House of the Dragon Ep. 8 Recap: Lord of the Tides

They had been glad. For one sudden, shining second, the prolonged Targaryen household existed as one House, collectively, the previous at the very least briefly forgotten. And then the second ended.

“The Lord of the Tides” is a largely wonderful episode of House of the Dragon, nevertheless it’s additionally a lot. To start with, it takes place after the second of the primary season’s two time-jumps. It’s been six years since final week’s “Driftmark,” and whereas Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), Alicent (Olivia Cooke), Viserys (Paddy Considine), and Daemon (Matt Smith) are all performed by the identical grownup actors, their youngsters have aged up. Rhaenyra’s sons Jacerys (Harry Collett) and Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) are mid-teens, with Joffrey not far behind; moreover, Rhaenyra has two sons by Daemon, with a 3rd little one on the best way. Viserys and Alicent’s youngsters Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) are both late teenagers or extraordinarily early 20s, which can make them highly effective adversaries for his or her nephews/cousins. (Let’s not take too shut a take a look at the Targaryen household tree.)

Despite the time-jump and slew of latest actors, “The Lord of the Tides” is primarily involved with the identical situation that plagued everybody final week: Who would be the subsequent Lord of Driftmark? Technically, it ought to be Lucerys, because the second son of Rhaenyra and Laenor (Jacaerys might be busy being the Prince of Westeros). However, Corlys “The Sea Snake” Velaryon (an absent Steve Toussaint) has been badly wounded within the battle for the Stepstones, maybe mortally, and his brother Vaemond (Wil Johnson) seizes the chance to take the title for himself—much less, it appears, in a seize for energy as a lot as it’s to maintain Velaryon blood on the Driftwood Throne. Unlike so many others, he’s carried out pretending Laenor fathered anyone, not to mention Rhaenyra’s youngsters.

The solely cause Vaemond feels empowered to struggle the traditional line of succession is as a result of Viserys has turn out to be so in poor health over the intervening years he’s bedridden and continually ingesting milk of the poppy for his ache, leaving Queen Regent Alicent and her father, Hand of the King Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), to rule in his stead. They, after all, have every part to achieve by giving Driftmark to Vaemond, since it should delegitimize Rhaenyra’s youngsters and her declare to the throne, thus paving the best way for Alicent’s eldest son Aegon to turn out to be king.

So everybody has to return to King’s Landing to argue about who might be named the subsequent Lord of the Tides. Upon arriving, Rhaenyra is perturbed to seek out the Red Keep’s Targaryen heraldry lacking, changed with the non secular star of the Seven… whose image additionally hangs conspicuously round Alicent’s neck. But way more disturbing is the sight of Viserys. He appears to be like like a plague sufferer, half of his face lined in bandages, his pores and skin pasty and wounded, barely in a position to breathe, and clearly in fixed ache. Daemon can barely take a look at what his brother has turn out to be.

Alicent, then again, has no drawback confronting her first-born son Aegon after discovering he’s raped a serving maid in a harrowing however fortunately non-graphic scene (we’ll converse extra of this beneath). She slaps him and hisses that he’s no son of hers, however then continues her agenda of getting him on the Iron Throne as an alternative of Rhaenyra. Aegon is much more of a lush than his youthful incarnation, and clearly a hedonist with no pursuits apart from satiating his personal pleasures, irrespective of the fee to anybody else. He’ll be a horrible king, and Alicent is aware of it.

How’s Aemond doing, then? We meet him within the coaching grounds, thrashing Criston Cole in a swordfight. Seemingly gone is the dour, quiet boy we noticed final week; as an alternative, Ewan Mitchell places a wild, mischievous gleam in his eye as if he’s on the lookout for hassle, or trying to trigger hassle. It’s extremely harking back to the youthful Daemon from the start of the collection, and I think about it’s intentional. He’s definitely way more formidable than his different brother in each the brains and brawn division, and able to way more destruction, as we’ll see. He additionally smiles when the offended Vaemond arrives, figuring out that chaos is on the best way.

