House of the Dragon Episode 7

The various dispersed Targaryens descend on Driftmark, and bring with them their genetically endowed abilities to be uniquely awful. A recap of episode 7 of ...

Alicent is ignorant of the larger implications, but it’s not hard to draw a connection between Rhaenyra’s glimpse of the dagger and her hasty proposal to Daemon. The Daemon-Rhaenyra-Will-They-Or-Won’t-They saga comes to an end, with the gentlest of sex scenes in the dunes, and the bloodiest of ceremonies on the rocks. The scene is also a clever mirror of how the adults handle the same accusations and slights. Imagine if House of the Dragon would slow down, just a bit, and let us live in uncertainty. And the scuffle-turned-slashing in the bowels of High Tide is decidedly instigated by Aemond, despite the fact that he is outnumbered and doesn’t have a weapon. • Speaking of, when Daemon and Rhaenyra walk down the Driftmark beach, she confesses her frustration at how he left her. For all the obvious reasons, House of the Dragon had to go big with its dragons, and Vhagar, the biggest prize of all, had to be shown off in all her glory in order for us to understand the stakes of Aemond’s gain. When Viserys insists that Rhaenyra repeat the “vile insult” Aemond hurled at her son, Alicent assumes she will have Rhaenyra cornered, that once the princess says out loud that the lineage of her children has been questioned, Viserys will have to publicly reckon with this crisis of legitimacy. For all its contrivance (why would the sickly king make this journey to attend the funeral of his estranged brother’s wife?) this episode gets one thing right that we’ve missed out on until now: It slows the tempo down to a conversational crawl and digs into the little slights and shared looks. The formerly tame Targaryen is now an asshole of the highest rank, joining his big brother Aegon in the pantheon of Terrible TV Tots. (Aegon is also a pre-teen lush.) Viserys’s mind is wearing down like his degrading body — at one point he calls Alicent “Aemma.” And whoever planned this event didn’t think to offer victuals to the mourners — or to throw it in a sensible, indoors location. A standard television-episode plotting method: Use the first act to create chaos between characters, the second act to heighten it, and the third to bring all the major players together at a party/event/function, where different pairs can mingle and stew, and the tension can finally come to a boil.

Prepare for a furious family reunion as Targaryen tensions come to the boil in an exceptionally satisfying episode of House Of The Dragon.

[House Of The Dragon - Episode 7 Review2h ago - One Wedding And A Funeral: prepare for a furious family reunion as Targaryen tensions come to the boil.](/articles/house-of-the-dragon-episode-7-review) [Horizon Zero Dawn May Be the Next Sony First-Party Game to Get a PS5 Remake/Remaster3h ago - Horizon Zero Dawn was first released on PS4 in 2017.](/articles/horizon-zero-dawn-ps5-remaster-reportedly-in-the-works-alongside-a-multiplayer-game) [Key Members of Disco Elysium Developer Have Left the Company In an 'Involuntary' Manner22h ago - Despite this news, Luiga says "things with the [Disco Elysium] sequel are actually sweet enough." But it’s also a choice that causes devastation for Rhaenys and Corlys, stripped of both their children, and Rhaenyra’s sons, who have lost two fathers and gained only one. Importantly, to show that there is good in the Targaryens and you don’t have to be Luke Skywalker to feel it, there are moments of real warmth in this episode, something this season had sometimes lacked. It’s an absolute barnstormer of a scene, the centerpiece of not just this episode but the series so far, showing the battle lines being drawn between Alicent’s “greens” and Rhaenyra’s “blacks” – so called for their house colors. It is a “kindness,” as Daemon calls it, to set Laenor free, and one that will create new and more fearsome whispers around both him and Rhaenyra. But in usurping Laena’s ride he prompts a devastating fight with his two girl cousins – the dragonless Rhaena (Eva Ossei-Gerning) had hoped to claim her mother’s dragon – and with Rhaenyra’s sons, who are supportive of the girls (first cousins once removed at that point; stepsiblings by episode’s end. Rhaena lashes out first, but Aemond holds his own and is threatening a prone Jacaerys (Leo Hart) with a rock when Luce slashes him with a knife and cuts out his eye. It’s a nicely subtle discussion of their allegiances that acknowledges the complicated position they’re in, and the fact that – more than perhaps anyone – they have much to lose in a Targaryen struggle for power. Our scene is Lady Laena’s funeral, where Targaryens and Velaryons gather for the first time in years (Laena’s body is assigned to the shallows, surprisingly: odd that a seafaring people would essentially sink their coffins just offshore). But some squinting shows a restored Otto, still conscious of his Hand pin, ordering a drunken Aegon to bed, and missing priggish little Aemond (Leo Ashton) as he heads out to claim Laena’s dragon, Vhagar. Corlys and his wife, Rhaenys (Eve Best), meanwhile, have a fascinating discussion about legacy: does it matter that Rhaenyra’s children are not of their blood? Daemon and King Viserys (Paddy Considine) exchange a few words, their first in years, and Daemon notes Viserys’ rapid decay in a way that’s either mocking or sympathetic – or perhaps a little of both, as is his way.

