Welcome to the second consecutive week of the House of the Dragon recaps on The Big Lead. You can call me Otto Hightower because I’m back and I did my best.
This week we’re recapping the second episode of the third season of House of the Dragon, which was cleverly titled “Queens Landing.” Get it?
Jace Targaryen
The episode opened with the final moments of the Battle of the Gullet. Thankfully, there was no surprise where Jace washed up on shore and was brought back to life. There would be no cheating of death in this episode like some characters in this universe have in the past. Just a dead crown prince which led to a tear-filled dragon ride. That sure seems like something you see more and more these days.
I’m old enough to remember when riding dragons just kind of rocked and everyone was psyched to climb on one. Makes you wonder if there are too many dragons in “House of the Dragon.” At some point they’re just going to show dragon riders commuting to work. Drinking their dragon coffee, dreading punching the clock.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
I thought her initial “what have you done” reaction to seeing her dead son was an odd one at first, but that might be the moment that she starts to crack. The Targaryen family doesn’t have the greatest track record when it comes to mental health. Maybe this is the beginning of the end for our queen. I haven’t read any of the supporting materials this show is based on so please, no spoilers.
Alyn Velaryon
He found his father and got his name which is about the best ending you can hope for when your boat sinks. Though this does raise some questions about the amount of paperwork required for anyone to legitimize an heir. You just have to say it on a beach in front of two witnesses and a bunch of corpses and it’s done? Just like that? I know Beala and Addam are both dragon riders, but are either of them a notary?
Sheepstealer
Just look at that ugly dummy. That’s a face only a mother of dragons could love.
Rhaena Targaryen
Yet another dragon rider who immediately regrets her decision. She got her cousin-slash-stepbrother killed and can’t even use her ugly dragon to get free room and board at The Vale. Maybe now these two go village to village stealing sheep, just trying to stay out of trouble. Poor Rhaena’s aunt-slash-stepmom is now queen and she’s out on the road recreating Homer’s Local Man Ruins Everything headline in the Westeros Times. Though in her defense there is a lot of that going around in House of the Dragon.
Daemon Targaryen
Whenever someone starts a scene this happy you just know there’s bad news on the way. Daemon remains an MVP of the series because his dragon allows him to travel from place to place and scene to scene to interact with any number of people. And most importantly, he can carry a tune. Who doesn’t love a good chorus of Fish Feed?
Alys Rivers
I think we can all see where this is going. She asked for a castle and Daemon said she couldn’t have one. Now she’s going to save Aemond and really put a damper on the whole new queen thing. Whatever happens, hopefully we get to meet the manalope from the season premier.
King Aegon and Larys
These two only had a quick scene this week, but their road trip storyline potential is right up there. Especially now that they’ve turned into a pair of John Wicks on the King’s Road.
Jasper Wylde
Classic guy who exists, but I have no idea who he is or what he does. Luckily, he’s dead now and everyone was happy to see him go despite the fact that no one knew who he was in the first place. That might actually be the elevator pitch for this show three seasons in.
Aemond Targaryen
No one really thinks he’s going to die which means it would be a surprise if he died but “House of the Dragon” wouldn’t really try to pull off a double-bluff this early in the season. This isn’t “The Traitors.”
Otto Hightower
The former Hand-slash-kingmaker-slash-grandpa hadn’t been seen since the second episode of season two. That’s a long time to be secretly held in prison, but at least he got to see his daughter’s best friend as soon as he got out. It’s always nice to see a familiar face. And then on top of that his daughter showed up a short time later. Almost sounds nice when you put it that way.
Rhaenyra Targaryen
The things you have to do to get a job in this economy, am I right? Capping off an episode full of sad boy and sad girl dragon rides we get a sad queen taking her uncomfortable throne after she chopped off the head of the father of her childhood best friend who made it possible in the first place. Hopefully Alysant understands that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. Or, in this case, the woman. There were certainly more than a few posts on Westeros’s Twitter where people said today was the day Rhaenyra became queen. Though it is kind of surprising they wrapped up the entire eight-episode season in just two hours. Not sure what we’re doing for the next six Sundays beyond watch Daemon struggle to implement infrastructure week in King’s Landing.