The wild card is Rhaenys (Eve Best), Corlys’ spouse, the Queen Who Never Was, who expressed her need to have her late daughter Laena’s youngsters inherit Driftmark final episode. Since Rhaenys continues to be below the impression Daemon and Rhaenyra killed her son Laenor, she has no cause to do Rhaenyra any favors… till the Queen-to-be suggests her sons, Jace and Luce, marry the 2 daughters of Laena, Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell), which might get true Velaryon blood on the Iron Throne, simply has all the time Corlys desired.

It’s a crafty plan, nevertheless it’s pure desperation when Rhaenyra returns to her father’s facet that night time earlier than the claims are heard. She asks if Aegon the Conquerer’s “Song of Ice and Fire,” the menace from the north that would engulf the world if the Targaryens aren’t there to guide humanity into battle, is actual. “But by naming me the heir you’ve divided the realm!” Rhaenyra cries, begging him to defend her and her son’s declare but once more.

The subsequent morning, because the bells peal over town—not King’s Landing, however Viserys’ mannequin metropolis, in a beautiful contact—Vaemond angrily presents his declare to Otto Hightower to be the Lord of the Tides ought to Corlys die (or have died of his wounds on the best way dwelling). Vaemond stresses the significance of conserving Velaryon blood on the Driftwood throne, saying Rhaenerya’s youngsters aren’t Laenor’s with out saying it out loud. As Rhaenyra begins her plea, she’s immediately interrupted by the throne room doorways opening, one thing I used to be certain was a ploy by Alicent and Otto. But no.

It’s King Viserys. He’s virtually fully bent over, however he’s strolling. He’s hobbling so slowly, however he’s doing it below his personal energy. Half of his face lies behind a golden masks. He shrugs away assist as he inches his option to his Iron Throne and the music swells and it’s a splendidly highly effective second to see Viserys return to his seat of energy, and it’s much more emotional when Daemon is the one who helps his ailing brother these previous few steps to the throne. Finally, the King has returned, and he sounds regal and commanding to everybody’s shock, saying he doesn’t perceive what the issue is as a result of this was settled way back: Laenor and Rhaenyra’s second son Lucerys would be the Lord of Driftmark.

As the individual closest to the present Lord, Rhaenys, Viserys asks his cousin what Corlys wished and she or he places it plain as day: Lucerys. And Rhaenys doesn’t fail to say the deliberate marriages between her granddaughters and Rhaenyra’s sons. It’s such an immensely satisfying second, and never as a result of Alicent and Otto are thwarted; it’s nice to see Viserys, as decrepit as he’s, return as a simulacrum of the good-hearted, and largely agency chief from the start of the collection. He’s been in fixed decline all through the present, each in authority and bodily, and everybody loves a comeback.

Well, everybody however Vaemond. “I will not allow it!” he screams, virtually declaring conflict towards the crown. He breaks the taboo and calls Rhaenyra’s youngsters bastards, to the shock of everybody, and the fad of Viserys, who needs Vaemond’s tongue. Then Vaemond takes it even additional when he locks eyes with Rhaenyra and calls her a whore, proper earlier than Daemon slices the highest half of Vaemond ‘s head off, just about the jaw. It’s extremely gory, nevertheless it does supply the profit that actually anybody can attain down, seize that tongue, and pull it proper out.

This act of violence, preceded by vile insults, and intense political maneuvering shouldn’t set the stage for a cheerful Targaryen household dinner, however, in some way, inexplicably, miraculously, it does. Although the exhausted Viserys must be carried in, positioned on the desk to divide Rhaenyra’s and Alicent’s households, he has sufficient vitality for one final gambit. He takes off his crown and his golden masks to disclose a lot of that half of his face is lacking; it’s grotesque past phrases. “I want you to see you as I am. Not just as a king. Your father. Your brother. Your husband. Your grandsire.” He asks them to make some type of peace, if not for the great of the realm, however for ­him: “For this old man, who loves you all dearly.”

