Man, we’re already on Episode 4 of House of the Dragon, however already I really feel like we’ve been on an thrilling journey full of political intrigue, fascinating characters, and some fairly nice motion — to say nothing of the sturdy serving to of stomach-churning gore.
Last week we noticed Daemon the Badass single-handedly destroy the Crabfeeder’s military as a spiteful response to Viserys’ delayed army intervention. However, the proven fact that we didn’t truly see the Crabfeeder die leads me to imagine one thing else is at play right here. Perhaps Daemon reduce a cope with the evil pirate. After all, his objective stays the Iron Throne, and the solely factor standing in his manner are Viserys and Rhaenyra, whom he refuses to kill … however possibly this can be a Sneakers-like state of affairs the place he can’t kill his associates, however wouldn’t thoughts another person doing the soiled work for him.
Also, Viserys simply advised Rhaenyra to comply with her coronary heart and select the suitor she feels will make her comfortable. He additionally refuses to relinquish her declare to the throne, a choice that can seemingly piss off nearly everybody not named Rhaenyra in the Seven Kingdoms, together with Alicent who expects her son Aegon — you understand, Viserys’ child — to finally put on the crown.
Otto, the Hand of the King (and Alicent’s father), additionally figures into this as he seemingly desires his bloodline to realize royalty. That’s why he set Alicent and Viserys up in the first place. Duh.
Anyway, let’s get to Episode 4, which is creatively titled, “Episode 4.”
What Happened in House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 4
The episode opens with our favourite princess Rhaenyra impatiently listening to potential suitors. She casts apart creepy outdated males who’re older than her father earlier than listening to the massive of a really younger boy from the Blackwoods — an historical home with a formidable military, we’re advised. The younger man recites his pitch however is postpone by a heckler. Eventually, swords are drawn, prompting Rhaenyra to name lunch. (At the finish of the scene, we see the younger man slice the heckler via. He then gags when his opponent begins spitting up blood.)
Later, Rhaenyra stands aboard a ship on her manner again to King’s Landing. Dialogue between the Princess and Criston Cole helpfully informs us that a number of months have handed since the final episode. Apparently, she’s been on a tour of types, visiting totally different locales in search of the excellent match. Since her love of freedom hasn’t dissipated or modified course, she determined to chop the tour quick. Viserys is gonna be pissed.
Before extra intel can spew from our characters’ mouths, a dragon — Caraxes, methinks — flies overhead and rocks Rhaenyra’s ship en path to King’s Landing. She provides a heat smile.
Everyone, together with Rhaenyra, gathers in the throne room. Daemon enters wanting all badass. There’s an incredible shot of Rhaenyra shadowing her uncle as he approaches the Iron Throne. He drops the Crabfeeder’s weapon and suggests including it to the throne. Viserys notices his crown. Daemon explains that he’s now “King of the Narrow Sea,” which causes the surrounding extras to murmur. “But I know there is only one true king, your grace,” he continues, kneeling in respect.
Viserys is like, bruh. Otto seems suspicious, as all the time.
Daemon pledges his cheesy crown and the Stepstones. Viserys presents a mawkish smile. “Where is Lord Corlys,” he asks. Well, he sailed house to Driftmark (certain) and left the Stepstones to the sea (uh-huh). Even composer Ramin Djawadi is aware of one thing is up.
Viserys, ever the kind-hearted soul, embraces his brother. The crowd claps. All is nicely. For now.
Later, everybody continues to gush over Daemon. Rhaenyra approaches and each Viserys and Alicent look extraordinarily pissed off to see her, so she goes and sits by herself. Alicent mocks Rhaenyra’s ache, noting that not each Princess will get an opportunity to search out the correct suitor. Rhaenyra shoots again, “Well, sorry if I don’t want to be anything more than a breeder,” or one thing alongside these strains.
