House of the Dragon – The Red Dragon and the Gold

By: Kelly Kearney

In the world of George R.R. Martin, shocking deaths have always loomed behind every page turn. In ‘The Red Dragon and the Gold,’ we’re reminded of just how brutal his pen can be when fans are blindsided by one of the series’ earliest losses, leaving them reeling and showrunners stunned by their outrage. In television, predicting which characters and actors will resonate most with fans is challenging. However, after this episode, it’s clear the trajectory of this little dragon show left viewers devastated. While not quite a Red Wedding, the response to the final ten minutes of this episode certainly felt comparable. Let’s delve into one of the finest hours of this two-season series to date.

A House Divided in War

In Harrenhal, Daemon (Matt Smith) continues to dream of young Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), this time envisioning her claiming the Iron Throne as she taunts him about House Targaryen. He can’t seem to escape these visions–guilt is driving them; guilt for having his great-nephew, Jahaerys, killed, and guilt for secretly wanting the throne that is rightfully his wife’s. In his anger at this vision continuously haunting his sleep, he draws his sword and ends her life with a swift stroke that decapitates the young Princess wearing her Queen’s crown. But visions aren’t real so when her removed head whispers, “There’s been a raven” he is startled awake, and finds the same news awaiting him.

While Daemon managed to gain support from House Strong–including the quirky and flirty Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), the Strong bastard and Harrenhal castle witch who makes him a sleeping potion, his nephew is winning the war. King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) is gaining considerable support across Westeros, bolstered by Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and his army. In bloody battles, we see him take Duskendale, Rosby, and Darklyn, and leave no head for the Dragon Queen intact. His sword might be strong but his experience as a leader is as weak as the monarch who appointed him; in that respect, Daemon the Prince has an edge over Cole.  As for Aegon, he should not have taunted his brother, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) at that brothel because now the King’s High Valyrian fluent brother has a leg up when it comes to respect given by his Green Council. Aemond embarrasses Aegon over his lack of fluency by secretly working with Cole to undermine his war plans for a more pragmatic approach. Without his brother’s okay, Aemond ordered Cole to redirect the Green Army towards Rook’s Roost instead of Harrenhal and being left out of those plans makes Aegon look weak. Later, we see how grim his leadership is when Cole shows no mercy to men who question who the rightful heir to the throne is. As he hides behind the brooch of The Hand, Cole secretly knows he doesn’t have the brains, respect, or leadership skills his predecessor did. Neither does his King–which he will soon begin to recognize.

Back at Harrenhal, Daemon is displeased when the raven’s message leads him to a meeting he had forgotten he arranged with Ser Willem Blackwood (Jack Parry-Jones) and Ser Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes). Blackwood offers his assistance in the fight against Cole if Daemon agrees to deal with their Bracken rivals, but it’s Heir Tully who arrives bearing the most troubling news: his grandfather is alive but senile and bedridden. Lord Grover can only pledge verbal support for the Queen, unable to lead an army into battle. Despite being haunted by another vision, this time of his deceased wife Laena (Nanna Blondell), Daemon tries to push aside the ghosts of the castle that remind him of his past failures. He makes a final effort to sway the Tullys and Blackwoods to align with House Black.

Fans may recall that young Ser Willem Blackwood once vied for Rhaenyra’s hand, a fact that does not seem to concern the King Consort, who is preoccupied with more visions, this time of himself wearing an eyepatch and resembling his nephew Aemond. As for the young Tully heir, his deep family loyalties prove difficult to overcome. Daemon attempts to persuade him to strike down his grandfather and join forces, mocking House Tully as “a fish with no head.” Dismissing the young Lord’s reluctance as cowardice, Daemon decides to take matters into his own hands and announces his departure for Riverhead to pressure Lord Grover into action.

