House of the Dragon seems to have got better as the series has gone on and the stakes have risen higher. Now it’s time for the finale, when we’ll be able to judge the first season as a whole.
What’s felt like a quite tame show at times, especially compared to the GoT hijinks, has ramped up in recent weeks and now everything appears to be on the line in Sunday night’s Season 1 finale.
If you haven’t seen the first nine episodes, be warned there’s some spoilers ahead…
Episode 9 of House of the Dragon was the most consequential yet. King Viserys is dead, the fix is in, and the crown has been stolen. His completely unwilling and incapable son Aegon (now Aegon II) is on The Iron Throne after a deathbed proclamation from Virserys was initially misinterpreted and then quickly exploited by the interested parties loyal to the newly-widowed Queen Alicent.
Not everyone in King’s Landing is bending the knee. At the end of episode 9, the coronation was crashed by Princess Rhaenys and her massive, massive dragon. She could have pulled the ol’ “Dracarys” trick and wiped out the lot of them, but literally held fire.
As for the rightful heir, Princess Rhaenyra, her birthright stolen has been stolen. She, her husband Daemon, and their brood of kids from multiple partnerships (including their own) are tucked away on Dragonstone unaware of the developments. Yet…
We didn’t hear from that side of the family in episode 9, but we will in episode 10. Princess Rhaenys has arrived on Dragonstone to proclaim: “The greens are coming for you, Rhaenyra, and for your children.”
