House of the Dragon Episode 9: Stem Tension, But Little Mourning 1y3x3h

the ninth episode of The Dragon House premiered this Sunday (16). For anyone who was a fan of Game of Thrones' political conspiracies, it's a satisfying episode. For anyone who watches the series just to see Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy), Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and dragons, it's a frustrating episode. 6b6xn

That's because the episode "the green council” focuses on the Hightower – the Hand of King Otto (Rhys Ifans) and his daughter Alicent, the queen – and their moves to place Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), Alicent's first child with then-King Viserys I (Paddy Considine). ), on the Iron Throne.

It's a piece of history that carries the Game of Thrones DNA that won over audiences in early 2011, when HBO released the first season of the series. So much so that watching episode nine is even nostalgic. But let's go by parts.

Recapping ... 4jl1b

King Viserys I Targaryen the Pacific is dead. This had been implied at the end of the eighth episode of House of the Dragon, after the efforts (in the literal sense) of the king to appease the tempers between the Hightower (read: Alicent and her sons) and Targaryen (read: : Rhaenyra, Daemon and their children) from her family.

The episode was remarkable for showing the last time Viserys sat in the Iron Throne - to defend, once again, Rhaenyra's succession to the throne -, the gnawed state of her face due to her illness and the misunderstanding that will cause a war in Westeros.

For, in his last delusional breath, Viserys told Alicent about the Song of Ice and Fire, that is, Aegon the Conqueror's vision of the events that would take place in Game of Thrones (the war between Westeros and the white walkers of Beyond the Wall). What does Alicent understand from this? That Viserys wanted his son Aegon to be king, rather than Rhaenyra.

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This is the kick that kicks off the episode “The Green Council” of The House of the Dragon. The episode begins dark and melancholy, with news of the king's death reaching the ears of Alicent and her father, Otto. And then begins the real game of thrones and the escalation of tension that only ends when the credits roll.

The sun hadn't even risen and the of the Small Council were already gathered to receive the news and discuss how to proceed. Alicent tells what she had understood as Viserys' last wish, but not everyone agrees with this wooden horse in the intentions of the then king, who had spent decades defending the succession of his first daughter, with his first wife, Aemma Arryn. (Sian Brooke). The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

The first to literally stand up to this was Lord Lyman Beesbury, who has a pretty cool ending. George RR Martin same. In a fit of rage, knight Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), of the Kingsguard and loyal to Alicent, smashes his head against a small iron ball on the table. So the rest of the Council seems to agree with the new course, but the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Harrold Westerling (Graham McTavish), resigns.

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It is decided that Prince Aegon will be crowned king. But where was he? Then begins the hunt for him, which takes up a quarter of the episode. Meanwhile, it is understood that Rhaenyra and Daemon are heading to Dragonstone, unaware of anything that was happening in the Red Keep in King's Landing.

In this search for Aegon, on one side were the twin knights Erryk (Elliot Tittensor) and Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor), in the service of the Hand of the King. On the other, the knight Cole and Prince Aemond, Aegon's brother (and annoyed, because, in his view, he is the one most apt to assume the throne), at Alicent's behest. This is because, at this moment, father and daughter have different motivations. One wants to convince the young man to accept the crown and kill Rhaenyra and Daemon, while the other wants to forge a less violent deal.

As this group searches for Aegon, his grandfather, Otto, is already pulling strings in the Stronghold. He summons the lords of the families who had sworn allegiance to Rhaenyra so many years before to bow to Aegon. Those who didn't agree ended well with George RR Martin.

Finally mourning and revelations 645e3i

When someone important dies, it usually shows the grief of their family and friends. But when we are talking about the king of Westeros, in a story by Martin, the movements of pieces on the board of the political game of the kingdom come first. It is only in the middle of the episode that the grief appears – and in a very contained way.

When Alicent sees the Silent Sisters wrap Viserys' body, there is a half-strangled cry, after the last glimpse we will have of the peaceful king's face. And that's about the most in the episode regarding Viserys' mourning and funeral.

At the same time, the Cargyll twin knights discover that Aegon enjoys children's fights and probably already has bastard children scattered throughout King's Landing. Who reveals where the young man is hiding is Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), Daemon's ex-wife who is now known in town as White Worm. And then there's a fight between one of the twins and Cole (who got to the prince who knows how).

Coronation, Rhaenys and (finally) Dragon 2u2b6p

The final stretch of this week's episode of House of the Dragon is dedicated to the coronation of Aegon, who has shown himself to be very reluctant to take over from his late father. Just before the ceremony, his mother Alicent, more exhausted than ever, has a disturbing moment. To her, it seemed routine. For the viewer, it was new.

The series reveals that Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), known for having a clubfoot (and carrying a nickname for it), has a fetish for… feet. And Alicent uses this as a bargaining chip for the services and information he offers. After informing her about the spy network that exists in the castle, Strong masturbates while looking at her feet.

Finally, the coronation ceremony arrives, in which Otto Hightower informs the people of King's Landing that Viserys I is dead and that his son, Aegon II, will be the successor to the throne. The people applaud the announcement, as well as the prince's entrance. The coronation brings flashbacks of war to anyone who has watched Game of Thrones, because it recalls the moment Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) takes the throne.

While the viewer is probably thinking “fuck it, where's Rhaenyra?”, the floor explodes and, out of it, pours a huge red dragon. On his back, no, not Rhaenyra. It would be a nice moment, but it wouldn't make sense. Riding it is Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), who closes the episode by finally fleeing the Red Keep.

Balance of the new episode of The House of the Dragon 353j53

What the new episode of House of the Dragon had in moves and setbacks in the game of thrones, it lacked in action and characters that, at this point, are favorites. This can please some types of fans and displease others.

The hope that remains is that the series makes up for that in the next episode. After all, it was in the air that the next step in the story is Rhaenyra and Daemon's reaction to the events of this episode.

However, what Princess Rhaenys is really going to do (and the consequences of her actions) we will only find out when the tenth episode of The House of the Dragon becomes available, on Sunday (23), at 22 pm, on HBO channels and on your streaming platform HBO Max.

See also:

Full list of HBO Max October releases