Alicent virtually coughs up blood after taking that low blow. She doesn’t have it significantly better. The poor child has few associates and may as nicely be sewed to Viserys’ facet. No one provides a rattling about her apart from the entire Queen factor. So, take that Rhaenyra. At least you get to fly dragons in your days off.
After this heart-to-heart, Rhaenyra tracks down Daemon and finds the dragonrider lurking beneath a Weirwood tree. He’s awfully quiet. Disturbingly so. What’s up, Rhaenyra asks pointedly, seeing via his humble guise. Nadda, he replies. “Just missed the comforts of home.” (Sure.)
They chit-chat about life, love, and politics. Daemon thinks marriage is little greater than a political transfer, whereas Rhaenyra calls it a dying sentence. She notes that his spouse, Lady Rhea Royce, methinks, is fortunate to not have his youngster inside her. “I doubt a child could grow in such hostile environs,” he replies coldly. Zing!
Rhaenyra doesn’t want to comply with her mom’s tragic destiny; the poor girl bred heirs till it killed her. She needs to reside in isolation, which might be the most rational thought anybody on Game of Thrones has ever had.
Back with the King, he’s advised that every one will not be nicely at the Stepstones. The Crabfeeder could also be gone, however Corlys, the Sea Snake, has taken over the island chain seemingly as a rebuke for Viserys’ choice to marry Alicent over his 12-year outdated daughter. What’s extra, Corlys plans to wed stated daughter to a Sealord at Braavos’ son. The crown wants to hunt their very own marriage pact to counter Corlys’ transfer. All eyes are on the Princess.
Later, Rhaenyra occurs upon a chunk of parchment stowed away in a bundle of garments in her room. On the paper lies a map revealing a secret door subsequent to her mattress. Ever the adventurer, she wonders via the passage, follows the path previous the large dragon cranium tucked away in the bowels of the Red Keep, and finally meets up together with her ready Uncle. Together, they steal off into the night time, adorned in disguises. He takes her via the metropolis streets which run rampant with intercourse, violence and booze. They even watch a play that pokes enjoyable at Viserys’ choice to call a “girl” inheritor to the throne, even after Aegon’s delivery.
Daemon watches her response carefully. The commoners need Aegon, he says. To hell with that, she replies earlier than stealing some snacks and high-tailing it via the streets. Daemon finally catches up together with her and the pair share fun. “Enjoy that did you,” he asks as they stroll away holding arms.
Next cease? A brothel, or one thing alongside these strains. Daemon is giving Rhaenyra a style if the grownup life, or possibly even the life of a commoner. (This places Herogasm to disgrace, although one or two photographs might have been all we wanted.) Somehow, Rhaenyra finds all of this romantic and decides now’s the finest time to make a transfer on her Uncle. The pair kiss and, nicely, he takes her to Pleasure Town … or tries to. At some level, the state of affairs weirds him out and he vanishes.
Back at the Red Keep, the King’s weird pores and skin situation has grown worse. A couple of on-line theories urged this was dragon scale, however this doesn’t appear proper given how slowly the illness has unfold. Alicent takes cost, dismisses the servants and will get on her knees to scrub her husband’s physique. Later, she hops in mattress (in a room embellished with, ah, very sexual work) and is nearly to fall asleep when a servant walks in. “I just want some f***ing sleep,” Alicent says. Ah, however the King is asking. “Shit. At this hour?” She endures intercourse together with her husband and you’ll be able to see the wheels delivering her mind. What the hell am I doing right here?
The Princess arrives again at the Red Keep, shocking Criston. She’s nonetheless very a lot in the temper and decides to take her needs out on him. They slowly take away his armor … you’ll be able to see him considering … ah, what the hell, he appears to determine.
Nearby, Otto speaks to a younger boy who noticed the princess depart the brothel with Daemon. Uh oh. The subsequent morning, he relays the boy’s data to the King. “Daemon and Rhaenyra were seen together in the bowels of a pleasure tent,” he says. “Coupling.” Viserys is beside himself, going as far as to inform Otto to carry the gossiper to him so he can pluck out his eyes. He’s additionally weary of Otto, who clearly desires to safe his grandson’s place on the throne … however even he appears disenchanted by the information.
