WhenHouse of the Dragonpremiered , I said that it was a show that was uncertain whether it want to go in or out ofGame of Thrones ’ shadow . Four calendar week later , I feelDragonis already stride away , confident in where it wants to go — and where it need to go is a different type of plot of thrones .
In Game of Thrones , the titular game was principally played with ferocity . war were wage . Kings were poisoned . Lords were beheaded . Few of the marriages were made for political power ; you could argue that Sansa ’s marriage to Joffrey and Ramsey Bolton were , but honestly , they both seemed more about punishing the Starks through Sansa than gaining any reward . Danaerys ’ wedlock to Khal Drogo and Hizdahr zo Loraq were to make political alliances , but one of those Dany chose herself .
House of the Dragon is determined to show how the plot of thrones is played with marriages , and how the cleaning woman are merely pawn of the brawny men in charge . Their lack of agency is highlighted almost everywhere in “ King of the Narrow Sea , ” which I find an given statute title — the installment is focus primarily on Rhaenyra ( Milly Alcock ) and Alicent ( Emily Carey ) , but it ’s still cite after a man .
Image: Ollie Upton/HBO
The installment start with Rhaenyra at Dragonstone , hear another long line of suitors do their plea to we d her . There ’s a pontifical old man , a scrawny 13 - class - old , and a real asshole who makes sport of the teen , only to get remove when the shaver pull out his steel to defend his laurels . Rhaenyra is fed up and render to King ’s Landing . On the way of life , her ship is rocked by Daemon ( Matt Smith ) atop his dragon Ceraxes , an unneeded assault to let her have sex he ’s come back .
In fact , Daemon ’s come back with a crown of driftwood on his forefront and the Crabfeeder ’s hammer in his hand ( and inadequate hair ! ) , basically spoils of war afterabsolutely bodying those pirates in last week ’s episode . It ’s a vast affront to his brother and king , Viserys ( Paddy Considine ) , but it ’s also just Daemon making a scene — he soon charter off the crown and kneels , pledging his trueness . Viserys , always wanting to consider Daemon has change for the good , welcomes him with open arms , and throws a party to celebrate Daemon ’s frustration of the pirates .
At the celebration , Rhaenyra complains about how unfair it is that she has to choose a suer , and even worse than that , “ crush out heirs . ” alas , she says this to Alicent , who has actually had to gouge out heirs for Viserys , and , as she reminds her friend , most noble women do n’t get to take between two suitors , let alone two 12 . Feeling guilty enough to depart the conversation , but not quite guilty enough to recontextualize her own spot , Rhaenyra point to see her uncle Daemon , and complains about her eventual forced marriage and desire to not have children . “ My mother was made to produce heir until it killed her , ” she tells him , and she ’s not wrong .
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
Daemon hear this with the sly , smug expression he seems to always have on his face , transude a vibe that is perhaps a little unsettling , much akin to the scene Matt Smith and Milly Alcock shared in House of the Dragon ’s premiere . The vibe begins increase when Rhaenyra finds a cue hidden in her room that it has a secret room access , which leads outside of the palace . The princess waste no time in go forth the keep , where a hooded Daemon is waiting for her with a camouflage and hat to hide her Targaryen hair .
Daemon takes her on a turn of the real King ’s Landing , a motley carnival that enjoy Rhaenyra until her uncle brings her to a stage show that is n’t a play so much as it is an incredibly on - the - nose condition update of where the succession digest between the named heritor Rhaenyra , her baby chum Aegon , and even Daemon . What ’s clear is that the monolithic crowd of lowborn boo the thought of Rhaenyra ruling the Seven Kingdoms . They have no selective information about her other than she ’s female in a position of potential exponent , and that ’s enough for them to hate her .
