Throughout its tenure, Game of Thrones became known for its action-packed penultimate episodes. Ned Stark’s death, the Battle of the Blackwater, and the Red Wedding all occurred a week before the season finales. Now, with the credits rolling on the finale episode of House of the Dragon season two, it’s clear the prequel is following in its forebearer’s footsteps. While “The Red Sowing” provided some action last week, “The Queen Who Ever Was” mostly acted as a preamble to season three, closing out storylines and setting up the action for the next go-around. Unfortunately, “The Red Sowing” was no “Battle of the Bastards,” and now we will have to wait years until we get to see what happens next.
But before the waiting game for next season begins, let’s revisit the last 70 minutes of television. The map of the known world expands in episode eight, first to Essos, where Tyland Lannister is meeting with the Triarchy, and then to Sharp Point. Or, at least what was Sharp Point, as Aemond burned the place to the ground in his rage after realizing that Team Black now has seven dragons. Remember the timid, scared Aemond who sulked in the arms of his very first prostitute? Where did he go? He probably burned with Aegon at Rook’s Rest. But can we at least find that woman so she can repeat her wise words: “I would remind you only that when princes lose their temper, it is often others who suffer.” Someone very much needs to hear that again.
Larys sees Aemond’s wanton attack on Sharp Point as only the beginning of what’s to come. The Prince regent is completely unhinged, and he won’t stop anytime soon. Larys is like a little girl who just got her first-ever baby doll (Aegon). She will protect that doll at all costs, but also doesn’t treat it with a ton of care (she’s a little girl, after all). Larys isn’t willing to lose his beloved baby doll, no matter how beat up it is from all those days of dragging it around on the playground. He thinks Aemond will kill Aegon if the King remains in King’s Landing. Aegon is of no use to Larys as a corpse, so he informs Aegon that he has slowly been siphoning Harrenhal’s gold reserve and placing it safely in the Braavosi Iron Bank. He suggests the two of them head across the sea to wait out the war, predicting Aegon will emerge from the ashes of Rhaenyra and Aemond’s destruction and once again take the throne.
There is an interesting relationship going on here that I wish was expanded upon more. Aegon is at his most vulnerable point, and the ever-strategic Larys has swept in to take advantage of that. It’s shades of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, or perhaps Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s narrative has just wormed too deep into my brain. But stay with me for a second here. Maybe that’s why Larys has been pushing Aegon so hard, to ensure the King never recovers and stays in his malleable state. While Aegon lightly protests against Larys’s suggestions, he is, in general, completely devoid of motivation. He has nothing to live for at this point, “his cock is destroyed.” He knows Larys is right—Aemond has proven he has no problem with fratricide. So is Aegon just to sit in that bed, waiting for the one-eyed “Mad Cunt” to decide he’s had enough of the burnt King? Or does he take Larys up on his romantic getaway to Braavos and enjoy a winter away before returning to a new Westeros over which he can rule? Ultimately, Aegon chooses the former, and we see the two riding off into the sunset.
Alicent, of course, won’t be too happy to hear Larys has king-napped her son, but she’s too busy dealing with the aftermath of her identity crisis to actually check on her ailing boy. Instead, she attempts to protect the one child who still has a chance: Helaena. It seems everyone is trying to leave King’s Landing these days—too bad the technology isn’t advanced enough to provide direct flights to Essos. That’s a moot point, however, as Helaena doesn’t seem too interested in leaving. But she is even less interested in riding her dragon, Dreamfyre, into battle. The Greens must really be kicking themselves for letting Helaena, the pacifist, claim such a formidable dragon. When Aemond’s vinegar approach toward Helaena is unsuccessful, he tries to use more honey on a second attempt. Unfortunately for him, his sister is a seer (though it’s important to note that we still know basically nothing about these proclivities). “Will you burn me as you did Aegon?” she bravely asks her maniacal brother, speaking confidently of Aegon’s eventual return to the throne and Aemond’s inevitable demise. Imagine being so awful that your sister must side with her sexual predator brother over you.
But while King’s Landing is emptying out, Dragonstone is reaching full capacity thanks to the three new dragonriders who have no problem making themselves comfortable. Jacaerys is unable to hide his disdain for his new compatriots, who are a constant reminder of his paternal reality. Of course, it doesn’t help that Ulf has the decorum of a man who has spent his entire life in brothels…likely because he has spent his entire life in brothels. He, for the most part, seems to mean well, as we know he does hold Jace in high regard, but a comment about the Prince’s hair does not help Ulf’s position. Of course, the new dragonrider likely doesn’t realize that his mere presence in the room is an insult to Jace at this point.
