Aegon making a stand is probably the best dramatic moment of the episode considering how damn good the dragon action was, well we also got Sunfyre finally making it back, so yeah probably the strongest moment of the hour for me. Aegon for now has change dramatically and now he is refusing to keep running, but that alone does not turn him into a wise, redeemed king overnight, he is still proud, angry and obsessed with how people will remember him, but those same flaws are what finally push him to stand his ground instead of running again. That is why Sunfyre coming back works so well, the dragon does not make up for what Aegon has already done, it just hands him back the one thing that ever made him feel like a king, right as he decides dying as himself matters more than surviving as nobody and way as he properly describe "die in a hideout or as a fugitive". Larys takes off because saving his own skin has always mattered more to him but for a split minute he did said if his King ask him to he would stay, while Tyland actually stays even knowing it could get him killed, which makes Aegon look abandoned instead of pathetic, and Tyland staying was probably the worst decision because he is the one who knows where the gold is, they kill Aegon they get nothing, they torture Tyland they get the gold. Aegon is laughing while men burn alive down there and I like that the show does not let that feel like a clean win, it just makes him more dangerous, probably made him think now is his time because he got nothing to loose and Sunfyre if back with him.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11198330/
- Platform: {{PLATFORM}}
This episode was full of big discoveries and I though would see Rhaenyra say "this is finish" at Tumbleton but it was actually that moment when she find out it was Rhaena riding Sheepstealer, she was involved in the accident that killed Jace leaves Rhaenyra with no one simple to blame, and Daemon hiding that truth makes losing her son even harder to accept because one way or another Rhaena is family and blood. Rhaenyra and Daemon had some solid moments as husband and wife during the dragons squable, mainly because their whole mess of him lying to her and she riding this roller coaster of distrust mainly comes from a choice that makes sense, blood calls blood even though it at the end everyone gets hurt. He was not plotting against his own wife, he protected his daughter, lied about what happened and let Rhaenyra believe a fake version of how Jace died because he was scared of what she would do with the truth, Daemon thinking Rhaenyra would kill Rhaena on a clean slate was wrong considering she couldnt even properly kill Otto, and she had a ton of motives to kill him. I get why he protected Rhaena, but the lie made Rhaenyra look like a fool inside her own family and that fake skull turns protecting his daughter into straight up betraying his marriage. Rhaenyra feels used and humiliated for the most part Daemon still refuses to take the risk of telling her the truth and let the moment decide because he knows if she is just too pissed and title, might end up killing Rhaena, Rhaenyra feels this bad because he assume the things she would do like she is this dark heart who would kill his daughter, all that on top of the lie and daring to bring a skull of the "rider". Earlier, Daemon admits he failed Rhaena and offers to help her face Vhagar instead of hiding her away and that makes his lie feel like it came from guilt and fear, not some new power play. Dont even gas me up with the dragon fights on this episode, two riders lose control, Sheepstealer gets hurt and everyone leaves trusting each other less than before, but they all leave together, if Rhaenyra was that cruel as Daemon thought she would have burn Rhaena right there, while Caraxes and Seas Smoke handle Sheepstealer.
I wouldnt call this episode perfect because there is one moment that did throw me off, thats when Rhaenyra jump to bed with Mysaria, the moment she ask "Am I worthy" like wtf all this you have been through and you still have doubts? what kind of ruler she wants to be?, but I guess this was more of role playing than anything else, for a moment Rhaenyra just wanted to escape he reality and to make things worst they cust the scene like come on. Getting a bit more serious, Rhaenyra flat out knows Mysaria has been pushing her to suspect Daemon while acting like she is the only one who understands her, which already makes the relationship feel off. Rhaenyra is lonely, second guessing her own judgment and desperate for anyone to tell her she is still fit to rule, so Mysaria fits for the job and make sense. What I do not buy is how fast the accusation turns into sex, the scene cuts the anger off before the question gets answered. Mysaria does answer back claiming she was only looking out for Rhaenyra but it plays more like covering herself than honesty because that what happens most of the time with the Master of Whispers, desieving. This scene also undercuts a the other Mysaria moment during the episode when she was with Sylvie earlier, where Sylvie tells her getting close to power has not made her any different from the people she used to hate and Rhaenyra still never decides if she trusts her before they slide into something more intimate with the real problem left untouched.
Helaena with her dreams and honesty has given the best picture into what all this power is doing to the family and I like that her dreams never turn into some easy answer for Rhaenyra. Rhaenyra shows up acting like a sister at first but that patience disappears fast once Helaena cannot promise her the future she wants to hear. The moment Rhaenyra takes Helaena by he arm and starts talking like a queen instead of family, you can tell the real reason for the visit, she wants proof the gods are on her side, and Helaena simply cannot give her that. Helaena I wouldnt call innocent but she is such a good girl, sadly she have never lived her own life, always quite, always hunted by her dreams, her silence cause way more damage to Rhaenyra than any bad dream Helaena might had, because has built so much of her confidence around the idea she was chosen for all this. Helaena also says out loud that being bonded to a dragon changes a person and this episode backs her up with three examples, Sunfyre coming back to Aegon, Rhaenyra dragging Syrax into a family fight and Aemond wanting a new line of kings at Harrenhal, so her warning is easy to believe. For the most part is not Helaena refuse to tell the future to Rhaenyra, its just that she cant, its not that easy and she has not seen Rhaenyra in any of her dreams, she do skip the part where Aegon is coming back and Daemon will dye at the Gods Eye, previous visions she had. None of what Helaena sees tells her which choice actually saves anybody, it just shows how many ways this can go wrong, she is the only one who does not want to use any of that power and her dreams show why, she sees birth, loss, Dreamfyre burning people alive in the Dragonpit and a peaceful life with her kids that vanishes the moment winter comes.
By the end nearly every person here has made a choice that can blow up in their face, but not all of those choices will have the same impact, there is a lot of power and betrayal going on while the Targaryen family seem to be just squabbling within themself and the Greens are given enough time to figure things out. Alicent trying to poison Aemond is a strong moment because she truly believe he is a monster and finally takes the decision to stop him, even though she still cannot face that she is killing her own sun and Aemond trusting that drink fits exactly what he needs to believe, that his mother still belongs on his side. Alys calling him a fool for it feels so good, when he drops and she just say "idiot" its both satisfaction and the final nail so he falls for Alys, because now not only she save her life twice but also warn him about his mother but he trust her, I bet there is no way Aemond doesnt follow any other Alys instructions anymore. Ormund recruiting Ulf works so good because at first I and even Daeron thought that this new piece on the board was Corlys, but Ulf already feels disrespected and wants a title and a castle, so all Ormund has to do is offer him a better deal. Corlys losing a finger and Alyn getting sent it adds real pressure without taking over the episode and Daeron refusing to run because he will not abandon his men tells a lot about the young man. The pressure keeps going up and up, I really though this was going to be Tumbleton and considering it wasnt, this is right there with the battle of the Gullet without the whole hour turning into pure setup, except for the Rhaenyra and Mysaria scene, which main was for a shock moment before everyone had their moment during the episode. Aegon standing his ground, Daemon protecting Rhaena and Ulf finally getting the promise he has wanted all season all this are results of what has been cooking since the beginning of the season.
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Rating: 85/100
Originally posted through scrobble.life/tv.