I thought this would give Rhaenyra pause , making her realize “ This is what I ’m up against , ” but instead she run off , steals some nutrient , execute off again in delectation , and is eventually tracked down by Daemon . Their next stop is a brothel and … you know where this is going , unluckily . sexual activity is heavy in the airwave . The rooms are brimming with people having sex . Women with men . woman with cleaning lady . Men with men . Even the sex workers seem to be having the time of their lives . It ’s in effect an orgy , and Daemon tells Rhaeryna that despite her desire to stay unwed and not have minor , there ’s something she ’d be missing : “ Fucking is a pleasure , ” he tells her breathily . And then they kiss . Passionately . brutally .
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
It ’s rough . Not just because incest is taboo , but because Rhaenyra is supposed to be about 18 class sometime and Daemon is presumably somewhere around Matt Smith ’s old age of 39 ( besides , Alcock search younger than 17 in the show , although the actor is 22 ) . What makes it even rougher is that it ’s raging . There is an acute sexual chemistry between Alcock and Smith in the scene that makes their make - out session severely to wait aside from even as it ’s hard to watch . Plus there ’s the fact that we acknowledge from Game of Thrones that the Targaryen kinfolk has no tabu against incest , and that incest was not rare in medieval Europe and far beyond , well into the nineteenth one C , particularly betweenuncles and nieces .
I do n’t feel convinced enough to truly navigate the sexual and ability political sympathies here , at least having just construe it , and determining how much office Rhaenyra in truth has in the scene . Personally , I do n’t conceive they have knifelike sex because if they did , I do n’t think Daemon would stop himself and walk aside in furious frustration , despite Rhaenyra ’s many attempts to get him to resume . But I also do n’t consider Rhaenyra would be so sexually frustrated that she ’d lure her knight Ser Christon Cole ( Fabien Frankel ) into her bedroom and seduce him forthwith upon returning to the Keep , where they make love ( in stark contrast to her make - out academic term with her uncle ) . It ’s fully possible I ’m being naïve , however .
What I do feel confident about saying is how fantastic Emily Carey is as Alicent in this episode , because House of the Dragon continually interlard Rhaenyra ’s journey through King ’s Landing with Alicent ’s biography as queen , which is miserable despite the fact she ’s live in the lap of opulence . As Rhaenyra freely research what the metropolis has to offer , Alicent is trapped taking concern of her baby and her constantly intoxicated husband , whose many open sore need tend in the tub . When a maidservant comes to her elbow room in the center of the night to recite the queen the queen requests her presence , it ’s obvious what ’s next . Interspersed between shots of Rhaenyra and Daemon ’s spicy - and - heavy snogging are brief shot of Viserys , back covered in sores , rutting off on a drained - eyed , unmoving Alicent .
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
It ’s an unbelievable apposition . Both aspect are gross in altogether different way . Viserys is essentially a well man and Daemon is very much not , but if you take out the incestual taboo — which the Targaryens have done — Viserys looks more like a ogre here . But while Rhaenyra need her uncle Daemon at that instant , and Alicent reluctantly choses to go to the king ’s bedroom , I do n’t know if either woman has any bureau here . Alicent sure as shooting not ; she ’s incarcerate in a mobile phone of what the world tells her is her duty as a wife and a queen , and she ’s vote out herself at bottom in purchase order to endure it . She ’s the one who prefer to deal with Viserys in the bathtub and she acquiesces to the world-beater ’s midnight summons , but it ’s her signified of duty that forces her to do so , not any real desire to serve her old , drunk , break wind husband . And whether Alicent ’s joylessly holding her crying son or abide the power ’s desires , Carey manages the effort of being completely stagnant - eyed while somehow exuding the misery and desperation that hides inside Alicent , and how perfectly trapped she feels .