In Episode Seven, nearly the entire cast is present for Laena's funeral at Driftmark. The gathering includes Rhaenyra, Laenor, their two eldest sons, Daemon, ...

She asks Daemon to be her next husband to strengthen their claim to the throne, but her uncle reminds her that they cannot be wed as long as Laenor is alive. Grabbing Viserys's dagger and making a beeline to Lucerys herself, Alicent is stopped by Rhaenyra, who whispers that the kingdom now, "sees you as you are." It seems like no one is making a single good decision in Westeros, which can only mean that the kingdom is all going to shit when King Viserys finally keels over. Those cheering for the incestuous relationship can rejoice, however, as the uncle and niece both kiss and have sex after Rhaenyra quips that she is "no longer a child." Vhagar threatens to kill the brat after he wakes her up from a nap, but he holds out his hand and says some stuff in Old Valyrian. The King tells him that the gods are cruel for taking Laena so early, and Daemon retorts that it seems that the gods have been especially cruel to him. Aemond climbs up to the dragon's harness and commands her to fly. Rhaenyra feels that Daemon abandoned her at King's Landing, but he reminds her that she was only a child at the time. Speaking to Daemon for the first time in 10 years, Rhaenyra says that her marriage to Laenor is losing purpose. Daemon naming one of his daughters "Rhaena" is also one of the creepiest ways he's shown his affection for his niece yet. [Ser Criston Cole](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a41311865/ser-criston-cole-house-of-the-dragon/), King Viserys, his three children with Queen Alicent, and Otto Hightower, who has once again been made the Hand of the King. [Milly Alcock is no longer playing the young princess Rhaenyra](https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a41387548/house-of-the-dragon-actors-change/), those in Westeros grieve over three characters who left us as quickly as they entered.

A man with long blonde hair stands against a wall with his arms folded. What did you do, Daemon? Credit: HBO ...

He isn't hiring Ser Quarl to kill Laenor; he's paying him to be part of his and Rhaenyra's plan to fake Laenor's death so that a) he can marry Rhaenyra, and b) Laenor can live the life he wants with Ser Quarl across the Narrow Sea. As Rhaenyra says earlier in the episode, "The sea is an escape." Did Ser Quarl double-cross Daemon and Rhaenyra after all so he could smuggle Laenor across the Narrow Sea with him? Rhaenyra and Daemon getting married in front of their children just like they'd planned, while Ser Quarl flees to board a boat alongside none other than — twist! An unspecified time later Ser Quarl enters Lord Corlys Velaryon's (Steve Toussaint) home, waits for Laenor, and then loudly confronts him in front of the fireplace. Rhaenyra knows that when King Viserys (Paddy Considine) is out of the picture, her claim to the Iron Throne will likely be threatened by Alicent's children.

