruling in her husband’s absence, she reminds Vaemond that the seat will move to Lucerys Velaryon, as Corlys promised when Rhaenyra and Laenor had been wed. “My brother cares only for the history books, but what of the Velaryon line?” Vaemond bristles, asking for her help in his laying declare to Driftood’s energy place. “The winds have shifted. The Crown has good reason to take my side,” he says. More on that in a minute!

HAVE FUN STORMING THE CASTLE! | At Dragonstone, Daemon climbs down into Syrax’s den and harvests three eggs, handing them off to the dragon minders. They give him a word from his daughter, Baela, that’s simply arrived from Driftmark. Inside the home, Rhaenyra — who’s pregnant once more — checks in on Jacaerys throughout his High Valyrian lesson. Daemon interrupts to share what he discovered from the letter: Vaemond goes to name Rhaenyra’s youngsters’ legitimacy into query, they usually’ve acquired to go to King’s Landing to take care of it.

When they arrive, they see firsthand that Viserys is by some means nonetheless alive, although he’s decrepit, bed-ridden and in INCREDIBLY tough form. The princess and her consort instantly head to her father’s quarters and waste little time attending to the meat of the matter. “Brother, listen to me: You are to affirm your position for Lucerys to be Corlys Velaryon’s successor,” Daemon says, leaning over the mattress to guarantee that Viserys hears him clearly. Does the message land? Probably not. But then Rhaenyra proclaims that they wish to introduce Viserys to somebody, and she or he brings in twin blonde infants Aegon and Viserys. (Side word: I give Baby Viserys so much of credit score for not instantly dropping his cool when somebody strongly resembling the Crypt Keeper begins pawing at him.)

Alicent is delayed on her solution to attend to her company by a knight who alerts her to a spot of trouble in Prince Aegon’s residences. As she listens to a sobbing serving woman who delivered wine to the prince’s rooms, we study that Aegon raped her. Alicent embraces the younger lady and says she believes her… however that others doubtless gained’t. After she subtly threatens her just a little extra, she places a bag of cash in the serving woman’s hand, primarily force-feeds her some moon tea (“It’s best to be certain”), after which marches to Aegon’s room to scream at him about how disgraceful he’s. The prince reveals no regret, of course; as Alicent hollers at him about how he’s introduced disgrace upon them and his spouse, he stands up, bare-assed, and cries just a little when he says he’ll by no means be ok for her or Viserys.

When Alicent lastly makes her solution to say hey to Rhaeynra and Daemon, they accuse her of holding Viserys insensate through milk of the poppy in order that she and her father can rule the kingdom. She counters that she and Otto are merely finishing up the king’s needs, and that the previous man’s struggling when he’s unmedicated is unimaginable. Oh, and the mixed HIghtowers will probably be the ones ruling on Lucerys’ declare to Driftmark the subsequent day, in order that’s a enjoyable new wrinkle.

CATCHING UP | Jace and Luce make their solution to the coaching yard, the place they see a platinum-haired younger man finest Ser Criston Cole. When the blondie turns round, they understand it’s Aemon, who’s now sporting a gnarly eye patch over the peeper that he misplaced in the final episode.

In the weirwood, Rhaenyra finds Rhaenys they usually play a recreation of semantics. “I loved your son, and I did not order his death, nor was I complicit in it. I swear this to you,” the youthful princess tells the older one.  Then she makes a proposal: Back Luke’s declare, and betrothe Laena’s kids to hers. “Balea will be queen of the Seven Kingdoms, and her sons will be heirs to the throne,” Rhaenyra says. Rhaenys warns Rhaenyra that the following day, the Hightowers will land their first blow. “They will force you to your knees,” she says, and Rhaenyra appears legitimately nervous.

That evening, Rhaenyra sits at her father’s bedside, crying just a little as she laments that the burden of management may be very heavy and that she wants his backing to succeed. But he’s a wheezing, babbling mess, and it makes her weep tougher.

The subsequent morning, as maesters deal with the king’s sore-covered physique, he mentions that he’d wish to have a household dinner that night. And regardless that he winces at the slightest motion and looks as if he’s one foot and 4 toes in the grave, he refuses the milk of the poppy that Otto Hightower gives.

THE MAIN EVENT | Later, in the Throne Room, Otto presides over the petitions for Corlys’ seat. (Keep in thoughts, the Sea Snake isn’t useless but.) Vaemond goes first, mentioning his “true, unimpeachable blood of House Velaryon,” which units off Rhaenyra. But her objection is stilled by Alicent. And when it’s time for Rhaenyra to make her formal speech on behalf of Luke, she’s interrupted by Viserys’ surprising entrance into the proceedings.