But because she was “ serve ” the king , Alicent is there the next good morning when her founding father Otto Hightower ( Rhys Ifans ) reluctantly brings Viserys the frightful , horrible news that Rhaenyra and Daemon were realise frolic in a brothel , and it was confirmed that the princess somehow pop off the castle unnoticed and returned through the front logic gate . Viserys scoffs at the idea of Rhaenyra doing such a thing , but Otto says his spies are trusty . Then the world-beater criminate his Hand of trying to disgrace his girl so that Aegon , Otto ’s grandchild , will ride on the Iron Throne , and angrily post him away . But it ’s clean that somewhere , deeply inside , he suspect it ’s true .
Later , when a exhaustively hungover Daemon stagger back into the rook , the world-beater ’s guards roughly grab him and throw him on the stone floor of the throne elbow room , where Viserys is waiting . He ’s finally fed up with his blood brother … almost . Even when Daemon admits it ’s dependable ( and I bonk this disgrace my possibility more , but I firmly believe that Daemon would say they had sexual urge rather than let in he went through with it out of pride and to pain his brother , much like he needlessly have fuss by claiming he was going to have a child ) , he has the gall to tell his brother that he should we d Rhaenyra to him—“Better me than some whore . ” Viserys still ca n’t bring himself to bolt down the chum who sullied his daughter . rather , he ’s deport permanently from King ’s Landing and broadcast back to the married woman he hate in the Eyrie , where he will survive to surely make more fuss down the line of business .
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
Meanwhile , Alicent go to confront her friend , who lies to the fagot ’s font and aver Daemon never touched her . Later , when Viserys summons her , she lie again , but Viserys say , correctly , the truth does n’t count , the perception does . When a sullen Rhaenyra points out that if she were a serviceman , she could have sexuality with anyone she please and sire a twelve asshole , Viserys enounce , “ You ’re right ! ” in the tone of “ No duh ! ” It ’s a double standard and it ’s not average and it ’s so implanted into the entirety of the culture that even the smallfolk do n’t mean she should sit on the Iron Throne . Viserys can name her his inheritor , but he ca n’t make people believe a fair sex is able of rule Westeros . Only she can do that , but if people think Rhaenyra has been “ sullied ” before she ’s been married , she ’ll never get the chance .
So in consequence , he read she will marry Laenor , Word of Corlys Velaryon and Viserys ’ full cousin Rhaenys ( make Laenor and Rhaenyra second cousins , for the criminal record ) to appease the still - furious Sea Snake , joining the two Valyrian houses together , and adding the Velaryon fleets to the Targaryans ’ dragon and tone up their rule . Rhaenyra , screw that she mess up and her lot is sealed , says she ’ll do her duty , but that Viserys must do his : she says Otto Hightower must be removed as Hand of the King because he ’s determined to see his grandson on the Iron Throne . His advice can not be trusted .
allow ’s talk about Otto Hightower for a minute . He roll in the hay exactly what he was doing when he sent his girl to comfort the tycoon after the demise of Queen Aemma . But when Viserys decided to remarry , Otto told him the smart choice was to get hitched with Corlys ’ ( upsettingly young ) girl Laena . Otto has to nerve himself before he tells Viserys the heartbreaking newsworthiness about Rhaenyra , eff how much it will hurt him . If his only goal was to get Aegon named as heir , he ’d have marched in without a persuasion . If he did n’t want to hurt Viserys , he could have ignore his spy . But Hightower felt a responsibility to his king , despite knowing that doing so could have consequences for himself — and eventually it does , because late in the instalment , Viserys bump off him as the Hand of the King , saying he can no longer swear Otto ’s judging .
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
There ’s one last scene in “ King of the Narrow Sea , ” and it ’s quietly annihilating . Rhaenyra hears a smash on her door , and in walks Grand Maester Mellos with a small flowerpot of tea leaf , post by the king . “ It will disembarrass you of any undesirable … consequences , ” he distinguish the princess , and then departs . And it lento dawn on Rhaenyra that she ’s been send a medieval version of a sunrise - after pill .
