House of the Dragon Summary: Rhaenyra finally dances with dragons

“When dragons go to war,” Rhaenyra warns her husband, Prince Daemon, “everything burns.”

Throughout the season finale, only the newly crowned queen seems to understand how hard it is to resist the usurpation of her crown. She alone weighs diplomatic options, up to and including surrender, rather than risk plunging Westeros into a war like never before. Against the warmongering of her vassals and consort, the provocations of her old enemy Otto Hightower, and even the temptation of the godlike destructive power bestowed upon her by the dragons of her faction, Rhaenyra stands steadfast. Emma D’Arcy brings tremendous subtlety to Rhaenyra’s struggles throughout the episode, from her lopsided, puzzled smile to Lucerys’ fear of his future responsibilities to her expression of loss and hope, evidence of Alicent’s enduring love in the form of a childhood receive memory. Peace promises love, children, the honor of their father’s peaceful heritage, and faith in the conqueror’s dream. War risks everything.

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

But the world, as Rhaenyra tells her middle child, has no regard for our plans. First, a painful and draining miscarriage costs Rhaenyra her unborn daughter. Watching the sweaty and bloodied woman cradles the deformed body in her arms, it’s hard not to see it as an omen of things to come, a shadow cast by all the innocents whose lives are a war between the rival monarchs would no doubt end . The war also drives a wedge between Rhaenyra and her husband, exposing Daemon’s intense insecurities as he confronts both his own immaturity and his jealousy over his wife’s closeness to his late brother, the king. The scene in which Daemon attacks his queen is one of the most disturbing of the season, a showcase for Matt Smith’s ability to simultaneously seethe and distance himself from his surroundings. It’s an ugly contrast to the warmth between Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys, who share an apparent warmth and solidarity even in conflict. No such understanding comes from Daemon, and it appears that Rhaenyra is risking her marriage by holding back from the bloodshed he craves.

Image: Ollie Upton/HBO

Director Greg Yaitanes frames this parade of loss and turmoil with painterly precision, and the episode’s color grading is among the series’ best yet, with rich, dark reds and sickly grays predominating over dramatic blacks and pale light blues. The Black Queen is careful to associate the Targaryens directly with their dragon through elaborate framing and insert cuts. During Rhaenyra’s deep labor we see Syrax flash, roaring sympathetically at her rider. As Daemon threatens the Knights of the Kingsguard, Caraxe’s massive head fills the frame behind him, a scene repeated by a later sequence in which Daemon awakens the ancient dragon Vermithor and the two are reflected in each other’s eyes, twin incarnations of careless ones power and destruction.

The imagery of the episode prompts us to think about who exactly is in charge here. Is it the Targaryens, driven as much by old grudges and infatuation as by a greater sense of duty? Is it the dragons themselves that, like the proverbial blade, invite violence by their mere existence? The answer, as much as you can wriggle out of the tangle of guts and screams that concludes the episode’s central action scene, is that the worst of the two parties is in charge. The venal pettiness of the royal family, the outsized powers their dragons bestow upon them, and their utter lack of experience with real violence and its aftermath come together in a literally deadly clash. Watching Aemond and Lucerys scream in terror as their dragons, pushed too hard by Aemond’s cruel chicken play, engage one another is a heartbreaking sight, and Yaitanes builds suspense during their midair encounter with brutal, hard precision and physical tension to a shattering sense of speed. When the final blast of gore and gore hits, it’s almost a relief until you start thinking about what’s next.

Photo: HBO

Rubber meets road, the idea of ​​a peaceful solution to the succession crisis falls apart in an instant, and Rhaenyra is worn down by betrayal and grief. Not only has she lost her son, she has also lost her sense of security in her marriage and her chance to rekindle her connection with Alicent. At the same time, she has gained vassals, the vital support of House Velaryon, and the allegiance of another Knight of the Kingsguard. Even before she finds out about Lucerys’ death, a march to war has become much more plausible. D’Arcy’s final look at the camera is haunting, a surer omen of things to come than any prophetic dream or lofty speech about the good of the realm. Throughout the episode, we see Rhaenyra keep pushing for peace, down the uncomfortable and often disappointing path of compromise. But what waits beneath Dragonstone, its tattered wings curled in the darkness, its furnace breath scorching the cave walls? What beast in the firelight is reflected in Daemon’s eyes as he glows in his own?

We know what’s coming. Revenge. Justice. fire and blood.