[0:00] Rea has finally taken her rightful place
[0:02] on the Iron Throne, but it might have
[0:03] just cost her the only thing she
[0:04] actually cares about. Welcome back,
[0:06] Screen Crush. I'm Ryan Ary, and this is
[0:08] all the Easter eggs, references, and
[0:09] little things you might have missed in
[0:10] season 3, episode 2 of House of the
[0:12] Dragon. We have some additions to the
[0:14] opening sequence this time around to
[0:15] commemorate the Battle of the Gullet.
[0:17] Last episode, Lowhar and Corus duel in a
[0:19] Valyrian ship, and we see blood seeping
[0:21] out from behind Lowhar, but not Corus.
[0:23] So, this reveals, even before the
[0:25] episode does, that Corus is still alive.
[0:27] Then we see the great tragedy of last
[0:29] episode with Jace dead in the water.
[0:31] This is the inciting incident that all
[0:33] of this season is going to be tied to.
[0:35] We begin the episode with a shot from
[0:37] the battle of the gauntlet from
[0:38] underwater. Now, the battle still rages
[0:40] overhead with a fiery projectile and
[0:42] then dragon flame visible from beneath
[0:44] the corpses in the water, but the
[0:45] muffled audio and lack of clarity don't
[0:47] place the importance on the action of
[0:49] the battle. Instead, this places the
[0:52] dead in the forefront. We'll highlight
[0:54] this again and again in this episode.
[0:56] This battle was not a victory. It was a
[0:58] tragedy. Blood seeps out from this body
[1:00] in the water and floods the camera's
[1:01] gaze. And only then can we see the full
[1:04] view of the battle. This is emphasizing
[1:06] how blood soaked all of these events are
[1:08] and the sheer scale of the violence that
[1:10] has just been committed. House of the
[1:12] Dragon often chooses not to show battles
[1:14] at all and instead just focuses on the
[1:16] aftermath like with the Battle of the
[1:18] Burning Mill or the battle at the Red
[1:19] Fork last episode. The glory of battle
[1:22] is not what this show is about. The show
[1:24] has stated over and over that war is the
[1:26] folly of the young, bloodthirsty men who
[1:29] have no idea what the horrors of battle
[1:31] are actually like.
[1:32] >> These nights are as green as summer
[1:33] grass. None have known real war.
[1:35] >> The action and fighting of these battles
[1:37] isn't the point of this show. It is
[1:39] about the violent scars they leave on
[1:40] Westeros and its people. Yeah, but it's
[1:42] also cheaper to have less battles,
[1:44] right? Fewer. And yeah, that's actually
[1:46] part of it, too. So, the dragon seeds
[1:48] have joined the fry. That's Hugh Hammer,
[1:49] Ulf the White, and Adam of Hall. All
[1:51] three are bastards with Valyrian blood.
[1:53] So, they were able to claim dragons last
[1:55] season. Hugh is the son of Sarah
[1:57] Targaryen, one of the children of
[1:59] Jiharis, the Consiliator. That's the old
[2:01] king we saw in the very first episode of
[2:02] this show. Now, Sarah was involved in a
[2:04] scandal and then sent to the faith.
[2:06] Basically, the Westeros version of being
[2:07] sent to a convent, but she escaped and
[2:09] crossed the Narrow Sea to work in a
[2:11] brothel. Hugh mentioned some of this
[2:13] last season.
[2:13] >> She used to tell me I was no different
[2:16] to her brother's boys, Osaris and Damon.
[2:19] Ulf is the son of Balon the Brave,
[2:21] another of Jiharis's kids. Balon's death
[2:23] was what caused the question of
[2:25] succession in the first place, which
[2:26] ended with Viserus being named heir to
[2:28] the throne. Finally, Adam of Hall is one
[2:30] of Corus' two bastard sons along with
[2:33] his brother Allen. In the book Fire and
[2:35] Blood, it's said that the two boys are
[2:36] Lighor Valyrian's bastard children.