Secrets and Lies

“Princess, if we’re holding to formalities,” Rhaenys (Eve Best) is the star of this episode as she fights two battles: one personal and one political. The latter has to do with a secret that comes to light when she corrects Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) who mislabels her as “your Majesty” during their initial meeting on Driftmark. As Rhaenyra’s strongest supporter, Rhaenys has been practically running Dragonstone in her absence, so the confusion is valid. “The Queen who never was’’  makes a good case for why Rhaenyra must defeat these archaic royal gender norms if Westeros hopes for a leader who is guided with brains and heart and not blood and braun. Right away, Rhaenys is captivated by Alyn’s familiarity. Tenderly holding his face, she remarks on how beautiful his mother must have been. Their moment is abruptly interrupted by Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint), who attempts to sway his wife’s curiosity away from the obvious by revealing how Alyn is the man who rescued him from perilous waters. With this revelation, Rhaenys now knows Alyn’s true identity: an heir cast aside, whom she thinks deserves recognition and the prominence his lineage offers. Later, Rhaenys and her husband exchange words when Corlys changes the Alyn subject by mentioning the missing Rhaenyra. She knows deflection when she sees it and storms off in anger. This was a marriage based on respect, and a secret child hidden away broke that sacred bond between husband and wife. Corlys’ lies weigh heavy on her mind, and it’s at least part of the reason why she agrees to what comes next.

At a Black Council meeting, Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Prince Jace (Harry Collett) fail to calm the councilman’s fury over their missing Queen. They are also not pleased that the young rider failed to burn Cole’s army when she had the chance. Rhaenys steps in to remind them of their place and this is when the woman in question finally arrives home from her meeting with Alicent. Everyone is foaming at the mouth with outrage; not only did Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) disappear again, but she also risked her life and the Kingdom’s future. All that dies down when she finally gives in to their wishes for war. Her meeting with Alicent ended with the Queen Dowager digging her heels into the lie that Aegon was Viserys successor–having no idea the woman is in the Red Keep questioning her son’s legitimacy. This bad communication could reduce Westeros to a pile of ashes, which is exactly what Rhaenyra was worried about when unleashing a war between dragons. Now it looks like–at least from her view, that the war is inevitable, and as the true leader, she will ride her dragon into battle. The Council and her son erupt in outrage again, and that’s when the brokenhearted and forever loyal Rhaenys steps up to the challenge. She and her battle-weary dragon, Meyley, will ride to Rook’s Roost to defend it from Cole’s army. As Rhaenys prepares her red dragon for another fight, Rhaenyra tells her son Jace of Aegon the Conqueror’s prophecy of the “Song of Ice and Fire.” Those White Walkers are always lurking just beyond every choice the Targaryens have made for 200 years.

At the Red Keep, Alicent’s (Olivia Cooke) tryst with her son’s new Hand has resulted in an unwanted pregnancy, and just the rumor of a child could be considered treason. Since the Heritage Foundation has yet to invade Westeros, the queen dowager summons the Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) to whip up some “Plan B” tea. While picking his brain about royal history, she admits to digging through the castle’s books and questioning who King Viserys wanted to proceed with. Her mind is still on her meeting with Rhaenyra and the truth about the ‘Song of Ice and Fire.’ Could those mumbles have meant the throne was always meant for his daughter? Is she the uniter of realms? The Grand Maester admits the King never raised the matter with him, but even if he had, this man is not about to commit treason against a King who just hanged the castle’s help. One thing is for certain, Alicent is now questioning her loyalty–to her son, her husband’s dying wish, and her former best friend–who is over in Dragonstone assuming the opposite. Later, when a bored Aegon bails on his council meeting to bend the ear of his drunk mother, Alicent doesn’t hold back the truth. She basically calls him a feckless and impetuous monarch who is only on the throne due to the sacrifices she and his grandfather, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), made. Stunned, he starts to blame Aemond for the Rook’s Roost move and Cole’s increasing popularity with the people, which he finds threatening. He wonders what he should do to thwart those threats, and her response cuts the young King’s ego off at the knees, “Do what is needed of you. Nothing.”