Etiquette lessons will have to wait, however, as the new dragonriders must prepare for battle in just a few days’s time. While Rhaenyra hoped the mere threat of seven dragons would be enough for Team Green to lay down their swords, Aemond’s little display at Sharp Point has proven it won’t be that easy. Corlys is the latest of the Queen’s advisors to press on the necessity of action, and in this moment, I can’t help but think the show writers should maybe listen to their own advice. Like Rhaenyra, House of the Dragon has been stalling for eight episodes, and they’ve run down the clock so as to guarantee that not much of note will happen before the finale’s end. It sure is a good thing Dragon was renewed for another season.
While we will certainly not have time for any battle in this episode, we see more preparations underway for this hypothetical event. Rhaenyra has dinner with her dragonriders, making sure they know she has entrusted them with power. Of course, she didn’t entrust them with anything. The dragons chose them, so she must maintain whatever hold she can on Ulf, Addam, and Hugh else they turn their loyalties, and dragons, to the other side—or worse, attempt to claim the throne for themselves. For now, she has the enticement of knightship to keep them in line, and she can only hope that’s enough. It’s clear she struggles to trust these strangers and seems to only have faith in Addam, as his resume comes with a recommendation letter from Corlys. It is he who Rhaenyra chooses to fly with her to Harrenhal when she gets word that Daemon may be building an army in his name.
I was beginning to think that Harrenhal was a figment of Daemon’s imagination. Like when you watch The Sixth Sense back again and realize Bruce Willis was obviously dead the whole time: Haley Joel Osment was the only one who spoke to him throughout the entirety of the movie. Maybe Daemon’s paranoia was rubbing off, but I was starting to question whether Alys, Simon, or any of the rivermen actually existed or were simply living in the King consort’s head. For almost the entirety of the season, we see Daemon putz about the castle, reliving his life through nightmares and sex dreams. It finally “pays off” in a final last scene with Alys, when a touch of the weirwood reveals the real war to come: The Song of Ice and Fire. In an instant, Daemon gets a glimpse of the three-eyed raven, a pretty worn-out Night King, the death of the dragons, and his descendant, Daenerys Stormborn. It’s good timing, too, because by the time Rhaenyra arrives, that last vision has done away with any of Daemon’s desires to take the throne himself. “The war is just the beginning…The realm’s only hope is a leader that can unite it and my brother chose you,” he says before bowing to his wife, giving her the Riverland’s army in the process. “Leave me again at your peril,” she says, and for a second, I forget all of the weird, messed-up history between these two, and I almost miss their banter.
So, Rhaenyra has an army, seven dragons, and her husband back; all she needs now is a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, that is not possible, as she has a visitor. Alicent arrives at Dragonstone, seemingly for no reason but to complain to her old friend about her failure of a life. It’s pretty frustrating watching this interaction. The writers clearly like placing Alicent and Rhaenyra in conversation, but they are very quick to erase the women’s history in the process. Alicent was awful to Rhaenyra—a bully, an instigator, even violent at times. Imagine such a woman coming to your doorstep after waging war in direct opposition to your birthright. Personally, I would not even hear her out, but Rhaenyra does, and eventually, the former Queen gets to the point. She wants to end the war, so she invites Rhaenyra to fly to the unprotected King’s Landing once Aemond heads off to take Harrenhal. Aegon is incapacitated, and that will leave Helaena in charge, who Alicent will convince to open the gates for Rhaenyra. “You will enter as a conquerer.” Alicent attempts to spare Aegon’s life, but Rhaenyra insists that the King must be beheaded in order to truly end the war. Now, Alicent is a flawed character, and she wasn’t a great mother, but she was a loyal one. So when she nods her head, agreeing to Rhaenyra’s terms, it’s clear Alicent is either completely defeated or a very good liar. This could still be a trap. Alicent doesn’t have a great track record of showing Rhaenyra any grace. And though she has been a prisoner all her life, would she really give up her children just so she can finally have some freedom?
Well, we will have to wait and see next season, likely not until 2026. In the meantime, Dragon leaves us with some final shots. Rhaena attempts to claim a wild dragon and add one more to Team Black’s numbers, seemingly content with dying in the process or the very likely face of failure. The Lannisters, Starks, and Hightowers all march off to battle, the latter with Daeron and Tessarion in their ranks. Aegon heads to Essos with Larys. And Rhaenyra and Alicent share parallel contemplative shots as they consider their conversation and next moves. And um, is that Otto Hightower in prison? Guess we’ll find out in two years.
