‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Episode 7 Recap

Editor’s observe: The beneath recap comprises spoilers for Home of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 7.

This week’s installment of House of the Dragon, “The Pink Sowing,” written by David Hancock and directed by Loni Peristere, marks the penultimate episode of Season 2. Naturally, the expectation is perhaps that the rising battle between the Blacks, led by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), and the Greens, presently dominated over by Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) (whereas his brother King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) lies in restoration from the Battle of Rook’s Rest), can be near reaching a fever pitch. Though there’s nonetheless yet another episode left to shut out the second season, this week introduces one of the crucial pivotal moments within the Dance of the Dragons — and concludes with Rhaenyra making a powerful assertion to her enemies about simply how a lot literal firepower she now has on her aspect.

Let’s again up, although, and recall what occurred in the closing moments of last week’s episode — aside from the kiss between Rhaenyra and her new advisor Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno), that’s. After making an attempt and failing to get the dragon Seasmoke to just accept a brand new rider within the type of her Lord Commander, Ser Steffon Darklyn (Anthony Flanagan), Rhaenyra was at her wits’ finish, however it turned out that each one Seasmoke wanted was to claim a rider himself, swooping over Driftmark and declaring his intentions with one in all Corlys Velaryon’s (Steve Toussaint) bastard sons, Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty). Does this situation change every part we expect we learn about who will get to take a seat upon a dragon? Perhaps, however it seems that Addam will not be the one lowborn who’s examined, particularly since there are nonetheless two extra dragons on the market in want of riders (three, when you depend that wild one flying across the Vale…).

The Greens Ignore an Vital Rumor in ‘Home of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 7

In King’s Touchdown, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) is recovering from the wound she sustained through the riot exterior the sept in final week’s episode. (It appears she is going to now additionally bear a scar on her arm in a very similar position to the one Rhaenyra sustained throughout their tussle again in Season 1.) The dowager queen is in a state of self-reflection this week, reconsidering her place not solely inside this general warfare however within the metropolis itself. Even the Pink Preserve appears to be falling into disrepair, with rats operating round freely — however that’s to be anticipated after Aegon had all of the ratcatchers murdered back in Episode 2. It appears as if what Alicent is actually in search of is a change of surroundings, and she or he faucets a member of the Kingsguard, Ser Rickard Thorne (Vincent Regan), to accompany her to the Kingswood — no retinue, no handmaidens, simply him as her escort. Ser Rickard seems to be understandably involved by this concept, on condition that public sentiment hardly lies with the royal household in the intervening time, however he can also’t refuse the dowager queen both.

Alicent taking a psychological well being day, tenting and swimming within the Kingswood, could also be laden with Ophelia imagery, however it additionally could not have come at a greater time given what’s taking place again within the metropolis. As punishment for serving to to begin that riot on the sept, all of Aegon’s friends who the king unwisely promoted to Whitecloaks are being stripped of that honor and despatched to the Wall, courtesy of Aemond. As Grasp of Whisperers Larys Robust (Matthew Needham) and his fellow small council member Jasper Wylde (Paul Kennedy) oversee the proceedings, the Grasp of Legal guidelines privately admits to Larys that he has heard rumor of the dragon Seasmoke bearing a brand new rider. Admittedly, the id of mentioned rider is presently unknown, and when Larys inquires about the place this intelligence got here from, Lord Wylde confesses he occurred to listen to it third or fourth-hand — his squire, who heard it from a stablehand, who heard it from his father, who heard it from his shipmate. It appears Larys prefers to get his gossip nearer to the supply, nevertheless, as he factors out that Lord Wylde is welcome to carry this info to Aemond, however provides that perhaps it could be finest to go away this specific whisper “to the wind.” Little do both of them know, nevertheless, that mentioned rumor is definitely rooted in a fact that received’t be found till it is too late.

Contained in the Pink Preserve, Aegon’s bodily remedy periods with Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) have commenced, however the king is struggling to stroll even with the help of a cane barely sturdy sufficient to bear his weight. When Larys interrupts them, chiding Orwyle for making an attempt the rehabilitation effort by himself, the 2 males use their mixed energy to get the king again to mattress. Aegon is clearly beginning to heal from the worst of his burns, however he is now lacking an ear, and his damaged bones are clearly nonetheless inflicting him vital ache — but Larys tells Orwyle that he’ll must have Aegon up and making an attempt to stroll round once more in a number of hours. He could by no means transfer the identical approach he used to, however Aegon must be pushed into strengthening himself, and, as Larys quietly reminds Orwyle, it might be a while earlier than he can really relaxation once more, with so many threats consistently looming.

