HOTD: Rhaenyra the Cruel
Anything related to Game of Thrones is at its best when it lets Ramin Djawadai cook. The beginning sequence of this episode harkens back to another excellent episode of Thrones, the Winds of Winter, that just let Djawadi’s score soar and carry the narrative. As this episode begins with the aftermath of the gruesome murder from last week, this melancholic track rings through delicately, muting everyone’s words and sounds as we sit in the trauma of these characters. Then, we are smash cut to Aegon destroying the little Valyrian lego set his father so painstakingly put together over the entirety of season one, acting like the spoiled King he is, and demanding war over the death of his son.
This might be a series high for Otto Hightower as he singlehandedly puts together the best PR campaign not only for Aegon but also against Rhaenyra. Making the difficult decision of rolling Jaehaerys’s body, with his head stitched back onto him, through the streets shouting that it was in fact Rhaenyra who made it happen. Alicent agreeing that that might be the best solution is hard to stomach, but she’s always agreed to the sickening will of her father, and it proves to be very successful in garnering to the favor of the small folk.
This is now the second episode the showrunners are making distinct connections between the greens and blacks, as now two innocent sons have been killed in the process of this war. As Jaehaerys is buried with a toy, it calls back to Joffrey leaving Luke’s toy on the funeral pyre for him last week. Before we see the entire procession, we do get the joy of seeing Blood completely lose his mind over the thought of torture and tell his captors that it was Daemon Targaryan and he committed it with a rat catcher. While he might’ve thought that would’ve saved his life, it only saved him from Larys’s torture as Aegon comes in and lets out his full rage on the man.
As Alicent and Helaena are trudged through the street we hear them saying, “Behold the works of Rhaenrya Targaryan. Kin Slayer.” The worst thing to be called in all of Westeros. And as the two women look up and see hemp fall from the sky, looking almost as if it is ash, we must wonder what Helaena is looking at. Does she recognize this moment from a vision she has already had, or is she currently having a vision of what is to come? Helaena’s character doesn’t speak much, but Phia Saban’s acting carries this character to astounding heights throughout the entire episode.
Back with team black, Rhaenrya is with her council, immediately denying Jace the ability to fly and patrol. This obviously can be seen as motherly concern now that Luke is dead and not knowing what is to come next. Jace notably has learned some statures from his great uncle turned stepfather as he pouts on top of his sword in a very Daemon like stance. When Rhaenyra hears of the atrocities that has happened in Kings Landing she declares her innocence. Stating that why even would she want to do such a thing to Helaena, who herself is innocent in all of this. This outburst is met by a “Well in your grief maybe you could do a crazy thing” statement, which brings Rhaenys to state, “mind yourself.” Telling the council members to not question Rhaenyra, maybe bringing Rhaenyra back to herself as to not lose her temper, and as Rhaenys stares down Daemon it becomes apparent that she figured out that it was him in fact who did it, and she is also speaking to him. Rhaenyra is not far behind as she looks over at Daemon and realizes he has been quiet for most of the meeting, and it hits her with a single look, it was in fact Daemon who orchestrated this act. We then cut to the most exhilarating scene of the episode.
The dialogue between to the two of them is simply Shakespearean as Emma D’arcy pleads with their voice, “I cannot trust you Daemon.” Rhaenyra is recognizing in real time that whatever she felt as a child for her uncle, their push and pull, is beyond her. She does not wish to stoop to his level and attempt to battle with him there, she is now the queen of seven kingdoms fighting for her throne while grieving the death of her son. And as Daemon pleads with her to accept him and what he was doing, stating that the whole deal was a mistake, his arm reaches out to her and she flinches. Bringing to mind their quarrel from last season and how physical daemon got with her, Rhaenyra is right to flinch, but now Daemon caresses her cheek. This is what makes him such an interesting character. He is capable of multitudes, and yet he still cannot bequeath a throne to one of his family members. Rhaenyra calls him pathetic and he leaves. Off to Harrenhal most likely, and without even a goodbye to his daughter.
Back at King’s Landing yet another incredible moment from Saban as Aegon and Helaena pass each other on the staircase and he keeps walking. She passes him, stops, and nods. So much is convened in just that simple nod, it’s breath taking. The fault of the greens is rooted almost all the way back to Otto Hightower, who was never there emotionally for his daughter, who was then never there emotionally for her children, and now they do not know how to be their for each other amidst such tragedy.