Alicent hears all of this, of course.
Back in her room, the Princess fortunately combs her hair when Criston arrives wanting grim. “The Queen wants to have a chat,” he states.
Rhaenyra heads to the Weirwood tree the place Alicent awaits. She cuts proper to the chase: “Did you f**k Daemon in a pleasure house?” Rhaenyra freaks out and calls the vile accusation idle gossip. Now, technically, she didn’t have intercourse with Daemon … so … Otto’s declaration might be seen as treason, I suppose.
Rhaenyra claims she and Daemon drank and went to a brothel the place he deserted her for “some whore.” “Daemon didn’t touch me, I swear on my mother,” Rhaenyra says. (Somewhere, Criston Cole is freaking out.)
Daemon arrives at the entrance, hung over from the night time’s proclivities. He’s taken by some guards and tossed on the ground in entrance of the Iron Throne. Viserys arrives and doesn’t appear as mad as he needs to be. Daemon doesn’t deny the declare that he “ruined” Rhaenyra — and if he did, so what? Viserys is the King. His phrase is legislation.
Daemon presents an answer: “Wed her to me.” Who cares if he already has a spouse. Aegon the Conqueror had just a few of his personal.
“You are no conquerer,” Viserys snaps, pulling a knife and putting it at Daemon’s throat. “You are a plague sent to destroy me.”
Ever the coolheaded cat, Daemon replies, “Give me Rhaenyra to take to wife and we will return the House of the Dragon to its proper glory.” He doesn’t actually care about Rhaenyra (or does he?), Daemon simply desires the Iron Throne. At least, that’s what Viserys thinks. For the second time in 4 episodes, the King casts his brother out, realizing full nicely the chaos he can create if left unleashed. (As I stated final week, I like Viserys. He’s dude, however man is he a foul King. Daemon is aware of this all too nicely.)
Later, Alicent tells Viserys what Rhaenyra advised her and swears by Rhaenyra’s innocence. Technically, Rhaenyra is harmless of the crimes introduced, however she has had some enjoyable with one other man — which might be very dangerous if she finally ends up pregnant.
Viserys decides to talk with Rhaenyra. There’s some dialogue a couple of dagger that after belonged to Aegon the Conquerer — it was Aenar’s earlier than that. Before Aegon’s dying, his tune was engraved in the metal: “From my blood come the Prince That was Promised and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire.”
We all know that is bullshit, however the prophecy is a burden Viserys shares with Rhaenyra. In different phrases, it’s their duty to result in the Prince That was Promised; a activity they can not take frivolously.
“If I were a man, I could sleep with whoever I wanted and no one would blink an eye,” Rhaenyra says.
“Sure, but you’re a woman and that’s that,” Viserys shoots again. “Oh, and you’re going to marry Ser Laenor Velaryon. Boom.” He drops the mic. This will unite the two strongest homes in the realm, combining the Air Force (dragons) and Navy. “We’re gonna kick so much ass,” he says.
Great, Rhaenyra says, however what about that sleaze bag Otto? He clearly simply desires the throne. “Everybody wants the throne,” Viserys explains. “That’s just the way it is.”
Rhaenyra, clearly pissed at being adopted and having her character dragged via the mud, presents a compromise. “I’ll wed the son of the Sea Snake, but you must first do your duty as King,” she says.
Later, Viserys meets with Otto. The King remembers the way it solely took Otto 5 days to go from being a no one to the Hand of the King after a collection of unlucky circumstances made it so. He then drops a fact bomb: Alicent was a calculated distraction, a transfer made by Otto to plant his seed on the Iron Throne. Our Hand tries to drag off his typical calming, reassuring act, however then Viserys reaches out and plucks the Hand of the King badge off his individual.