''Driftmark' ends with a huge swerve for readers of George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood.' Here's how it played out.

An in-universe historical record drawing on various second- and third-hand accounts to tell the tale of the Targaryen dynasty, Fire and Blood leaves the specifics of Laenor’s death up to some interpretation, but there’s no disagreement that it happens. To that end, Rhaenyra and Daemon consummate their relationship on the beaches of Driftmark, and later agree that it’s time to unite together as wife and husband to solidify their claim for the Iron Throne. It’s a big twist for House of the Dragon, no doubt, but it’s a bigger twist for those who read Fire and Blood. When the witness returns with Laenor’s parents Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and Rhaenys (Eve Best) in tow, Qarl is gone, and Laenor’s body is roasting in a fire, charred beyond recognition. Directed by Miguel Sapochnik and written by Kevin Lau, “Driftmark” centers on the location at the heart of the title: Driftmark, the royal seat of House Velaryon. Already gathered for a tragic occasion, the funeral only inspires further tragedy when Rhaenyra and Alicent’s kids break out into a bloody fight, resulting in clearly drawn battle lines between the two sides of the king’s family.

Laura Miller: Nadira! Have you ever been to a family reunion more tense and dismal than the funeral and wake of Laena Velaryon? It seems like the whole first 15 ...

One of the most upsetting things about Alicent to me is that she had such potential to be an iconic Big Bad, but I find her to be mostly … She should have had the tact to not call for the mutilation of an 8-year-old, especially since she’s smart enough to know that it truly is her sons who are the antagonizing asshats that start all of the messes she blames Rhaenyra’s sons for. She gets absolutely nothing out of trying to harm Luke, just the reputation for being a madwoman. I do want to note that there is a crazy amount of sitting-on-a-guy-and-beating-his-face-in going on in this show, and now even the kids are doing it! In a way, this world is the hardest on people like Alicent, Criston Cole, and Laenor, those who have a code of morality or honor. Still, he’s a child, and acting out of a sense that everyone is against him and everything he wants in life will have to be taken by force. And I fully understand his longing for a dragon, both because it would give him stature in a world where he is obviously disregarded and because who wouldn’t want to fly? On the other hand, Rhaenyra is doing what she has to do to protect herself and her children. Most people seem to blame him for the disasters that have befallen his reign because he’s “weak.” But if we’re going to blame Viserys for not being “strong” enough, we can’t also condemn a character like Aemond for fulfilling what constitutes strength in his world. Once the accusations of Rhaenyra’s sons’ bastard parentage were launched by and in front of the highest-ranked successors to the crown, the cat was officially out of the bag. Lots of bad behavior, from Aegon boozing it up and leering at the serving wenches, to Aemond’s dragon-stealing and assault on his cousins, to Alicent’s dreadful reaction in the castle, to Rhaenyra’s extremely cold-hearted ordering of the assassination of the husband who’s just pledged his devotion to her and her reign. Literally no one in this bunch is getting what they want, least of all poor old Viserys, who just wants them to stop all the infighting, even though his own actions are at the root of it all.

Westerosi funerals turn out to be just as dramatic as Westerosi weddings on another excellent House of the Dragon.

