A familiar song of ice and fire welcomes us to episode 2 of House of the Dragon. The new opening credits are beautiful, in the same style of its predecessor Game of Thrones but with Targaryen blood linking the locations together. Having been roughly six months since Aemma’s death in episode one, we’re moving at pace through the Targaryen family history. The Targaryens are losing ships and men to their battle with the Free Cities while Daemon has claimed Dragonstone for himself and fortified it with an army of his gold cloaks. Rhaenyra reminds Viserys he has dragonriders at his disposal, and is promptly sent to take care of the matter of choosing a new Kingsguard member – as the men don’t want to admit a fifteen year old girl has better ideas than them.
Viserys is under increasing pressure to take a new wife. Seeing him spending time with Rhaenyra’s friend Alicent makes it fairly obvious what’s going to happen here. It seems Viserys is unaware that Lord Hightower is lining his daughter up to be Queen, and simply thinks Alicent spends time with him of her own accord.
Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys suggest Viserys wed their young daughter Laena, who is only twelve years old, which is.. horrifying. Despite the Targaryens being no stranger to marriages between relatives, Viserys clearly does not want to marry a child. The pair suggest it under the guise that it would unite the two surviving Valyrian houses, but it’s clear they hope to gain a claim to the throne through Laena.
Viserys and Rhaenyra barely speak at the dinner table. Both of them miss Aemma dearly, and she appears to have been the glue that held the three of them together. Rhaenyra seeks Viserys approval and guidance, but is also very independent and doesn’t like to be infantilized. Viserys asks Alicent for guidance on how to speak to his teenage daughter, but it doesn’t seem to go too well when he once again shuts down Rhaenyra’s ideas for Small Council. The two later have a heart to heart where they both express their grief for Aemma, and it’s nice to see Viserys speak to Rhaenyra like an adult instead of a child for once.
Rhaenys and Rhaenyra’s exchange about marriage and the order of things is a verbal dance between frenemies. Rhaenys reminds Rhaenyra that her father will remarry sooner or later, and his new wife will most likely birth a male heir. While it is most likely that this will happen and the Small Council will push for a male to succeed the Iron Throne, I cannot see Rhaenyra just backing down and accepting that it’s “the order of things.” It’s not in her nature, and I like that about her. Rhaenys is very jealous, her nickname “The Queen Who Never Was” forever reminding her that Rhaenyra has a chance at the throne Rhaenys was denied.
Meanwhile, Daemon makes a nuisance of himself by stealing a dragon egg and announcing he’s taking a second wife, who happens to be already pregnant – which we later find out is untrue. When Rhaenyra finds out Daemon took the egg she had previously chosen for her now-deceased baby brother Baelon, she takes matters into her own hands and flies out on her dragon, Syrax, to confront her Uncle Daemon herself. The contingent of men sent by Viserys and lead by Lord Hightower weren’t making any progress, anyway. The power dynamics between Daemon and Rhaenyra are fiery as she tells him to kill her and get it over with to be restored as heir. Daemon considers his options before tossing the dragon egg back to Rhaenyra and retreating. We’re only two episodes in, but Rhaenyra is proving with each scene she is more than worthy to be Queen.
Viserys holds a Small Council meeting to announce his new wife: Alicent Hightower. She is kind, has a soft spot for Viserys and doesn’t appear to be power-hungry like her father. Rhaenyra accepts Viserys must remarry, but leaves the room without a word when Alicent is named as his choice. Otto looks smug. Corlys is furious, and heads straight to Daemon to extend an offer of allegiance. I expect the next episode will jump months ahead again, as time is of the essence in the remaining eight episodes of season one. So far the story has a tight plot & pace, and I hope that continues. We’ll find out next week!