Later, Lord Larys (Matthew Needham) visits Alicent to find out why she was missing from the Council meeting. He catches on by the scent of her tea that her illness is self-induced. He whispers the brotherly feud news but she avoids speaking out of turn knowing Larys is a viper and always out for himself. He also notices what she is reading and when he questions it, she blows it off as she shares the same interest in history as her late husband. He can sense she doubts Aegon’s rule and she does her best to convince him that she isn’t interested in looking backward, Viserys’  intentions died with him. War is coming, they cannot put the dragon back into the egg.

One Last Battle

In what has been the most thrilling battle to date in the series, we catch up with Criston’s army, which has been winning battle after battle and is now preparing to attack Rook’s Roost in broad daylight. Gwayne (Freddie Fox) thinks this change in plans is insane, but he has no idea Criston is now taking orders from Aemond. Still reeling from Lord Gunthor Darklyn’s (Steven Pacey) final words before he was decapitated, claiming that “Cole, the Kingmaker,” will meet a similar fate, Criston is more convinced than ever to secure his legacy alongside either Aegon or Aemond, whoever emerges victorious.

In a tense pre-battle montage, King Aegon ignores his mother’s advice and mounts his dragon, Sunfyre. At Dragonstone, a confident but battle-wary Meleys leaves Driftmark with Rhaenys on her back. Rook’s Roost lines up 1,500 soldiers behind Ser Criston Cole, their archers aiming at the castle’s guards. It’s total mayhem until someone screams out, “DRAGON!” Meleys and her formidable rider swoop down from the clouds and barbecue Cole’s army with ease. Gwayne looks at Cole with an, “I told you so” expression as the rest of them scatter for safety.

Instead of retreating, Criston orders the sound of trumpets, indicating his army is not done yet. A few miles away in the woods, Aemond waits for the horns and takes off on Vhagar to engage Meleys in the skies. Unbeknownst to him, his brother Aegon enters the fray on Sunfyre, triggering Aemond’s fury. However, rather than escalate the conflict, Aemond holds back, allowing Aegon to clash with Rhaenys in an aerial duel.

Sunfyre’s fiery breath overwhelms Meleys, but Rhaenys retaliates fiercely, seemingly gaining the upper hand until Aemond arrives on Vhagar, dominating the skies. Aegon initially feels relieved to see his brother but soon realizes Aemond’s intent to eliminate both dragons with an order of “DRACARYS!” Vhagar’s fiery breath hits Sunfyre, causing both dragon and rider to plummet from the sky, crashing into the woods in a cloud of smoke and knocking a nearby Criston unconscious. Rhaenys seizes the opportunity to escape, however, her loyalty to the kingdom compels her to return Meleys to the battlefield for one final assault against House Green.

In an astonishing yet brutal aerial showdown, Vhagar seizes Meleys in his jaws, tearing the dragon apart and eventually breaking her neck. Their titanic struggle causes devastation on the ground. As Meleys succumbs, Rhaenys chooses to perish alongside her dragon. The warrior and Meleys plummet in slow motion in one long and devastating camera shot. The impact of the dragon hitting the ground causes Meleys to explode, awakening Cole who witnesses the destruction of his decimated army.

The dragon duel has breached the castle walls, allowing Cole’s remaining forces to advance and capture Rook’s Roost. Spotting Aemond prepared to strike down his brother and Sunfyre, Cole intervenes, halting Aemond’s lethal blow. Aemond, seizing Aegon’s dagger, departs, leaving his wounded brother behind.

The battle concludes tragically for Rhaenys’s supporters, while Aemond Targaryen’s ambitions for the throne reach new heights. It’s a sorrowful farewell to the “Queen Who Never Was,” a surprising fan favorite who deserved more screen time than we were given. Hopefully, her death will ignite a fury in Rhaenyra and set off the next phase of uniting the realms before the Dance of the Dragons flames Westeros and both families to ashes.