[2:39] Lighor was Reneer's first husband and
[2:40] Corus and Raine's son. However, just
[2:43] like in the show, Lighor was widely
[2:45] known to be gay. Considering he didn't
[2:46] father children with his own wife, it
[2:48] seems unlikely he'd have two bastards
[2:50] with another woman. Instead, this is a
[2:51] cover up used to protect the honor of
[2:53] Corus. Now, in the book, the dragon
[2:55] seeds were present from the beginning of
[2:57] the Battle of the Gullet. But here, they
[2:58] just shown up for cleanup. Now, this
[3:00] show does one thing that I think is
[3:01] incredibly relatable. It continually
[3:04] allows its characters to make the wrong
[3:06] choices, especially when it comes to
[3:08] leadership positions, their jobs, and
[3:10] careers. Like if Damon had chosen to
[3:12] just be a better brother and not as
[3:13] ambitious, or if Aegon would have
[3:15] supported Rene's claim. The show is full
[3:17] of these giant what-ifs that all hinge
[3:19] on relatable character-based decisions
[3:21] that could have changed the course of
[3:23] their entire lives. Like, I'll give you
[3:24] an example of why this is relatable for
[3:26] me. One of the reasons I can do this job
[3:28] is because I got a college degree in
[3:30] media studies. But for a while, it
[3:32] looked like I might have to drop out.
[3:33] But lucky for me, I was able to take
[3:35] classes online where I learned the
[3:37] skills that make me who I am today. And
[3:39] you might be at a crossroads like this
[3:40] or you feel locked into a career path
[3:42] that isn't right for you. But there is a
[3:44] way out. If you want to get your degree
[3:46] and go down the right path, try Southern
[3:48] New Hampshire University, the sponsor of
[3:49] this video. SNHU is one of the largest
[3:52] online accredited universities in the
[3:54] United States, and they have some of the
[3:56] most affordable tuition rates in the
[3:58] country. This is a great way to gain
[4:00] real world experience to help yourself
[4:02] stand out to future employers. SNHU's
[4:04] programs are extremely flexible with no
[4:06] set class time, so you can work when it
[4:08] works for you. And you can also transfer
[4:11] up to 90 academic, military, or
[4:13] experiential credits to save time.
[4:15] Southern New Hampshire University
[4:16] believes that education is a basic human
[4:19] right, and that education is the best
[4:20] tool that we have to fix in anequity in
[4:22] the world. They want to transform your
[4:24] life with the power of education. Take
[4:26] it from me, I have my dream job, so it's
[4:28] never too late to pursue something that
[4:30] you love, and this is the time to start.
[4:32] Go to snhu.edu/screencrush
[4:35] to explore more than 200 degree programs
[4:37] and find your own path forward. Now,
[4:39] back to what I was saying. Baya is
[4:41] flying home to Dragonstone through her
[4:42] tears, clutching Jayce's body. The two
[4:44] of them have known each other since they
[4:46] were children. In season 1, Reira
[4:48] arranged marriages between her oldest
[4:50] sons, Jace and Luke, and Damon and
[4:52] Lena's children, Baya and Raina. Rea
[4:54] already lost her betro to this war, and
[4:56] now it's Baya's turn. It's Baya's grief
[4:58] that hammers home the tragedy of this
[5:00] loss of young love. Baya's grief is also
[5:03] mixed with shame. She knows she
[5:04] disobeyed Reneer to go along with
[5:06] Jayce's plan and that ended up getting
[5:08] him killed. Now, we mentioned it last
[5:10] episode, but this whole scenario was a
[5:11] mirror of season 2, episode 5, when Jace
[5:14] took off without permission to strike a
[5:16] deal with the phrase. He also consulted
[5:18] with Baya before he did that and she
[5:20] allowed it to happen.
[5:21] >> Don't tell her,
[5:23] not until I'm away.
