House of the Dragon – Regent

By: Kelly Kearney

After last week’s heart-wrenching farewell to ‘the Queen who never was’ and her dragon Meleys, we now step back to assess the aftermath of the battle and its brutal implications on both sides in this civil war. Depending on which House you support, there’s some good news: King Aegon survived his brother’s barbecuing but is now a bedridden invalid—a vulnerable position as his mother and brother vie for his throne. Meanwhile, the dragon queen herself faces vulnerability as support for House Black across Westeros wanes. Episode 5 may lack danger and action, but it excels in storytelling by reimagining the players in this deadly game for the throne and the intricate politics at play. An hour of gripping drama ensues, as “Regent” blends intrigue with moments of tense restraint.

Grief Can be a Motivator

The fifth episode opens with the weight of Rhaenys’ (Eve Best) death being keenly felt across Dragonstone. Both Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) and Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) mourn deeply: Corlys for his wife and Rhaenyra for her aunt, who died doing what she loved—riding her dragon Meleys into battle. Corlys is embroiled in a personal struggle throughout the episode, grieving over the loss of his wife soon after she discovered his secret lovechild. They left things unsettled after Rhaenys met Alyn of Hull and their goodbye was both tense and final. Because of this, Corlys’ mood swings unpredictably throughout the hour, often directing his anger towards the Queen. By the episode’s end, he has an attitude adjustment, thanks to a decision that might surprise fans of the books and series. His granddaughter Baela (Bethany Antonia), who embodies the spirit of Rhaenys, is determined to give her grandmother’s death meaning. She has emerged as a formidable dragon rider, rivaled only by the Queen and her missing husband, Prince Daemon (Matt Smith). She is no longer a child and quickly gains the queen’s trust as an equal. After a heartfelt conversation with Baela about Rhaenys’ legacy and her importance to House Black in this battle for the throne, Corlys is approached by Baela, who extends the Queen’s thanks by offering him the role of Hand that rightfully belonged to his departed wife. His initial response is to reject this act of sympathy, but Baela assures him the Queen sees this as a gesture of honoring her memory while also acknowledging his skills as a warrior and leader. Rhaenyra needs a trusted Hand with knowledge of winning wars and a reputation that only a Sea Snake can offer. Queen Rhaenyra is still facing challenges and sexist remarks from those same boring misogynists sitting on her council. Having grown up in times of peace, wielding a sword is unfamiliar territory for her, and her lack of experience is perceived as a weakness by her subjects and enemies alike. A Hand like Corlys could calm those nerves and eventually he sees the offer for what it is: an honor.

 Despite Rhaenyra’s best efforts to conceal her insecurities, she confides in Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), revealing her vulnerabilities and seeking counsel from the woman who has only recently pledged her allegiance to the dragon queen. The once prisoner who now has the ear of the queen, Myseria remains a loyal confidante and influential advisor. She is tasked with keeping watch over her queen’s interests both in Dragonstone and King’s Landing. While Rhaenyra grapples with lingering sexism and power struggles, The Red Keep is moving swiftly towards escalating this conflict now that Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and what’s left of King Aegon (Tom Glyn-Carney) have returned to King’s Landing.

Flame-broiled Meat and the Regent

When we last saw the brothers, Prince Aemond was poised to end King Aegon’s suffering after he ordered his dragon, Vhagar to flame him and Sunfyre out of the sky. The young King was saved only by Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) who intervened the moment he witnessed his brother draw his sword and approach the trapped and crispy King. It’s a spectacle when they return to King’s Landing as Ser Criston opts for a hero’s parade where he carts Meleys’ head through the streets, shocking onlookers.

From the Red Keep, the Queen Dowager Alicent (Olivia Cooke) watches the brutal and congratulatory scene unfold and is more sure than ever that her son Aemond attempted regicide. She keeps her thoughts guarded but from the way she watches Aemond hovering over his brother’s charred body as Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) rips away skin and melted armor, she knows this was a coup for the crown. What she is unsure of is how Criston factors into this. She gets her answer when at a Small Council meeting to decide who leads during the King’s recovery–if he recovers at all, everyone is in lock-step behind Aemond. Knowing this entire civil war began when he made the rash decision to kill Lucearys, Alicent suggests she stand in for Aegon. She ruled while Viserys was dying, so she knew her way around the throne. Despite her experience and capability, sexism colors their judgments. Ser Criston Cole, along with Ser Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) and Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) stand firm in support of Aemond, citing his prowess and control over the largest dragon in Westeros. Aemond, though rash, is seen as the warrior capable of leading House Green to victory, a notion that underscores the sexism Alicent and her former friend in Dragonstone face.