ET on HBO and HBO Max in the U.S. But they say history is written by the winners, and the new (old) Hand of the King already has an alternative take on Alicent’s outburst. But action clearly does need to happen on House of the Dragon, I just wish it were more carefully paced out so that an enormous moment like Ser Laenor’s survival feels cathartic and not like an episode rushing through plot to maintain its years-long storytelling mission. Much like these reviews themselves (sorry, everyone), the average House of the Dragon episode tends to run out of narrative steam at the end. Between Otto and Larys Strong (who helpfully offers to gouge a kid’s eye out himself for Alicent this week) the Queen appears to have the market cornered on devious bastards. Similarly, Alicent’s lunging for the Valyrian catspaw dagger and subsequent attack of Rhaenyra is another element that seems ripe for laughable melodrama. Jacaerys (Leo Hart) wordlessly moves to comfort Baela (Shani Smethurst) and Rhaena (Eva Ossei-Gerning), only for them to wordlessly grasp his hand to comfort him instead on the loss of his real father, Ser Harwin Strong. Of course, a monster is on the way – a surprisingly literal one. [The Hollywood Reporter revealed](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/house-of-the-dragon-miguel-sapochnik-leaving-1235208276/) that Sapochnik (who directed some of Game of Thrones‘ most action-packed installments like [“The Battle of the Bastards”](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/game-of-thrones-battle-of-the-bastards-review/) and [“Hardhome”](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/game-of-thrones-season-5-episode-8-review-hardhome/)) would be leaving the series that he developed alongside co-showrunner Ryan Condal before season 2. Though the Stranger is a persistent, unwanted guest in Westeros, most funerals on this show are of the perfunctory variety for old background characters like Hoster Tully or Jon Arryn. In listening to Sapochnik on the most recent episode of the [official House of the Dragon podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS_zQGKkUMY), however, it really does seem like the guy just needs a break. And the continuity behind the camera can’t have been a coincidence.

Princess Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent's conflict spills first blood in the 'Game of Thrones' prequel's most tense episode yet.

And not just any real one, but the realest one: Vhagar, the biggest and oldest living dragon in all of the known world, the last survivor of Aegon’s Conquest, and the only creature still alive who was around to see Valyria at its height. Sight unseen from the rest of their family, Rhaenyra and Daemon sleep together on the beach, drawing comfort from one another in ways only Targaryens (and a certain pair of Lannister twins) know. Now, the Sea Snake’s pursuit of the crown has left their surviving child Laenor (John Macmillan) in great danger, even more imminent than they realize. Set entirely on the titular island House Velaryon calls home, the extended Targaryen royal family comes together in “Driftmark” for the funeral of one of their own: Laena Velaryon (Nanna Blondell), killed during last week’s episode, having selected a fiery demise at the maw of her dragon Vhagar over dying in childbirth. Despite urging from his brother the king, ready to put their troubled past behind them, Daemon blisters at the prospect of returning to the Seven Kingdoms. If Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys came of age during the time of Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke), she would know the truth: not only can fire kill a dragon, the mere scent of dragon smoke could threaten the entire species altogether.

This week's episode wove an enormous amount of objectively bonkers goings-on into a mostly credible hour of drama, with one big exception.

I wonder how many royal genealogists the Targaryens have driven to early retirement and/or madness. As Viserys fades, his desperation to keep his family somewhat intact is both pitiable — any semblance of unity will surely die with him — and poignant, a kind of raging against the dying of the light for a ruler who senses that his efforts will be futile and his legacy a wash, at best. As for where that intensity came from, I guess we’re supposed to take it on faith that the 10 years we didn’t see instilled a murderous rage within her. I rarely bring up things from the book because I assume most people who watch “Dragon” haven’t read it, so the show needs to stand on its own. Speaking of Aemond, Leo Ashton, the young actor who plays him, deserves credit for making him so convincingly unnerving from the beginning, with his disquieting dead-eyed stare. I suppose the confrontation was designed to once again foreshadow the conflict to come between these women. So I’m slightly concerned about what “Dragon” becomes when he and Viserys inevitably shuffle off the stage. Most of us, I suspect, have been party to family secrets or some other inconvenient truth that people close to us have held at bay by the sheer force of their own denial. But “he’s got a strange moral compass of his own,” the actor said. Alicent was apoplectic about her husband’s continued indulgence of Rhaenyra and understandably undone by Aemond’s injury. Along the way, we saw the dropping of several narrative shoes. Make your apologies and show good will to one another.”