Home of the Dragon has been teasing a terrible civil war in Westeros for the reason that foundations have been laid in season one—and now, with House Targaryen bitterly divided, battles are just over the horizon. This week, in episode three, “The Burning Mill,” we see one final try at reconciliation—in addition to the beginnings of some journeys, a mysterious new character, and a few spooky-castle shenanigans.
Ah, the Riverlands. A spot of inexperienced fields, picturesque windmills, and generations-long feuds between adjoining homes, as we see when younger knights from Home Bracken and Home Blackwood get in one another’s faces on the border dividing their lands. Lately, present occasions are bolstering their anger: one facet’s loyal to Queen Rhaenyra, the opposite calls her a “babekiller” and “kinslayer” and takes the facet of Crew Inexperienced. Insults result in shoving, shoving results in swords, then the scene cuts and we see a full-on battle has taken place between the homes. The land is riddled with our bodies, and that quaint windmill is now a burned-out husk.
Talking of our bodies, there’s a double burial occurring on Dragonstone: the Cargill twins, reunited of their grave. As a somber Rhaenyra ponders her subsequent transfer—a livid Jace needs to maintain the cycle of revenge going—Rhaenys, who accurately senses that Otto Hightower has been shoved apart and that the assassination try was the work of “hotter blood,” sidles in with a suggestion, delivering the killer strains we’ve heard in Home of the Dragon trailers. “There could also be one other approach: Alicent Hightower … she is aware of struggle is coming and that it is going to be savage past all examine,” Rhaenys says. “There isn’t a struggle so hateful to the gods as a struggle between kin. And no struggle so bloody as a struggle between dragons.” Alicent might be their final hope to forestall a horrible struggle. Rhaenyra’s skeptical, however Rhaenys’ phrases make her consider the raven that got here from King’s Touchdown bearing a message from her previous good friend after Luke was killed… which she has but to learn.
Talking of King’s Touchdown, Ser Criston Cole–now Hand of the King, along with being Lord Commander of the Kingsguard–is dawdling earlier than a Small Council assembly. When he will get there, struggle is (unsurprisingly) the principle matter, with Aemond updating everybody concerning the Bracken-Blackwood battle, and King Aegon bitchily asking what their subsequent transfer is. There are numerous strategies, to the purpose the place everyone seems to be speaking over one another and Alicent speaks sharply concerning the Council’s lack of self-discipline, however Cole opines that the Riverlands are the important thing to profitable the struggle, and that Harrenhal is the important thing to the Riverlands. He’ll lead the military there himself, he says—this can be a man who actually does not wish to attend any extra of those conferences—with Aemond, however not Vhagar, who is required on the house entrance defending King’s Touchdown. “I’ll come too, with Sunfyre,” King Aegon pipes in, an concept no person helps; you get the sense it’s partially as a result of they wish to journey with out drawing an excessive amount of consideration (one thing a dragon at all times brings), but in addition as a result of, let’s face it, no person needs Aegon within the combine.
Again on Dragonstone, earlier than a beautiful sundown view that includes a lone dragon flapping round within the distance, Rhaenyra is having a chat with Mysaria—who, having been given her freedom in final week’s episode, turned again on the final minute when she realized a sure ill-meaning twin had simply arrived on the island. Mysaria, who says she’s nonetheless stunned that Rhaenyra was prepared to let her go, would love a reward: a spot in Rhaenyra’s courtroom. She has beneficial details about the internal workings of the Crimson Maintain, and no love for the Hightowers; she’s additionally right here to advocate for the smallfolk, and figures Rhaenyra is the ruler almost definitely to indicate them mercy. “One flip for an additional, then,” Rhaenyra says, and we will see a mutual respect of types forming between these two very otherwise positioned ladies.
Contained in the citadel, we lastly spend various passing seconds with Rhaena: Daemon’s daughter, and the youthful sister of Baela. (In George R.R. Martin’s textual content, they’re twins, however she’s positively positioned because the second sibling right here.) Rhaenyra has a process for her, involving the youthful Targaryens: she’ll take Joffrey (Rhaenyra’s youngest dark-haired son) and his dragon to the Vale, the place he’ll turn out to be the ward of Woman Arryn; then, Rhaena will turn out to be the de facto mom determine for Rhaenyra’s blonde children with Daemon (Aegon and Viserys, and sure the repeated names are complicated), taking them to Pentos for security. As we’ve seen, no cute little child is secure on this specific struggle. “Make this sacrifice willingly, for all of us,” Rhaenyra urges her. Rhaena isn’t pleased about it, but when there’s one factor ladies in Westeros learn about… it’s making sacrifices.