It’s a tacky plea, it’s painfully earnest, and by god, it pulls on the heartstrings. Viserys is clearly not lengthy for this world, and you might inform he would throw the crown away if he may simply have one, glad household. And, in some way, it really works.

Rhaenyra, haltingly at first, raises her cup to the Queen, apologizing for her function of their fixed battle, and expresses her need to seek out frequent floor. Equally haltingly, Alicent raises her glass to Rhaenyra, saying, “You will make a fine queen.” There are extra toasts. Music is performed. Jace asks Helaena to bounce. Everyone is glad, Viserys most of all. He can’t consider it.

And then Aemond raises his glass to toast his nephews, Jace, Luce, and Joffrey, calling them “good, strong boys.” Alicent tries to get him to cease, however Aemond repeats his taunt and it’s apparent he’s calling them the bastard sons of the late Harwin Strong, every part goes to hell, and the distressed, exhausted, despondent king is carried again to his quarters. When Alicent rushes to his facet his quarters, his thoughts goes alongside together with his well being, muttering about Aegon and the “Song of Ice and Fire” and the way a Targaryen should save the world.

In one sense, it’s an harmless mistake. Alicent assumes he’s speaking about their son Aegon, not Aegon the Conquerer. Viserys has no thought who he’s speaking to when he tells her, “You must do this.” The Queen has loads of cause to consider her royal husband has requested her to crown their eldest, terrible son. “I understand, my king,” she says, and Viserys dies, by no means figuring out he has torn the realm aside but once more.

Of course, in one other sense, it’s about Alicent all of a sudden discovering a cause to thwart Rhaenyra and seizing it. Viserys’ ramblings had been from a confused, dying man, whereas each time he was of sound thoughts—for years, together with earlier that day—he confirmed Rhaernya as his inheritor. Any affordable individual would know what Viserys actually wished. Anyone looking for energy, revenge, or legacy, nevertheless, would discover the sliver of justification they’ve desired to take it, and Westeros pays a heavy worth.

So right here we’re. The gamers are all right here (and of their applicable age). The sides have lengthy since been drawn. The time is now, and the final thread holding the Seven Kingdoms collectively has snapped with the loss of life of Viserys. It’s wild to assume that these first eight episodes of House of the Dragon have kind of been a prologue for the conflict that’s going to engulf the realm and the remainder of the TV collection, presumably. It’s a daring resolution and I feel it’s a sensible one, even when the present made two big time-jumps and forged adjustments in three episodes. We’ve seen all of the tiny choices and possibilities and errors that led as much as the Targaryen civil conflict that may turn out to be what’s referred to as the Dance of the Dragons, and the way simply it may have been averted if just some issues occurred the opposite manner.

Knowing all that is going to make all of the conflict, bloodshed, and loss of life to return for extra tragic, futile, and in the end highly effective. Seeing these characters as youngsters, nevertheless briefly, will make their loss harm extra, turn out to be a few of them will inevitably die. Because it is a sport of thrones, and all of us what occurs to the individuals who play.

Assorted Musings:

• Paddy Considine is an absolute famous person. Viserys’s speech to his household, as tacky because it was, genuinely tugged on my heartstrings.
• Okay, the post-rape scene. I feel it’s there to indicate how Alicent contradictorily loathes her monstrous son however feels duty-bound to put in him as king, however as earlier than, I need to take heed to you. Do you assume there was a greater option to do it? Did you discover it gratuitous?
• Maybe I’m fixated on how related Aemond appears to be like and acts like Daemon, however I’m sensing an enormous showdown sooner or later.
• I preserve forgetting that Aegon is married to his sister Helaena, who has some nice Cosmopolitan magazine-style intercourse ideas for Baela and Raena: “Mostly he just ignores you. Except sometimes when he’s drunk.”
• Regarding final week’s episode’s darkness: I get screeners from HBO, and in contrast to most of them, my copy of “Driftmark” was unfinished, had sound mixing points, and was lacking particular results. I assumed the lighting points can be mounted together with the remaining earlier than the episode aired, which is why I failed to say it.

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