I don’t want to be rude, but someone needs to tell Lord Beesbury he’s got something on his face. It’s making this Small Council meeting so awkward.
Spoiler Note: This recap and the comments section may contain mild spoilers from George R.R. Martin’s novels and Westeros histories, whether or not that material has appeared on the show yet. If you have not read the books and wish to remain completely Unsullied, we encourage you to check out our non-book-reader recap by Oz of Thrones!
So did the first “epic episode nine” for House of the Dragon measure up to Game of Thrones‘ storied episode nines? Hmmm….no. But it was a pretty good episode with a great final few minutes! In case you missed the episode or have forgotten already…
Word of the king’s death slowly trickles through the castle to some servants (notably the spy Talya) and the queen makes her move to set things in motion for her son Aegon to become the ruler instead of Rhaenyra. Otto is thrilled with Viserys’ dying “declaration” for the prince, of course.
The Small Council convenes, and Otto is way too prepared to crown Prince Aegon as the king, with his strategy in place and allies lined up. Alicent is perturbed. Lord Beesbury is straight up pissed, he is not down with this coup. Criston Cole goes full on HULK SMASH on the old man, and now there’s a Council position open!
The Kingsguard Commander Harrold Westerling wasn’t in on the plan either. After challenging Cole for his murderous behavior, Westerling removes his cloak and signs off rather than imprison the true heir and her family. (It’s a striking contrast with Cole removing his cloak for lust- or love, your mileage may vary- a handful of episodes ago.)
Alicent finally tells her children the news.
Given that he’s now about to become king, everyone’s looking for Aegon. But Ser Erryk has unfortunately lost his asshole charge with the prince sneaking off into the city for whoring and whatnot. The Cargyll twins (named Erryk and Arryk because their parents hate them) are sent in plainclothes to fetch him. Though I’m not sure how discreet this really is, when the Kingsguard soldiers are generally famous and completely identical tall twins will not go unnoticed anywhere they go. Maybe just send one next time?
The Greens fail to coordinate their efforts- Alicent also sends people to hunt for her son, having his brother Aemond head out with Criston Cole to search. (Again…hood or not, the scarred and eyepatched face of a royal prince is incredibly recognizable. This is not the greatest plan.) Aemond does know some places his brother likes to go- brothels they visited in their younger years. Nothing pans out though; it’s just a trip down memory lane for Aemond and a chance for Cole to wear his unfortunate penis hat.
Meanwhile, Otto is playing king again in the throne, demanding people kneel. They mostly do but a few don’t and are imprisoned for their loyalty to Rhaenyra. Lord Caswell hesitates, but kneels in the end. Larys silently watches.
A girl follows the Cargyll twins into fighting pits where we see children battling for the entertainment of others. (Forerunners of Biter. They were all tweens, once. Yep, ASOIAF can always get more depressing.) The girl is one of Mysaria’s little spies and has info to share.
Aemond and Cole search, and the second son is much chattier this week; Aemond more or less admitting to wanting the throne and feeling he’s better suited.
The previously kneeling Lord Caswell tries to make a run for it and escape the Red Keep. Larys discovers his plans and has him stopped. Otto sentences him to the King’s Justice.
The Silent Sisters prepare Viserys’ graying body. Alicent mourns genuinely, and lays his crown upon his chest.
Alicent visits with the imprisoned Rhaenys, who is outraged about her treatment, locked up with her dragon far from her. Alicent attempts to appeal to her logic and challenges the worth of the alliance Rhaenys made with Rhaenyra. “You should’ve been queen.” Rhaenys scorns her, and the way Alicent still serves men- she is the one imprisoned.
Otto joins the ugly commoner disguise party in Flea Bottom, with Cole and surprise – Mysaria! Mysaria looks gorgeous of course. She confesses to having Prince Aegon “tucked away” safely and subtly reminds them- she saved him from himself but she could have killed him too. That is the power a commoner can hold.