The king is leaning closely on his cane. He’s sporting a golden masks that covers half his face, and I half count on him to launch right into a wheezing rendition of “The Music of the Night.” But he rebukes nearly all assist, telling Otto to skedaddle from the seat of honor, as a result of “I will sit the throne today.” When the king’s crown falls as he limps up the stairs to his chair, Daemon steps ahead to assist his brother the previous few paces, then gently locations the decoration on his head.

Even although Viserys appears like eight sorts of fried loss of life, he instantly makes his ideas clear: Why is everybody bickering over a succession that’s already settled? Then he calls Rhaenys ahead to talk, seeing as she’s the one who has the most perception into her husband’s ideas and/or needs. When she does, she says that Corlys backs the present plan — that Lucerys take the Driftmark throne — after which she proclaims Rhaenyra’s marriage plan for her boys with Daemon’s daughters, including that she agrees with it.

Vaemond’s face upon listening to this information is reasonably epic. He instantly challenges the king, saying that he won’t “allow” this breaking of custom. “THAT IS NO TRUE VELARYON!” he yells, pointing at Lucerys. “That certainly is no nephew of mine.” He continues to rant, ending with the declaration that Rhaenyra’s “children are BASTARDS! And she is a whore.” Though the viewers in the Throne Room is small, the gasp that follows his assertion is large. Viserys unsteadily rises, pulling his dagger. “I will have your tongue for that,” he says. But then, all of a sudden, Vaemond is lacking the high half of his face… as a result of Daemon has used his sword to slice off the northern third of his cranium from behind. “He can keep his tongue,” the prince quips. Uh, woah. The entire episode is an excessive amount of for Viserys, who falls again onto the throne, moaning; he’s carted away by a knight and a maester.

HEY, YA GOTTA EAT | Despite all of the loss of life, discord and partial decapitation, that dinner Viserys wished? It nonetheless occurs. “How good it is tonight to see you all together,” he says after he’s carried into the feast, as if homicide didn’t unfold earlier than all of them just some hours earlier. He toasts the youngsters and their messed-up achievements, then laments how distant they’ve all grown from one another. He removes his masks at one level, revealing an empty eye proper eye socket. “Tonight I wish you to see me as I am, not just a king, but your father, your brother, your husband, your grandsire, who may not, it seems, walk for much longer among you.” He exhorts them to put aside their grievances, however then I get so distracted by the incontrovertible fact that an ulcer has eaten clear via his cheek that I’m going right into a fugue state for some time. When I come again, he’s demanding that they put aside their grievances “for the sake of this old man, who loves you all dearly.”

He sits, exhausted, and Rhaenyra instantly stands and raises a glass to Alicent for her steadfastness and loyalty to the king. She additionally apologizes. When she sits, the queen is visibly moved, saying that she and her former finest buddy “have more in common that we sometimes allow. I raise my cup to you and your house. You will make a fine queen.” Everyone follows go well with, lifting their goblets, and it looks as if possibly we’re on the very tenuous street to household unity? Eventually there’s music and dancing and smiling and laughing, and Viserys appears content material as he surveys his household gathered round him.

But after the king is carried out, mid-meal, Luke can’t assist however snicker as the roast pig is positioned straight in entrance of Aemond. So Ol’ Eyepatch himself stands up and gives a toast to Jace, Luke and Joffrey, “these three STRONG boys.” It’s a not-really-veiled reference to their true pop, Ser Harwin Strong. Luke and Jace rapidly throw down, however Daemon steps in to cease issues earlier than they get too intense. Alicent rapidly runs to the princess’ facet, lamenting when Rhaenyra says its finest for her household to return to Dragonstone. But she says she’ll return on dragonback after she sees the youngsters residence safely, and the closeness between these two is one thing we haven’t seen since earlier than the first time bounce. Alicent grasps Rhaenyra’s hand and says each she and Viserys will probably be pleased to have her again.

Late that evening, the king is moaning in ache as Alicent attends to him. He begins babbling about Aegon’s dream and the Prince That Was Promised, and the queen is confused. But when he says “You are the one… you must do this,” she appears to return to a realization. “I understand, my king,” she says, leaving the room. (He undoubtedly thinks she’s Rhaenyra, sure?)

Then Viserys reaches into the darkness for one thing or somebody that solely he can see. A tear falls from his remaining eye. He appears relieved, barely, as he breathes what I assume is his final breath (although I assumed he was a goner two episodes in the past, so what do I do know?) and says, “My love” — ostensibly seeing the deceased Queen Aemma as the scene goes to black.

Now it’s your flip. What did you suppose of the episode? Sound off in the feedback!