The Blacks Audition New Dragonriders (With Blended Outcomes) in ‘Home of the Dragon’ Season 2, Episode 7

The confrontation between Rhaenyra and Addam, which begins off the episode, is about as anticlimactic as one may count on on condition that the queen’s latest dragonrider is already on her aspect. It is moderately pleasant to see Syrax, Rhaenyra’s dragon, and Seasmoke, Addam’s new dragon, often making rumbles and grumbles at each other at the same time as their riders stand warily at a distance. At one level, Syrax lets out an extended bellow, warning off Addam from getting nearer, however equally, when Rhaenyra strikes to handle her kneeling topic, Seasmoke asserts himself nearer to his rider, roaring with clearly protecting intent. When Rhaenyra inquires about Addam’s parentage, nevertheless, the shipwright is tight-lipped about his connection to Corlys, merely professing that he was born to “no one in all consequence.” In Rhaenyra’s eyes, Addam has carried out the unattainable, and the smile that breaks over her face appears to be linked to her hope that the tide of the warfare is starting to show in her favor.

Much less thrilled about this improvement, nevertheless, is Prince Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), who shows agency disapproval of this course of occasions however would not permit his actual emotions to be recognized till he has a non-public viewers along with his mom. There, the reality comes out, and it is extra deeply rooted in Jace’s personal emotions about his legitimacy as inheritor. The topic of Rhaenyra’s three youngsters with the late Ser Harwin Robust (Ryan Corr) was a major source of controversy in Season 1, a wild matter of hypothesis for her naysayers however vehemently opposed by her father, King Viserys (Paddy Considine), regardless that the proof of the boys’ true parentage was too apparent to disregard. As Jace posits, although, if anybody can trip a dragon, no matter their standing, what’s going to occur if one in all them decides to problem the road of succession and sit on the Iron Throne? The truth that each Corlys and Addam are being intentionally obtuse about their blood connection, nevertheless, is a part of what makes the scenario worse, particularly since we all know that Jace would not have all of the puzzle items that we do about why Addam may need been chosen.

No matter Jace’s emotions about who will get to be a dragonrider, although, Mysaria is the one who vegetation the seed of trying into the scores of Targaryen bastards in King’s Touchdown or Dragonstone. A number of generations of illegitimate youngsters have been sired by princelings, misbegotten offspring that nobody would suppose twice about. It appears troublesome for Rhaenyra to understand, however, as Mysaria factors out, she may very effectively earn her deepest allies from the lowborn — and are not her half-brothers, pure Targaryens themselves, those who’re presently waging warfare in opposition to her declare to the throne? The hypocrisy inherent in this particular search is not misplaced on Rhaenyra, who simply remembers the insults leveraged at her personal sons for years because of their parentage. At this level, she’s not above elevating, in her phrases, “a military of bastards” to win this warfare.

In the meantime, at Harrenhal, Daemon (Matt Smith) has efficiently finagled a gathering with the brand new Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes), who has been promoted within the wake of his grandfather’s demise. But Oscar is already removed from the inexperienced, wide-eyed harmless that the king consort first met with earlier in the season, and that’s made greater than evident when he and Daemon sq. off this time round. Daemon’s fingers are tied this week; even Oscar factors out that he’s made moderately a large number of issues. He is aware of he wants the assist of Home Tully and all of the Riverlords who’ve sworn fealty to their Lord Paramount, to bolster his forces, however Oscar has a number of circumstances of his personal earlier than agreeing to workforce up.

In non-public, Daemon tries to wrangle a present of loyalty from the younger Lord Tully, however as soon as they’re standing in entrance of the opposite Riverlords, Oscar professes that his home will honor the oath they made to Viserys and his rightful inheritor, Rhaenyra. He will not solid apart that dedication, even when he considers Daemon a very “loathsome” consultant. Earlier than the Lord Paramount fingers over the sizable military of the Riverlands, nevertheless, a punishment have to be exacted on Home Blackwood for its terrorizing tactics of war visited on House Bracken, and Daemon is tasked with denouncing these crimes and personally shelling out justice. With the Riverlords bearing witness, Daemon claims the top of Ser Willem Blackwood (Jack Parry-Jones), however what stays to be seen is whether or not he’ll proceed to play good along with his new allies or discover another strategy to muck it up.