Aegon is revealed to be stashed…. underneath the ring of candles in the sept and he isn’t happy to be found. He has to be dragged kicked and screaming back to his own life. Criston Cole shows up and fights…I’m pretty sure it’s Arryk. (They should wear nametags.) Aemond tackles Aegon and keeps him from running off. Erryk watches, indecisively, his distaste for their prince keeping him from acting. He slips away. Arryk loses the fight, but Cole doesn’t draw blood. They have the prince.
Otto and Alicent review the happenings and the Hand challenges his daughter for still being squeamish; she’s still playing games. He wants Rhaenyra and her children dead and Alicent’s dead set against it.
After Otto leaves, Larys creeps in, as he does. He and Alicent play a game of tit for tat; more like…foot for dirt. He reveals what he knows about how her daddy finds out things and she gives him access to her bare feet. The nonverbal aspects and speed with which she takes off her shoes suggests that this is not the first time. He exposes Talya the maid as a spy and recommends removing Mysaria. Then it gets very very uncomfortable for everyone.
Ser Erryk Cargyll helps Rhaenys escape, having decided to change his loyalties. As they depart, we see Lord Caswell has been hung for his attempt to leave.
In the city, Mysaria’s house burns.
Erryk escorts Rhaenys through the King’s Landing streets but she gets lost amid the chaos of the crowds rushing to the announcement/crowning.
Aegon is hungover for his own coronation because yeah, why wouldn’t he be. Ahead of it, Alicent presents him with the Catspaw dagger. Otto announces the king’s death officially and the prince marches into the sept nervously, with great ceremony. Rhaenys watches from the crowds until she slips away….and down.
Aegon basks in the approval of the crowd, gradually accepting his new role as king and the love that comes with it.
Until Rhaenys and and her dragon Meleys burst in through the back wall! Thrashing the crowd, sending people running, and scaring the hell out of everyone. The Greens are thunderstruck onstage. And it’s a beautifully brutal reminder that the Targaryens’ power lies in their dragons. Not in petty politics and manipulations.
Meleys roars. Standing in front of Alicent and her children, they have the power to destroy their entire line, all of the Greens at once. Rhaenys chooses not to. Instead, she turns and flies away, escaping the city.
Thoughts
Rhaenys’ Choice: Some people may hate it but I can respect it. It’s not an easy thing, to roast a large portion of your family all at once. Especially when (you think) both of your children and your cousin just died recently, and your husband might be on his deathbed. She may live to regret the decision but in the moment, we can only make the best decision possible based on the info we have and what we’re feeling. And she’s already seen so much death.
Sad Alicent: Alicent has natural hopes for her family, but no realistic ideas of the ramifications. Her tussles with Otto show that she’s trying to maintain a kind of morals but it’s rather half-assed. Her exchange with Larys is presented in a way that didn’t come across as empowering; it was just sad and transactional and her face indicated she didn’t want to be there. But she chose to be, for the sake of information. She’s still trying to figure out how to play the game, because she was pushed into it too young and now she’s stuck. But I don’t think she’s cut out for it at all. There’s something very joyless about her existence. I do pity Alicent. I think Olivia Cooke is doing a tremendous acting job with her.
The Twins: Look it’s not the writers’ fault that GRRM gave these guys basically the same name but maybe next season you could like…color-code their costumes more clearly or give one of them a haircut? Until we need them to look completely identical again for a certain scene from FaB. All I can think is, the people who haven’t read Fire and Blood must be totally lost on which one is which at any given time.
A Piece of Sh*t: Aegon really is, though. Hanging around a fighting pit where you’ve got a bastard? Just letting the kid stay there? Going to a fighting pit full of children to begin with?! Maybe to start with, as king, you could shut that shit down. Oh right, he won’t, because it still exists in King Robert’s time.
Meleys: You big beautiful girl! I was definitely rooting for her to burn the motherfuckers down. And I live for Rhaenys’ armor when she’s on her dragon. Complicated choices aside, such beauty!
Valar Morghulis
Lyman Beesbury (Bill Paterson): It turns out all the Westerosi historians were wrong about the manner of Beesbury’s death. No one could have predicted “Death by ceremonial balls.”
Lord Caswell (Paul Hickey): Hanging, huh. Doesn’t the King’s Justice behead the lords who refuse to kneel? Ah well. Whatever happened to class!
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