[5:25] >> That was a huge success for Team Black,
[5:27] but it didn't go all smoothly the second
[5:29] time around. Sir Lawrence, the queen's
[5:31] guard who locked Reneer in her chambers,
[5:32] also sees how foolish his decision was
[5:34] when he sees Jace's body. The men around
[5:36] Rene were willing to rally behind Jace
[5:39] and ignore Rene's authority. But now
[5:41] they see that she was right to not let
[5:43] him go. This is also the Queen's guard
[5:44] who was tricked into leaving Reneer
[5:46] alone with Sir Eric when he attempted to
[5:48] assassinate her.
[5:49] >> I will stand this evening's duty.
[5:52] A few moments later,
[5:59] >> Lawrence really needs to learn to stop
[6:00] being talked into stuff. He asks, "The
[6:02] battle,"
[6:03] >> and Bao replies, "It's won."
[6:05] >> The somber music, dark tone, and misery
[6:07] on Baya's face make it entirely clear
[6:09] that this was a hollow victory. As
[6:11] Corass will say later,
[6:12] >> "This be victory. I hope I never see
[6:14] another."
[6:15] >> The second Reneer enters the room, you
[6:17] can also see on her face that she knows
[6:19] exactly what has happened. As always,
[6:21] Emma Darcy's performance is stellar. So
[6:24] much of Reneer's emotional journey is
[6:26] visible entirely from minute facial
[6:29] expressions. When Rene first says,
[6:31] >> "What have you done?"
[6:32] >> It seems like she's talking to Ba and
[6:34] Sir Lawrence. But then the tragedy
[6:35] becomes apparent. She is arguing with
[6:37] her dead son. This scene is just
[6:40] heart-wrenching. Rene has lost her
[6:42] firstborn son to the war and to his own
[6:44] recklessness, and all she can do is
[6:46] shout at his dead body. Sir Laurent
[6:48] offers her his sword since he knows that
[6:50] he must die for betraying his duties.
[6:52] Even if Jacece's plan had worked,
[6:53] Lauren's life would have been forfeit
[6:55] for locking Rene away. As Jace made
[6:57] clear last episode, your life
[7:01] for hers. The king's guard, or in this
[7:03] case, the Queen's Guard, have to be
[7:05] loyal to their ruler no matter what.
[7:07] That's why Jaime Lannister was known as
[7:08] the king's slayer in Game of Thrones.
[7:10] Even though the mad king was trying to
[7:11] slaughter half the city, Jaime was still
[7:13] considered a betrayer for killing him
[7:15] and breaking his oath. Tell me, if I
[7:17] stab the mad king in the belly instead
[7:19] of the back, would you admire me more?
[7:21] >> But Rene initially rejects Lawrence
[7:23] offer to die, saying,
[7:25] >> "And what good would that do?"
[7:26] >> Rene is exhausted with death. She is so
[7:29] overcome with grief that it all seems
[7:30] pointless to her now. But later in the
[7:32] episode, when she gets her fire back,
[7:34] she remembers her rage at Lauren's
[7:36] betrayal.
[7:36] >> Let Sir Lauren choose how he will die.
[7:38] >> Back at the gullet, some last vestigages
[7:41] of battle break out on the shore. Allan
[7:42] of Hall is in a small boat searching for
[7:44] his father Corus who we saw disappear
[7:46] into the water while fighting Lowhar
[7:48] last episode. And then we cut to the
[7:50] veil where Lady Jane Aaron is riding out
[7:52] of the Eerie. Now Lady Jane is also
[7:54] known as the maiden of the veil since
[7:56] she has never married. That's part of
[7:57] why she supports Rene's claim since her
[7:59] right to rule as a woman has also been
[8:01] challenged. Jane is also Rene's cousin
[8:04] since Rene's mother Ama was born in
[8:06] Aaron. Accounts differ on exactly why
[8:08] Jane never married, but many maesters
[8:10] believe that she would rather spend time
[8:11] with her roommate, Jezamine Redford.