“I can no longer trust your judgment,” he says.
Otto seems downright dejected.
We reduce to Rhaenyra studying peacefully by the hearth. One of the maesters wanders in and locations a elaborate cup on the desk in entrance of her. “Sorry I’m late, but here’s this thing,” he says. “I did my best.”
She’s confused. “What is that?”
“Well, it’s, ah,” he begins, “a, uh, thingy to make sure you don’t have any unwanted thingys. Getmydrift?” He then peaces out, leaving Rhaenyra alone together with her “tea.” Good occasions in the realm, as all the time.
Final Thoughts on House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 4
Okay, in order that was Episode 4. Good stuff. So far this season has achieved a terrific job balancing motion with sturdy character work. Everyone has a goal and/or a degree to make. Everyone deserves the throne, and everybody deserves to not have the throne. I really like that. Even Rhaenyra, for all her wit and crafty, makes errors that drastically affect the realm. Her storyline seems like one thing plucked from The Crown, one other collection that offers with the absurd duties and tasks that go hand in hand with royalty; duties which can be bestowed upon members of the royal household whether or not they need them or not.
Rhaenyra is caught able she by no means requested to be in however should endure for the good of the realm.
As Viserys acknowledged, their lives will not be about fact, however notion. Neither of them requested for this duty, they inherited it; but it surely’s they need to look as if they’re completely wonderful with their roles, in any other case the kingdom would disintegrate. I discover that fascinating.
Still, I don’t envy Rhaenyra. She makes so much of legitimate factors on this episode. Why can’t she select which life she desires to reside? Why can’t she marry whom she deems worthy? Why can’t she be a Queen? Why can’t she journey dragons into battle? Why can’t she sleep round? Why can’t ladies get pleasure from the similar privileges as males?
There’s a pointy distinction between Rhaenyra’s free-wheeling night time with Daemon and Alicent’s a lot much less inspiring session with Viserys. Yet, Rhaenyra’s focus relies nearly totally on what she desires, whereas Alicent’s is targeted on doing her responsibility for the realm. I’m certain there’s a compromise someplace between these two strains of thought.
Now, about Otto … I do assume his intentions had been egocentric. He needed to place an inheritor on the throne and hitch his household to royalty for time and all eternity. I don’t blame him. Westeros sucks. There’s a transparent divide between the haves and the have-nots. Who wouldn’t surrender their firstborn with a purpose to reside a snug life in a citadel with servants and meals; versus that father and daughter who starved to dying in Game of Thrones?
As the nice Creed as soon as stated, “The only difference between me and a homeless man is this job.” I believe Otto would agree, which is why he willingly sacrificed his daughter to realize an higher hand, so to talk.
Alicent is an fascinating character. I’m beginning to assume she makes some type of transfer on the King out of spite, hate, anger, or all of the above. She’s clearly not comfortable together with her lot in life and sees herself as little greater than a child maker. Her character hasn’t figured prominently in the story so far, however the present constantly reminds us that she’s there, lurking in each scene. Here now we have a younger woman who by no means bought to decide on which path she needed to take, pressured right into a relationship with a a lot older man to whom she performs second fiddle. She has no associates and now her father is getting the boot. Keep an eye fixed on her.
As for Daemon, I’m undecided what to assume of him. Maybe he did certainly kill the Crabfeeder. Maybe he actually did simply miss house. Or possibly he arrived at King’s Landing with the intention of using off with Rhaenyra. His strikes are calculated, however he’s far too emotional and impulsive to hold them out. At this level, I’m undecided how a lot I belief him; or even when I like him. All I do know is that he seems badass atop a dragon.
Anyways, that’s it for Episode 4. Personally, I liked it. Since that is Game of Thrones, I’m nonetheless ready for that surprising twist that in the end results in the dying of each main character we’ve grown to like. Even if that second by no means arrives, I’m nonetheless comfortable to comply with this group round King’s Landing for one more six episodes.
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