And now, finally, we choose again up with Daemon as he flies by way of howling night time winds into Harrenhal, the largest citadel in Westeros and in addition, want we remind you, the spookiest. It’s additionally extremely damp, because of all of the injury it’s taken through the years, and Daemon stomps by way of puddles and flurries of bats indoors, killing a guard on the best way simply because he can. If this was a classic horror film, he’d encounter Lon Chaney Jr. lurking in the dead of night, however since that is Home of the Dragon and never Home of Dracula, as a substitute he meets… Ser Simon Sturdy, performed by British stage legend Sir Simon Russell Beale, having dinner in one of many citadel’s few vaguely cozy rooms.
Ser Simon has no objection to ceding management of Harrenhal to Crew Black—he’s no fan of his cunningly murderous great-nephew, Ser Larys—although Daemon’s skeptical of his hospitality, and snaps at him for mistakenly calling him “my Prince” as a substitute of “Your Grace.” For his half, Ser Simon thinks Daemon’s plan to boost a military within the Riverlands is a doubtful one; the area’s liege lord, Lord Grover Tully, is a frail previous man unlikely to grasp what’s at stake. What’s the endgame right here, Ser Simon wonders? This very droll trade follows.
Daemon: “We march on King’s Touchdown and take the throne.”
Ser Simon: “The throne?”
Daemon: “It’s an enormous chair… made from swords.”
In King’s Touchdown, Cole’s military prepares to march with a brand new face in tow: Ser Gwayne Hightower, Alicent’s brother. He meets Cole with a well mannered however frosty angle (Gwayne’s not thrilled Cole took Otto’s place because the Hand), and issues get a bit bizarre when Cole says goodbye to Alicent, asking for her favor (which takes the type of a handkerchief she pulls out of her cleavage) as he departs, and Gwayne appears to be like on quizzically. The digital camera pulls up because the host rides out, and within the foreground we see one of many rat catcher corpses from final week, wanting a bit extra decayed, and with a crow making brief work of its eyes.
On Dragonstone, the strain is rising together with the anticipation of this military—which Crew Black has but to identify, however is aware of have to be forming; the truth that Daemon hasn’t despatched any updates since he flounced away isn’t serving to. Rhaenyra’s Small Council needs her to behave, be that by sending dragons to burn all who oppose her, or hiding herself away and letting the council (one other approach of placing that’s “the menfolk”) rule in her stead. After Rhaenyra departs in disgust, Rhaenys has one other notable quotable to share, reminding everybody that “their Queen wears the crown of my grandsire, Jaeharys the Conciliator, a prudent ruler, the wisest of Targaryen kings, whose reign outlasted each different, even Aegon the Conquerer’s.”
However Rhaenys is aware of there’s bother afoot, and he or she doesn’t right Corlys within the subsequent scene, in a wet Driftmark rendezvous, when he refers back to the Small Council as “the ditherers of Dragonstone.” The interplay between husband and spouse, like so lots of their conferences, is shot by way of with affection in addition to delicate disagreements, together with that previous query of who ought to inherit Driftmark (presently, it’s little Joffrey, who’s about to be spending the remainder of his childhood removed from the ocean). There’s a brand new urgency to their discuss of heirs, a tumultuous topic—as we noticed final season, when Corlys suffered an incredible harm and it appeared Lucerys Velaryon (RIP) could be inheriting Driftmark prior to anticipated. “We’re at struggle,” Rhaenys reminds the Sea Snake, and worries that one thing may occur to him.
On close by Dragonstone, Rhaena bids farewell, getting ready for her journey with babies and small dragons in tow. She’s resentful; Baela, who’s not solely older, however has her personal dragon to experience, will get to remain behind and take an lively half within the struggle effort. However there’s a softening when Rhaenyra exhibits Rhaena that she’ll even be caring for a clutch of valuable dragon eggs; if the worst occurs in Westeros, she’ll be an essential supply of hope for the Targaryen future.
After Rhaenyra says goodbye to her sons (besides Jace, he will get to remain), we lower to King’s Touchdown, the place Alicent and Heleana have a poignant dialog about motherhood, grief, and loss. And the elephant within the room comes out: “I forgive you,” Heleana tells her teary-eyed mom, and everyone knows she means her mom’s forbidden affair with Cole. In a close-by chamber, King Aegon (“the magnanimous”) is being fitted with… Aegon the Conquerer’s personal snazzy armor. He’s planning to fly into battle, regardless of everybody else agreeing it’s a horrible concept. Ser Larys seems, as at all times armed with a bit of data that’s secretly manipulation in disguise, and says there’s discuss that Aegon has been tricked into going into battle as a result of that’s what his Small Council, together with Alicent, needs, in order that she and Aemond can rule in his absence. As Aegon is taking this in, he makes one other impulsive appointment, naming Larys his Grasp of Whisperers.
And it really works! Aegon decides that fairly than going to battle, he’ll… spend one other drunken night time out in town as a substitute. In a scene that immerses us in King’s Touchdown after hours, we meet a brand new character. It’s a quick second, nevertheless it’s essential, since that is the bastard son of Baelon Targaryen—which makes him Daemon and Viserys’ half-brother, and Rhaenyra’s uncle. Why he’s sharing this data with random strangers (look intently; one is Samson Kayo from Our Flag Means Demise) in a tavern isn’t clear, and we be taught no extra for now as a result of simply then King Aegon, who’s unaware of the person’s identification, exhibits up able to occasion his face off.