It ’s awful , and it ’s supposed to be awful , but it is elaborate by the knowledge that Rhaenyra , who ’s been so vocal about not wanting to have kids , would almost have certainly search this out if she ’d known it was available and she had access to it . But because it was sent to her by her beginner , not out of compassionateness but to check that nothing would bewilder a twist in his plans to marry her to Laenor Velaryon , he ’s efficaciously ordering her to have an abortion . Although the show finished filming well before news leak out that the Supreme Court was going to overturn Roe v. Wade , it is insufferable not to draw a comparison to real - world politics , and a fair sex ’s lack of the right to opt and make decisions about her body . Even if Rhaenyra wanted to ensure she was not meaning , the selection was made for her .
I expect this to be a controversial episode , with some citizenry condemning House of the Dragon for the incestuous and murkily historic period - out or keeping sex scene , some for Viserys ’ silent / overt rape of Alicent , and then the tea . Many will objurgate the serial publication for all three , comparing it to how nasty Game of Thrones treat its female character . I ’m by no means sure I ’m correct about this , because my perception is male and I can never fully empathize the subject here , no matter how much I learn . But it seems to me that Thrones halt commenting on the inequality and want of agency women had in the historically instigate setting and began delight in it , using conniption like Sansa ’s rape only to shock audiences . It feels like House of the Dragon is truly tell something about the awful treatment women have been ( and are ) subject to , as it shows how it permeates every aspect of their life — and how even when they ’re royalty they have little to no self-reliance .
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
Assorted Musings:
I feel I should level out that “ King of the Narrow Sea ” was directed by a woman , Clare Kilner , who ’s also doing next calendar week ’s sequence and the serial publication ’ next-to-last episode , which made me sense much better about the three sex scenes . If it had been a male director , I reckon we might have gotten shot of Viserys reluctantly having sex with Alicent out of his sentiency of obligation to bring forth more potential heirs , or sense guilt to mitigate the human activity , but or else , Kilner forces solely on Alicent ’s abominable experience without softening it in the slightest .
During their final conversation , Viserys render Rhaenyra the first Aegon ’s sticker , which was inscribe with row only seeable after the Valyrian steel brand was heated with flaming . It enjoin , “ From my rakehell comes the Prince That Was predict , and his will be the Song of Ice and Fire . ” The Prince , of track , is one of Jon Snow ’s titles , and the song — besides being the name of George R.R. Martin ’s book serial — refers to the event chronicle in the Game of Thrones TV series , if you happened to leave . I detect this a much less clumsy way to connect House of the Dragon to its predecessor than Viserys ’ dreaming language in the premiere , and if that was the first mention of it I would have lose my dickhead as contradict to being very nettled .
It should be lost on no one that Rhaenyra is push into a political union to appease the Sea Snake precisely because Viserys chose affection over his tariff and did n’t espouse a Velaryon when should have . disregardless of Daemon or her secret tryst with Criston , she is bear the terms for her father ’s selfishness .
Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO
Again , I may be deceive about what base Rhaenyra and Daemon got to , but I also do n’t know how close Otto ’s spies could get to tell the dispute between extremely heavy petting and the NC-17 version , so to address . But if I ’m unseasonable , it does n’t make that much of a divergence in terms of the story , it just means I ’m a dull - dumb , and we all already knew that .
I already miss Daemon ’s long haircloth . call on out Targaryens take care very odd without it .
If you will spoil me , can I take a here and now to tell you how unbelievably fucked my Google search history is because of this episode ? Here are affair I had to look up , verbatim , in rapid succession : 1 ) “ historic period of consent laws by State Department ” 2 ) “ When did royals stop inbreeding ” 3 ) “ uncle who get hitched with niece ” 4 ) “ Morning - after pill . ” If someone lead me away , there ’s no lawcourt in the world that would n’t convict me of something . If someone else write next week ’s recap , you ’ll know why .
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AegonFictionGame of ThronesGeorge R.R. MartinJon SnowRhaenyraViserys Targaryen
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