Dualities weave through Season Two of House of the Dragon like threads in that opening sequence tapestry, growing more detailed with every new episode. I’ve written about the use of mirror images before, with the identical story structures of the first two episodes and the inclusion of twins to highlight this theme. Episode Five, 'Regent,' continues the motif.
The opening scene begins with a full four minutes sans dialogue – filled with grief, first at Dragonstone following the death of Rhaenys. Corlys’s solitary tear is heart-wrenching, and I found myself blinking (telling my husband I had something in my eye). At King’s Landing, the peasants also look mournful as they watch the bloodied head of Meleys being drawn on a wagon through the city. The smallfolk’s grim reaction is not the one Criston Cole was expecting: “Don’t they realise we won the battle?” But Cole himself has changed. Realising dragon warfare is far more gruesome and “terrible” than any other, he has grown rather dour.
Alicent is disempowered
It is why Cole backs Aemond’s claim for Regent. “We have given the war to the dragons,” he tells Alicent. “A dragon rider should lead us.” So we come to another duality the show explores with pinpoint realism – the challenge of being a female leader, evident in both Alicent and Rhaenyra’s storylines. Alicent, highly suspicious about Aemond’s role in his brother’s demise, and recognising what he “has somehow become,” wants to take the reins and states her argument: she has the experience. Yet sideways glances from the council members cast Aemond’s way suggest where thoughts lie before they even declare support for him. Alicent attempts to point out the obvious flaw in their plan. “Aemond is young and his lack of restraint has already cost us dearly.” But men with an eye for war want a man to lead them (aside from the grandmaester who backs Alicent, bless him). In the blink of an eye, the dowager queen’s power is ripped from under her. She begins her argument standing, confident. But in less than five minutes, she is reduced to the harsh reality that she is redundant. Aemond, who says nothing during this takeover, is swept into power, and Alicent sits, surrenders, visibly shaken. Perhaps realising it is all because of own grievous error. She has let the dragon out of its lair and has no power to put it back.
Echoes of Alicent’s troubles reverberate in Dragonstone, with Rhaenyra struggling to get “deference” from her own council of blokes. A point Rhaenyra emphasises with her son Jace and, interestingly, with her new Mistress of Whisperers, Mysaria, who the Queen is growing increasingly closer to. Rhaenyra bemoans the fact that she has never been a wielder of swords, only ever being a cupbearer. Yet, perhaps it is that very fact that gives her an advantage. As cupbearer, she gained access to her father’s politics and his mind. Rhaenyra is also a Targaryen, and she alone on that council knows dragons. It is Rhaenyra, not Daemon or Ser Alfred Broome, who recognises what they need – dragon riders. Thus, all those clunky scenes in the first four episodes with the dragonseeds now become germane. Who will bond with Vermithor and Silverwing (and possibly Seasmoke)? Hugh, Ulf, or Addam I’m guessing. Alyn’s out. He’s salt and sea, and thus has another role (see my other thoughts below).
Helaena seems to know what Aemond is thinking
Back to our theme. Duality. Another mirror image threading throughout this season is the story of our pair of volatile second sons and their not-so-hidden desire for the throne: Aemond and Daemon. Even their names are a near mirror image. Both stare longingly at the iron throne. Helaena silently appears as Aemond does so this episode and asks him, “Was it worth the price?” Trust the witchy Helaena to cut to the heart of the matter. In Harrenhal, Daemon has his own 'Halaena' in Alys Rivers who also sees right through him. She manages to extract more out of Daemon than Helaena could out of Aemond, though, and we learn his true motive – he wants to be king. Just king. The ‘consort’ bit isn’t necessary. The people, Daemon says, “look to a man for strength.” Perhaps he simply speaks the truth. We shall see.
Other thoughts:
- Best line: Aemond’s first decree: “Someone cut down the f*cking rat catchers.”
- Another duality – this time between Daemon and Rhaenyra. Daemon asks the Blackwoods to do his thug work for him: “There are things the crown itself must not be seen to do.” Mysaria gives similar advice to Rhaenyra, “What you cannot do, let others do for you,” before sending a maid on some mysterious errand in King’s Landing – very curious about what this is.
- Aemond has claimed the dagger for now. Will it do him any favours? I’m keeping my eye on it to see where it ends up.
- Baela declares she is “fire and blood” and thus cannot inherit Driftmark. With this extremely well-written dialogue between grandsire and granddaughter, Rhaenys’s last conversation with her husband becomes glaringly relevant. Baela is an intelligent woman, like her grandmother, and (as Rhaenyra knew she would) it looks as though she has convinced Corlys to accept the offer of becoming Hand of the Queen.
- I’ve described HotD as Shakespearean tragedy before, but this episode, with that scene between Daemon and his mother, goes one further – positively Hamlet-esque. Daemon’s psyche is a psychoanalyst’s dream.
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