at the end of the day, House of the Dragon It’s a family show. Of course, it doesn’t mean “safe for the whole family”, but above all, about One family, and how power begins to distort it beyond recognition. After last week’s big spectacle and the kingdom-wide political issues of the previous episode, House of the Dragon slows down and focuses on the three Targaryens and those closest to them at the center of an epic tale. And if you have time to watch them closely, this series makes it clear that they are all unprepared and uneasy about how quickly things are changing. increase.
House of the Dragon With so much ground to cover, it’s a little surprising that virtually an entire episode can be spent on walkabouts. giving an audience to), Uncle Daemon (Matt Smith) returns with the crown for his achievements on the Stepstones Crabfeeder.
It’s a provocative entrance for a man who absolutely loves drama, but it’s also a feint. Daemon bows to his older brother Viserys (Paddy Considine), who welcomes the wayward Targaryen home with open arms. This sets the stage for much of the episode. Later that night, Daemon sneaks a set of civilian clothes into Laenira so that he can venture through the seedy streets of King’s Landing. wandering through a group of humans. What started out as a bit of thrill-seeking fun, Damon leads Laenira to a brothel and the two have sex before almost at the last minute leaving Damon looking frustrated.
From this scandalous moment, House of the Dragon It finally begins to bring to the fore the compelling messed up family dynamics it quietly sets. The first is of course Damon and Laenira. Although they are fighting over the successor, the pair were originally on good terms. The aspect of Rhaenyra’s equation is simple. As Viserys’ successor, she seeks to escape life as a woman in medieval society, but is in constant danger of being robbed. She is also a teenager, desperate to assert her own will and satisfy her own desires. This is something a princess cannot do.
Photo: Olly Upton/HBO
Daemons are a little more complicated, but not too complicated. He is very selfish, but he is too timid to fully accept what he wants. This makes him definitively difficult to read. Does he really have romantic feelings for Rhaenyra? (Probably not, but his affection is likely genuine. Is he manipulative or just pathetic? Power The dynamics of are clear, but the motives are not.
Later, when Viserys receives word of what has happened between the two, Daemon creates Hail Mary to ask for Rhaenyra’s hand in marriage, whether or not that was the goal from the beginning. The king denies him, and the two are once again in trouble.
After all, every relationship pivots this overnight. Alicent (Emily Carey) and Rhaenyra’s friendship — so far House of the Dragon‘s most compelling and yet to be developed dynamic, she is now Rhaenyra’s stepmother and all. Her father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), lost his job as Hand of the King shortly after breaking news of the scandal to Viserys. This isn’t because the king is shooting messengers (at least not entirely), but Viserys believes that his fall for Aricent may have been manipulation, and that a loveless night with the new queen was political. Because I’m finally starting to realize that it’s the product of good gamesmanship. .
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24008417/emily_carey_milly_alcock.jpg)
Photo: Olly Upton/HBO
This is what happens when you’re on top of the world, sitting on the throne everyone covets: friendships are questionable, but so are families. It’s a way to build and maintain and should be built with intention. This is a paradox that every character must grapple with. The family as a way of meeting human needs and the family as a way of securing power. Coordinating the two always seems to be a potential conflict.
All of this isn’t as immediately eye-catching as a dragon swooping in a beach battle, but it’s just as tense. matterWorth repeating, unlike . game of thronesThis show is set in an era when people have dragons. I don’t want to go to war with someone who can Must You can fight in other places such as brothels and bedrooms and very dry meetings. Relationships are reduced to tools and proxy wars. This makes relationships even more volatile and family conflicts even more devastating.
It makes sense that the world could be engulfed in war if this conflict continues for too long.