Awkward household reunion averted–till Aegon walks in on Aemond snuggled up together with his favourite girl of the night time, to Aegon’s hooting, taunting delight. Aemond’s response is to face on the desk—basic Sport of Thrones-style full-frontal nudity alert, although there’s tasteful shadowing—and stalk out of the room (sporting not a sew, not even his eye patch), pretending he’s completely unbothered.
On Dragonstone, a contemplative Rhaenyra decides that now, finally, is the second to open her message from Alicent. We will’t learn the message, however the phrase “mom” positively seems.
En path to the Riverlands, Cole and Ser Gwayne Hightower proceed to not like one another. Gwayne has determined to take his lieutenants to a close-by tavern to allow them to take pleasure in some creature comforts, whereas Cole’s males are all camped on the laborious floor. “We are going to rendezvous together with your military at first gentle,” Gwayne says breezily, because the digital camera tilts as much as present us the present place of the solar, and—hey now, what’s that within the sky? Dragonnnnnn! Cole, Gwayne, and Gwayne’s males gallop for the security of close by tree cowl as Baela, driving Moondancer, swoops in overhead. She’s there merely to look at, not interact, however you may see in her face she’s acquired a little bit of that season-one Rhaenys “I wish to set you all on hearth” urge in her, and he or she provides the lads a very good scare. Ser Gwayne, for one, appears to be like like he might need peed his pants a bit, and at last admits Cole may know what he’s doing in any case. Stealth is now the best way ahead for this military—“and no fucking inns,” Cole hisses.
When Baela stories again to Rhaenyra and her Small Council, once more they urge it’s time to take motion. Previous time, actually. She takes it in and says she’ll think about their arguments, as we lower to Rhaenys—and may inform she’s realizing Rhanyra is lastly going to take her recommendation.
However first, you could be questioning, because the Small Council on Dragonstone definitely has been: what the hell has Daemon been as much as? Wandering across the ruins of Harrenhal, it seems—a spot filled with dripping water, barricaded doorways, and whispers from the previous. He encounters an not possible tableau: younger Rhaenyra, performed by a returning Milly Alcock. “At all times coming and going, aren’t you,” she sighs at Daemon. “And I’ve to scrub up afterwards.” Because the digital camera comes round we see she’s stitching little Jaehaerys Targaryen’s head onto his neck. Straight away, the imaginative and prescient is gone, and an odd lady—somebody we noticed earlier alongside Ser Simon—seems and says “You’ll die on this place.”
With that uneasiness lingering, we return to Dragonstone; there’s no sneaking into King’s Touchdown with out the recommendation of Mysaria, so Rhaenyra will get all of the intel she must engineer a face-to-face encounter with Alicent. This consists of what disguise she’ll want (a septa; it’s not the primary time this episode, nor this season, that somebody factors out most smallfolk gained’t acknowledge a royal out of context) and the place she’ll be capable of discover the Dowager Queen alone (within the Nice Sept of Baelor, saying her prayers). After which, it occurs: a scene between Rhaenyra and Alicent, one thing we weren’t anticipating to see at all this season.
And it’s fairly a robust second. Alicent’s shock when she realizes who’s come to name is one factor; it ranges up when she realizes Rhaenyra isn’t there to kill her. Rhaenyra opens with a reminiscence all of us share: the match that kicked off in season one. “Males skilled for battle are wanting to struggle,” she reminds her previous good friend. “I do know you do not need that want inside you.” However Alicent is aware of the Dance of the Dragons is previous the purpose of no return. There aren’t any phrases they will come to. An excessive amount of has occurred now.
As they whisper-argue over Luke and Jaeharys, the actual meat of the dialog involves the fore: what did the dying King Viserys say to Alicent that made her assume he’d modified his thoughts about Rhaenyra being his inheritor? Rhaenyra can’t consider her ears when Alicent, who steadfastly believes she was honoring her husband’s needs, says he muttered about “Aegon” and “the prince that was promised to unite the realm.” Rhaenyra is aware of, as we did once we noticed it final season, that Viserys was referring to the Tune of Ice and Hearth, a dream that Aegon the Conquerer had. Improper Aegon, Alicent! Improper Aegon. However for Alicent, it’s too late, regardless of how a lot Rhaenyra protests that there’s been a mistake. “There’s been no mistake,” Alicent insists. Otto’s been kicked out of courtroom, Cole is on the march, “you realize what Aemond is,” and it’s too late. As Alicent stalks away, Rhaenyra units her jaw. Time to go to struggle. Ultimately?
New episodes of Home of the Dragon arrive Sundays on HBO and Max.
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