By way of auditioning new dragonriders, Rhaenyra must go straight to the supply — so she does, sending boats to King’s Touchdown, steered by armed sailors and underneath cowl of darkness, to spherical up anybody who possesses even the smallest drop of Targaryen blood. Her loyal lady-in-waiting, Elinda (Jordon Stevens), who stays hidden within the metropolis, has already been laborious at work spreading the phrase at Mysaria’s course, and in the end, about 50 or so women and men are there on the seashore on the agreed-upon hour to be escorted to Dragonstone. Amongst them are blacksmith Hugh the Hammer (Kieran Bew), who views this potential dragon-claiming as one thing of a last-ditch effort after the demise of his ailing daughter, in addition to Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), who we already know is the bastard half-brother of Viserys and Daemon primarily based on his personal claims in varied taverns across the metropolis.

Given how a lot time the season has already spent increase these two characters, it appears pretty apparent who we’ll see survive to assert a dragon and who will find yourself being devoured, burned to a crisp, or each. That mentioned, it does appear vital for Rhaenyra to handle the group en masse earlier than they descend into the caverns of the Dragonmont the place the unclaimed dragons sleep, asserting that their lives will likely be endlessly remodeled from this second — both by the honorable sacrifice of demise or by the hyperlink between dragon and rider. Her resolution to carry bastards to Dragonstone, nevertheless, would not sit effectively with the Valyrian dragonkeepers, all of whom stroll out in protest moderately than take part within the ceremony.

The primary dragon out there to be claimed, Vermithor (who we have met earlier than, back in Season 1 when Daemon first sang to him), is often known as the Bronze Fury, and it’s a reasonably apropos identify given what transpires. Those that are acquainted with the beats of Fireplace & Blood will know that this occasion in the end goes down in historical past because the Pink Sowing or the Sowing of the Seeds; many women and men step ahead to doubtlessly earn the correct to turn into a dragonrider, and plenty of of them lose their lives within the course of. Amid fiery destruction, terror, and bloodshed, Ulf is knocked off the platform into the caverns, and Hugh in the end finds himself face-to-face with Vermithor, screaming on the dragon to easily end him off already. It seems, although, that each one the massive, bronze dragon apparently wanted was anyone to match his freak, and Hugh’s vitality is the precise form of daring fearlessness within the face of demise that results in him bonding with Vermithor. In the meantime, Ulf stumbles across the caves beneath Dragonstone, looking for a approach out, when he encounters a sleeping Silverwing. The dragon wakes up when he by accident steps on a clutch of eggs, however as a substitute of killing him the place he stands, she playfully knocks him down a number of instances together with her snout.

The subsequent time we see Ulf, he is hanging on for expensive life within the saddle as he rides Silverwing over King’s Touchdown. Shouting from smallfolk in the streets ultimately earns the eye of Aemond and the small council, and the sight of a dragon circling above instantly drives the prince regent to trip out to the close by discipline the place Vhagar is soundly sleeping, taking to the skies himself. What first seems to be a straightforward goal for an untrained dragonrider, nevertheless, turns into a lure set for Aemond, in addition to a show of power; when the prince flies nearer to Dragonstone, he realizes that Rhaenyra’s seat is virtually swarming with dragons now — Silverwing, Syrax, and Vermithor, all of whom bear new riders, to not point out Moondancer and Vermax. Caraxes would possibly nonetheless be an enormous query mark, due to Daemon, and we all know Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) has ventured into the damaging cliffs of the Vale out of a desire to claim her own dragon, however when it comes to pure numbers, Rhaenyra is in a a lot stronger place than she was earlier than. That mentioned, it is troublesome to not take into account the phrases of the dragonkeeper who chided the queen this week; what number of of those dragons will turn into “playthings for the video games of males,” in the end sacrificed in pursuit of a warfare that was virtually beneath them to start with?

House of the Dragon

In Home of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7, the Blacks audition new dragonriders with combined outcomes, whereas the Greens fail to heed an vital rumor.

Execs

• The Pink Sowing performs out a bit of in a different way in comparison with Fireplace & Blood, however units up pivotal moments for each Hugh and Ulf as characters.
• The dragon-centric moments on this week’s episode are a number of the finest scenes in the whole collection up to now.

Cons

• Corlys and Addam appear intent on hiding their true connection to one another, however why?

New episodes of Home of the Dragon Season 2 premiere Sundays on HBO and Max.

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