Meanwhile, Aemond’s first act as de facto ruler is to seal King’s Landing’s gates, trapping starving citizens like the Targaryen-haired blacksmith Hugh (Kieran Bew), his dying daughter, and desperate wife Kat (Ellora Torchia) inside a place where hope is as scarce as food and medicine. Denied their means of escape and still waiting for the King’s financial promises to come through, this family’s despair highlights the plight of the common folk and how it will only worsen under Aemond’s rule. At least, the new King’s Regent orders the castle staff to cut down the rotting bodies of the rat catchers, but we can assume this will be the first and last kindness he offers the populace.

Back in Dragonstone, Mysaria hears whispers of discontent among the people of King’s Landing, recognizing the brewing unrest of a population trapped in their own misery. She advises Queen Rhaenyra that wars are won not just on battlefields but through the hearts and full bellies of the people. If Rhaenyra can keep her kingdom fed and free, the people of King’s Landing may rise in her favor without her needing to spill blood. They would bend the knee in gratitude to a benevolent queen, not a tyrannical king. This truth digs deeper into Rhaenyra’s mind and sets the stage for a battle not only of armies but of ideologies.

Let’s All Be King!

Over at Harrenhal, Prince Daemon consolidates his authority within the ancient castle turning himself into some third-party King. Always believing he was the rightful heir to his brother’s throne, he plans to circumvent Rhaenyra and build his army to attack King’s Landing from the vantage point of the Riverlands. He has renounced his consort status and is now demanding allegiance from House Strong, Blackwood, and their historic adversaries, the Brackens. Daemon’s first act as king is to authorize Ser Willem Blackwood (Jack Parry-Jones) to annihilate the Brackens, seizing their lands, and castle. Any surviving soldiers will be forced to fight in his name. It’s a stark ultimatum: kneel or face total destruction, a move that contrasts sharply with Rhaenyra’s strategies developing at Dragonstone.

 The conflict between the Blackwoods and Brackens unfolds off-screen but mirrors the brutal battle witnessed in episode two. The rumors of Daemon’s whereabouts reach Dragonstone and Rhaenyra sends one of her more openly hostile council members, Ser Alfred Broome (Jamie Kenna) to retrieve him. She is unaware of Daemon’s grandiose visions, and despite warnings from the enigmatic castle mystic, Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), he won’t give them up without a fight. Alys never misses her chance to remind him of the human cost of war, where women and the poor bear the brunt for the ambitions of kings and dragon riders. He lacks the compassion of his wife and is deaf to Alys’ warnings. Her influence over Daemon is palpable; she likely orchestrates his late-night hallucinations, yet he continues seeking her counsel. While Alys’ motives remain shrouded, her sway over Daemon raises questions about her true intentions. Is she manipulating him to madness, aiming to drive him out of Harrenhal? Where and with whom do her loyalties truly lie? One thing is certain, if he continues to fall deeper into those hallucinations his dreams of being the uniter of realms are just that, dreams.

Jace to the Rescue

The episode closes on a hopeful note as young Jacearys (Harry Collett) takes matters into his own hands, flying off on his dragon to broker a deal between House Black and the Lords of the Crossing. When he returns with the good news of their support, his mother is still reeling from the disrespect shown to her as a woman who wasn’t forged in battle. If they have any hope of stopping newly crowned Regent Aemond and his monstrous dragon Vhagar, they’ll need a skilled rider, and it can’t be Rhaenyra. The future of the kingdom depends on her survival, but her son and Baela’s dragons are too young to take Vhagar on. Here is where Daemon could be useful if he weren’t so busy stabbing her in the back at Harrenhal.

This is when Jace has a realization that might save not only Rhaenyra but also the desperate Blacksmith in King’s Landing with those familiar long blonde locks. Dragonstone has dragons—old and wise, but asleep and waiting for a rider to call on them. Jace mentions Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) as an easy possibility, but she almost died the last time she tried to ride and Rhaenyra won’t risk another member of her Hand Corlys family. That’s when the castle library comes into play. Targaryen blood through marriage exists across the realm, and while it might be diluted, it is still capable of claiming a dragon! If they can track their lineage through Targaryen records, they might find any number of distant relatives ready to ride into battle and defend House Black before Aemond and Daemon destroy each other and everyone else in their wake.