[8:13] Happy Pride Month. The sigil for House
[8:15] Aaron bears a falcon and a moon, which
[8:17] is on the front of Jane's cloak. You can
[8:19] also see a moon pattern on Jane's
[8:21] dublet. She is wearing a silhouette much
[8:22] like future members of her house, Lysa
[8:24] and Robin Aaron from Game of Thrones
[8:26] with billowing sleeves meant to resemble
[8:28] bird wings. Unlike Liza, however, Jane
[8:30] wears a high popped collar and has broad
[8:32] shoulders built into her cloak,
[8:34] projecting strength rather than frailty.
[8:36] Rea turns to Lady Jane for help.
[8:38] Remember, Jane sheltered Raina last
[8:40] season, as well as Rene's two youngest
[8:42] sons, Aegon III and Viserus. But Jane
[8:44] and Raina never really got along.
[8:46] >> When your bread and shelter now depend
[8:47] on my pleasure.
[8:48] >> Raina says,
[8:49] >> "Sheepstealer was frightened.
[8:50] >> I don't care."
[8:51] >> As we discussed last episode, dragon
[8:53] riders imprint some of their emotions
[8:55] onto their dragons. Part of the reason
[8:57] sheep stealer was so distressed was
[8:58] because he was reading Raina's fear.
[9:01] Jane mentions
[9:01] >> you were supposed to be on a ship to
[9:03] Penthouse.
[9:04] >> When Reneer sent Rea and her sons away
[9:06] for their safety, she instructed Rea to
[9:08] write to Prince Reio and Pintos across
[9:10] the narrow sea. Prince Reio shelter
[9:12] Damon, Lena, and their daughters when
[9:13] they left Westeros to escape the
[9:15] politics of King's Landing. Rea didn't
[9:17] want to go back to Pintos, however,
[9:18] since she only has painful memories of
[9:20] that place. when my mother died.
[9:22] >> Lena wanted to return to Westeros before
[9:24] she died, but she never got the chance.
[9:26] And Rea was afraid of meeting the same
[9:28] fate, stuck far away from everything and
[9:30] everyone that she knows. Instead, at the
[9:32] end of last season, Rea snuck off to
[9:34] find Sheepstealer, leading to the
[9:36] disastrous events of last episode. Jane
[9:38] dismisses Rea until she says, "Do you
[9:40] want a dragon or not?" Part of Lady
[9:42] Jane's agreement with Rene was that Rene
[9:44] would send dragons to protect the veil.
[9:46] But Jane felt deceived because Rene sent
[9:49] two hatchlings instead of a full-grown
[9:51] dragon.
[9:51] >> Both still wet from the egg.
[9:53] >> The Eerie is a nearly invulnerable
[9:55] castle because of how treacherous it is
[9:56] to reach, except from the air, where a
[9:59] dragon could easily attack it. Through
[10:00] Raina, Jane can finally get what she
[10:02] wants, protection. Then we cut back to
[10:04] Damon's host of rivermen and the winter
[10:06] wolves who are singing a battle song
[10:08] surrounded by the heads of lions and
[10:10] Lannisters. Now, we didn't mention this
[10:11] last episode, but the Lannister army
[10:13] brings actual lions with them to war,
[10:15] which we saw last season and at the
[10:17] Battle of the Red Fork.
[10:18] >> So, what do the tallies bring fish into
[10:20] battle?
[10:20] >> Actually, according to Night of the
[10:22] Seven Kingdoms, kind of.
[10:25] Among the singers is Rody the Ruin, the
[10:26] leader of the Winter Wolves we met last
[10:28] episode, and he is played by the great
[10:30] Tommy Flanigan, who you might recognize
[10:32] from Sons of Anarchy and Braveheart. We
[10:34] also see Oscar Tully, Young Lee, Lord of
[10:36] the Riverlands, and Black Alley or
[10:38] Alisine Blackwood. She's a very big deal
[10:40] in the book. She is a talented archer
[10:42] and battle commander and we are very
[10:43] excited to see a lot more of her soon.
