What Happened in House of the Dragon? Our Recap of Season 2, Episode 5

What Happened in House of the Dragon? Our Recap of Season 2, Episode 5

Time to congratulate Aemond on his… promotion?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN you cross the Rubicon? House of the Dragon is now wholly defined by the events before and after Rook’s Rest. Throughout Westeros’s history, there have been dragons, but not quite like this. Dragon-on-dragon warfare introduces a new kind of terror, and the residual effects are likely to turn the realm upside down.

In this context, the fifth episode, directed by Clare Kilner from a script by Ti Mikkel, focuses on the aftermath. With the death of Rhaenys and the incapacitation of Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), both sides struggle with losses and the need to move forward now that yet another line has been crossed.

How do you move forward with ill omens looming? How do you manage people who are terrified of what’s to come? These questions linger like thick smoke in the air. Not all of them will have answers, but there’s enough direction to say it’s all downhill from here. It will get worse before it gets better.

The Game of Thrones in the Aftermath of Rook’s Rest

Congratulations to Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) on his promotion! With Aegon off the board for now—and possibly forever—the small council quickly turns to appointing a successor. While Alicent (Olivia Cooke) positions herself as a worthwhile candidate, she’s quickly undercut by council members who seek to further their own agendas (cough, Larys). But the deciding factor comes down to Cole (Fabien Frankel), who takes a unique approach. The idea that to fight a monster, you must become a monster yourself is a rich thematic text in media, and it takes hold here. With Cole now understanding what it truly takes to win in this war, Aemond’s (and Vhagar’s) power are virtually unmatched. Or, as he says, “We have given the war to the dragons. A dragon rider should lead us.”

The idea that the war is now in the hands of the dragons fits well with the shorthand I like to use when communicating their power. Each dragon is, essentially, a walking nuclear weapon with a mind of its own. Unleashing that power is so terrifying that it crosses a point of no return; it’s an unbelievably painful and awful death that’s worse than war—because they’re war incarnate. Stopping them is a nearly impossible task, and it feels like the realm is about to learn that firsthand.

Will Aemond be a good ruler? Alicent doesn’t seem to think so. What’s so great about how Kilner frames that moment is that it initially feels like she’s mad about being passed over before it moves into outright terror and fears about what he might do. If he’s willing to burn his own brother, imagine what he’ll do to someone he doesn’t care about. The power of that moment, juxtaposed later with how Aemond looks at the Iron Throne, is chilling. In an episode full of “black omens,” Aemond’s ascendency is the most chilling of them all.

Jace and Baela Take the Reigns

While Rhaenyra’s children feel more defined than they did at the end of last season, we still haven’t spent as much time with them as we have with Aegon and Aemond. But that changes this week. It’s important to see Baela’s (Bethany Antonia) reaction to the death of Rhaenys, given the relationship there, and it’s good that the show uses this to give better context to Baela’s character. It’d be easy to paint Baela as one-dimensional, but I like how the show uses Rhaenys’s death not to motivate Baela further but rather to carry on her memory. Out of the kids, the two are the most similar; we’ve seen Baela have shrewd instincts on the battlefield and a wisdom that many characters lack. It feels like she’s rounding into a much better form, which is fitting, given Rhaenyra’s need for allies.

Speaking of, you have to commend Jace’s (Harry Collett) diplomatic skills in his dealings with the Tullies. Not unlike Aegon, he acts independently, but the difference here is his understanding of the game. Jace knows how to leverage his role. As the son of the queen, he can at least pretend well enough to make promises as long as he’s getting what he wants—bent knees—in the larger picture. It’s a shrewd understanding of strategy and ensuring he can execute. But what’s also great is that he’s proving his worth as an ally for Rhaenyra when she has few people she can count on.

Daemon’s Folly

Which brings us to Daemon (Matt Smith). It’s ironic that Rhaenyra understands that Daemon might be working against her but has no idea how badly he’s messed things up. The situation with the Brackens and the Blackwoods continues to spiral out of control, and attempts to improve it only make things worse. It’s as if people don’t love being put into positions where they’re forced to comply.

The longer Daemon spends at Harrenhal, the more it seems like he’s incapable of handling the situation accordingly. While it’s thrilling to watch Matt Smith portray these insane visions, the Harrenhal plot is getting close to feeling as difficult to manage as the famed castle itself. We’re seeing a similar story play out in different shades. Daemon’s desire to take the throne for himself colors this plot with intrigue—especially if he’s on a more direct collision course with Rhaenyra in the coming weeks.

Odds & Ends

Steve Toussaint’s reaction to the death of Rhaenys is powerful, and I’m glad the show is finding a more active role for him by promoting him to Rhaenyra’s hand. I posted this on Twitter the other day, but it’s worth repeating: Clare Kilner is on another level—and should be in the conversation as one of the best Thrones-related directors alongside Mark Mylod or Miguel Sapochnik. Her handling of the smallfolk plots is so humanistic, and that attention to micro-level storytelling is welcome in a grand tale. Plus, the way she shoots dining conversations in Harrenhal adds a great touch of intimacy. I love the behind-the-back tracking shots she does to give movement from room to room more propulsion. I’d love to see her take on a big battle sequence. So we’re all in agreement… Alys is definitely messing with Daemon, right? The term “mad” when applied to the Targaryens always feels loaded. Let’s keep an eye on how beneficial this next generation of dragonriders ultimately turns out to be. The idea of Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) suggesting a grassroots PR campaign in King’s Landing made me chuckle. It’s the smart play, but it’s funny when a fantasy show adopts a political approach that feels like our modern era.