The Season 2 finale of House of the Dragon set the pieces on the board leading into next season.
Episode: “The Queen That Ever Was”
Runtime: 70 minutes
Original Air Date: August 4, 2024
Written by: Sara Hess
Directed by: Geeta Vasant Patel
Plot (via HBO)
As Aemond becomes more volatile, Larys plots an escape, and Alicent grows more concerned about Helaena’s safety. Flush with new power, Rhaenyra looks to press her advantage.
Best Moment: The final scene
It was a difficult choice between Daemon Targaryen’s vision, his bending the knee to Rhaenyra Targaryen, and the final scene of “The Queen That Ever Was”, but the final two shots of the season give it the edge for best moment. While Queen Rhaenyra has the weight of history upon her as she gets ready to take the Iron Throne, Queen Alicent stands free gazing out at the sea. It was cool to see Daeron Targaryen’s blue dragon Tessarion leading the Hightower army while also receiving looks at the positioning of the forces of House Stark, House Lannister, Daemon’s camp at Harrenhal, and the opposing navies—along with King Aegon and Larys Strong escaping King’s Landing and Otto Hightower as a captive of an unknown party. And before then, the conversation between old friends Rhaenyra and Alicent was a compelling moment, ending with a potential path for Rhaenyra to take her position as heir without much bloodshed—though that plan will seemingly not come to pass with Aegon fleeing the city.
Best Quote
“The dragons dance, and men are like dust under their feet.” – Criston Cole
Notable Character Deaths
-Sharp Point citizens
MVP: Daemon Targaryen
Daemon basically spent the entire season at Harrenhal, and he emerged from the experience as a different, seemingly better, person after his time at the haunted castle. Alys Rivers was randomly sitting at Daemon’s bed in middle of the night, eventually leading him to the godswood and the weirwood tree (which, if you didn’t see or notice, has George R.R. Martin’s face)—where the humbled Targaryen is ready to place his hand. Included in the vision is the Army of the Dead led by a White Walker, dead dragons scattered on the ground, his own apparent drowning, Queen Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne, and—while he doesn’t know who it is—a look at Daenerys Targaryen and three baby dragons. The end of the vision—Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne—is suddenly interrupted by Helaena Targaryen behind Daemon, telling him, “It’s all a story. And you’re but one part in it. You know your part.”
The vision seems to have totally changed Daemon’s perspective, as he was set to take his raised army to King’s Landing to take the Iron Throne for himself while saying that Rhaenyra can join him there. Rhaenyra’s uninvited arrival at Harrenhal and a conversation with her husband in High Valyrian showed that Daemon’s perspective has changed following the vision. He put on his most emphatic display of support for Rhaenyra as King Viserys’ true heir in front of the river lords in an awesome moment. Rhaenyra warned Daemon that if he leaves her again, it won’t go well for him—and Daemon says he tried and cannot leave her anyway. The vision of a strong and confident Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne and the changed outlook overall at Harrenhal appears to have made the prince fully confident in being a follower. Daemon has come to realize that there are more important things than his personal ambitions. He even said, “Winter is Coming”, in High Valyrian.
Everything Else:
-Helaena appearing in Daemon’s vision as the one to tell him he knows his part in the story is very interesting—and that was only heightened by her second refusal of Aemond Targaryen to ride out to war with Dreamfyre while telling her brother that she “saw” that he burned Aegon. She says that Aegon will be on a wooden throne before telling Aemond, “You’ll be dead. You were swallowed up in the Gods Eye and you were never seen again.” (The Gods Eye is the biggest lake in the Seven Kingdoms. It’s perhaps notable that Daemon’s own vision had him struggling in water.) Helaena has special qualities about her, and her visions should not be taken lightly.
-Speaking of Aemond, he’s certainly living up to his reputation. When rebuffed by the presence of multiple dragons at Dragonstone, he lashed out by laying waste to Sharp Point—an enemy in the war, yes, but not actions that’ll gain the respect of the people. Remember, Aemond really hasn’t been challenged since he claimed Vhagar years ago, and we’re seeing his true colors while scared. You could see on his face while talking to Helaena the second time that he’s desperate.
-Tyland Lannister did well by getting the Triarchy to the side of the Greens, which was accomplished by holding his own with their leader at sea, Sharako Lohar—a new character that’s certainly a memorable and unique one, bringing a bit to levity into a tense season.
-Jace Velaryon is still steaming over lowborn people claiming dragons—and he was particularly angry at the rude behavior of Ulf, not only to him personally but at the table with Queen Rhaenyra. Jace’s angry threat to Ulf felt like how his uncle Daemon might have handled the situation if he were there. Also, at dinner, the Targaryen prince was obviously not thrilled with Rhaenyra—upon receiving a message form Ser Simon Strong—calling Addam of Hull to come with him. Overall, Jace has grown apart from his mother during the war.
-Alyn of Hull let Lord Corlys Velaryon hear it over his treatment of him and his brother over the years. It seems unlikely that Corlys, after losing just about everything, can build a good relationship with Alyn—though he might be able to do so with Addam. Corlys also renamed his ship from his own namesake “The Sea Snake” to “The Queen Who Never Was” in a move that honors his late wife Rhaenys Targaryen—while also perhaps indicating that he himself is changing.
-Criston Cole looked to be in trouble after Gwayne Hightower confronted him over the improper relationship with his sister, but Cole handled it coolly and frankly might not have cared much if he was struck down. Seeing a battle involving dragons has undoubtedly changed him, and he delivered a great quote: “The dragons dance, and men are like dust under their feet.”
-We know now why Larys Strong wanted to push for Aegon to regain his strength quicker than what might have been healthy. It was revealed that he moved a bunch of gold from Harrenhal to the Iron Bank of Braavos, so the plan right now is to bet on mutually assured destruction in a war between dragons and see if Aegon can ride back in as a rebuilder.
-Rhaena Targaryen is doing her best to claim a dragon, and she finally came across the wild one in the Eyrie—coming face-to-face with it in a cliffhanger for her storyline heading into Season 3.