[10:45] Among the soldiers, there's a lot of
[10:46] familiar House Crest. House Tally is of
[10:49] course present as Oscar Tully's host is
[10:51] leading the Riverlands. The Tully
[10:52] soldiers also have shoulder armor that
[10:54] is shaped like fish scales which is a
[10:55] nod to their sigil. In the original Game
[10:57] of Thrones, Catelyn Stark was born a
[10:59] Tolly and her uncle the Blackfish was a
[11:01] fierce warrior. It seems like Oscar is a
[11:03] lot more like the Blackfish than
[11:05] Catelyn's brother Edmure.
[11:06] >> Bad rain. Bad rain. terrible rain.
[11:08] >> We also see soldiers wearing the sigil
[11:10] of House Mallister. Now, Jason Mallister
[11:12] is a character who pops up frequently in
[11:14] the Song of Ice and Fire books, and is
[11:16] an ally of the Starks. Behind Oscar
[11:18] Tully is a soldier of House Piper, whose
[11:20] seat is near Redfork, which is where the
[11:21] battle last episode took place. They are
[11:24] singing about the Battle of Lakeshore,
[11:25] also known as the Fishfeed, known as the
[11:28] bloodiest land battle in the Dance of
[11:29] Dragons. Similar to many other battles
[11:31] in the show, we are only seeing the
[11:33] aftermath, but the casualties were
[11:34] enormous. More than twothirds of the
[11:36] winter wolves died in this terrible
[11:38] battle as well as many nobles. But they
[11:40] destroyed the Lannister host. Where's a
[11:42] winter wolf? So the winter wolves
[11:44] basically in the north when the winter
[11:45] gets really bad, the old men go out in
[11:48] the winter to die. So these are
[11:50] basically old men who have already
[11:51] accepted that their deaths are
[11:53] inevitable and they fight for Reneer.
[11:55] And by the way, if you want to be a
[11:56] winter wolf, you can get our new winter
[11:58] wolf shirt at our merch store. I love
[12:00] this shirt and I want to show you this
[12:01] brand new shirt we're debuting today.
[12:03] This is the Dance of the Dragons tour
[12:05] shirt with dragons fighting on the front
[12:07] and on the back you can see all of the
[12:09] battles listed in this war. I love this
[12:11] shirt and I cannot wait to get one. We
[12:13] also have our brand new Duncan egg shirt
[12:15] and of course we have classics like
[12:16] Sery's Wine Mixer, Team Green and Team
[12:19] Black shirts, Sir Pounce on the Iron
[12:20] Throne and Hammer and Fury named after
[12:22] one of my favorite characters from the
[12:24] book, Hugh Hammer. And if you become a
[12:25] store member and just at our $5 tier you
[12:28] get an additional 15% off storewide.
[12:30] Links are below. Sir Simon Strong is
[12:32] introduced by a soldier of House
[12:34] Bracken. Now, the Brackens initially
[12:35] sided with Aegon last season, but Damon
[12:37] used their historical enemies, the
[12:39] Blackwoods, to bring them around to his
[12:41] side with blackmail and cruelty.
[12:42] >> There are things the crown itself must
[12:44] not be seen to do.
[12:46] >> That was a risky maneuver that turned
[12:47] the rest of the Riverlords, against
[12:49] Damon until Oscar Tully helped him sway
[12:51] them back towards Reneer. We can also
[12:53] see the Blackwood sigil here among the
[12:54] fighters. So, Simon Strong is the
[12:56] current Castellan of Harrenhal or the
[12:58] person overseeing the castle. He is
[12:59] Laris's strong great uncle, but unlike
[13:01] Laris, he's firmly on Reneer's side. He
[13:04] and his sons are all that remains of
[13:05] House Strong after Laris murdered his
[13:07] own father and brother in season 1.