While Rhaenyra plays with her two youngest children, we must think that she is thinking of Jaehaerys, just as Alicent was thinking of Luke last episode. The show keeps showing the fracture of this family is the true tragedy, because in so many ways they mirror each other, and once, before all of this happened, could’ve been a happy, and powerful royal family. Now, they are bound to lead to their own destruction.
Crison Cole’s continues to revel in his shame, but as his eyes go crazier and crazier so does he. Putting his own shame of losing his purity to both Rhaenyra and Alicent, he sends sir Arryk to Dragonstone. Pretend to be your brother he tells him. Go alone. A suicide mission for sure, but one the crazy Cole sends him on any way.
What might be my favorite scene of the episode though, is that between Jace and Baela as they discuss Jace’s fathers. Baela asks him about her uncle, his father, Laenor, and he tells her very fondly how he was a lover of sweets and would take them fishing. And then she asks him of Harwin Strong, a question that if asked by anyone else would surely incite rage and denial in Jace. But here he answers honestly, telling her how he was called “breakbones,” and confiding that he is a little uncertain if Harwin loved them, to which Baela assures him he did. It’s such a simple scene, a discussion between these cousins betrothed, but it tells us so much about their relationship and how close they are to each other. They know these intimate details about each other and feel free talking about it, as she talks of her father Daemon. This is in such contrast to Aegon and Helaena.
Shockingly, Aemond appears on screen incredibly vulnerable, curled away in a brothel in the fetal position of an older woman. He confesses how he was teased and tormented growing up, and how the day Luke dies had been a mistake. And while there is a twang of pain for Aemond, there is still the knowledge he hid all of this vulnerability when he returned to King’s Landing, owning it as if he murdered the prince on purpose.
A series of quick scenes lets us check in with small folk, and how this war is truly hurting them. Our new young seafaring brothers are in the presence of Seasmoke, which may lead to some more dragon riding in the future. Rhaenys and Corlis are big defenders of Rhaenyra, and it turns out, Rhaenyra continues to be a good queen as she has an enlightening conversation with Misaria. Letting her go, on the words of her house, the two women connect over Daemon, as Rhaenyra remembers her as his once girlfriend he almost went to war over on Dragonstone. As Misaria goes to leave, she sees Arryk beginning his twin teachery, and while we do not see how she goes to inform the queensguard, it must be assumed she does so quickly out of the newfound respect for Rhaenyra after their last conversation.
Meanwhile, Aegon is single handedly ruining Otto’s incredible PR attempt by killing every single rat catcher and hanging them publicly in the street with little to no explanation. Mother’s and even Westeros’s favorite dog whimper at the sight. And as Otto puts on an incredible show, shouting at his grandson for his idiotic doings it is revealed that not only has Aegon done this, but Criston has sent Arryk to kill Rhaenyra. And with this Otto loses it, and reveals that oh no, Aegon was never put on the throne because his father wanted him to be there, he was put on the throne because of Otto. Otto is then swiftly fired; Cole is made the hand of the king, and we are all left wishing Viserys was still here and that Otto had not been such an awful hand to him and supported Rhaenyra.
We jump back to Arryk sneaking through Dragonstone and the tension of the scene keeps building until he comes in on Rhaeynra trying to take some milk of the poppy for rest. Erryk stumbles in soon after, and the brothers begin to fight. Twins, a visual representation of how close and intimate two people could be, fight to the death, until Erryk wins, but only to impale himself on his sword. Rhaenyra’s shocked face as this happens, reveals the horror of these deaths and how the only thing certain is that nobody in this war is safe. This violent act is simply a taste of what is to come. Brothers are killing each other who are not even related to the Targaryans. Surely, this war will destroy not only the Targaryans, but so many others.
With a final note, we see that Alicent, unlike Rhaenyra, cannot comfort her children as she sees Aegon weeping. Another connection to last episode that when faced with this tragedy Rhaenyra and Jace held one another, as Alicent simply leaves Aegon to his lonesome to process the death of his son, the recklessness of his counter actions, and the knowledge that his father never wanted him to be king. If only house Hightower could talk to each other, maybe they would have a chance at winning this war. But it seems that even how close Rhaenyra’s side is to one another, that only proves that their losses will hurt them, and us the viewer, that much more.