[13:09] Harwin Strong, Laris's brother, was
[13:11] Reneer's lover and the father of her
[13:12] three bastard children, Jace, Luke, and
[13:14] Joffrey. Laris had him killed to take
[13:16] over the power of his house. And because
[13:18] Allison wanted vengeance for Reneer's
[13:20] adultery,
[13:20] >> I did not wish for this.
[13:22] >> Damon gets news of Jayce's death and
[13:24] responds the way he always does to news
[13:26] of grief and tragedy with action. He
[13:28] quickly dispatches his army on various
[13:30] missions, but you can see his stepson's
[13:32] death has really hit him hard. Alice
[13:34] talks with Damon and says what we're all
[13:36] thinking.
[13:37] >> I would thank you for your help, but I'm
[13:38] not sure yet what your purpose has been.
[13:40] >> Alice reminds him that it's because of
[13:41] her that the Rivermen have come to
[13:43] Reneer's side. In season 2, Damon was
[13:45] stuck because the lege lord of House
[13:47] Tully, Lord Grover, was slowly dying and
[13:49] unable to marshall his forces. Oscar
[13:51] couldn't take over and take action
[13:53] because his grandfather was still alive.
[13:55] Alice promised Damon that all he had to
[13:57] do was wait.
[13:58] >> In three days time, the winds will
[13:59] shift.
[14:00] >> She went to Riverrun herself to heal
[14:02] Lord Tully. And would you look at that?
[14:04] He was suddenly dead. And Damon got
[14:05] exactly what he needed. And this season,
[14:07] Alice has finally revealed what she
[14:09] wants out of all this.
[14:10] >> I want her.
[14:11] >> She says she's lived there all her long
[14:13] life. And different maesters have
[14:15] debated exactly how long that life is.
[14:17] According to some, she is the same age
[14:19] as Harwin and Laris and was the bastard
[14:21] daughter of their father. According to
[14:22] others, she is much, much older. Now, we
[14:25] think the show is actually going with
[14:26] that more mystical route that Alice is
[14:28] older than anyone knows. She says she
[14:30] has seen Harrenhal pass from hand to
[14:32] hand. House of the Dragon takes place
[14:34] around the year 130 AC or after
[14:36] conquest, but the last time Harrenhal
[14:38] passed to a different house was in 73 AC
[14:41] almost 60 years ago. Now, of course, she
[14:43] could be referring to it passing from
[14:44] Lionel to Simon Strong, but we suspect
[14:46] that she is much, much older than anyone
[14:49] realizes. This is partially why she
[14:50] feels like she has a right to the old
[14:52] decrepit castle. I've lived there all my
[14:55] long life and I've seen it given from
[14:57] hand to hand and yet none seem to
[14:59] cherish it. Why should it not come to
[15:01] me?
[15:02] >> Damon refuses to even consider this
[15:04] which infuriates Alice. There's also a
[15:06] parallel here to Ol from last episode.
[15:08] Ul is an idiot, but ultimately they want
[15:10] the same thing more than what Rene is
[15:12] willing to offer them. As she leaves,
[15:14] Alice says,
[15:15] >> "Do not come back here. Remember why I
[15:17] told you."
[15:18] >> And she is referring to what she said to
[15:20] Damon the very first time she met him.
[15:22] You will die in this place.
[15:23] >> Even though she's not happy with him for
[15:25] dismissing her, she still cares for him
[15:27] to some degree. Back at the gullet,
[15:28] Allan picks over the dead looking for
[15:30] his father. But this time, he's joined
[15:32] by Baya. Baya tells Allan that it was
[15:34] for Reneer's sake that Corass ignored
[15:36] them. Corass never acknowledged his two
[15:37] bastard sons, which Allen gave him hell
[15:39] for last season.
[15:41] >> Now you wish to suddenly to scatter the
[15:43] crumbs of your favor.
[15:44] >> Baya and Allan bond over their memories
[15:46] of Corass and their grief. And this is
[15:48] the first time these characters have
[15:49] actually met on screen. But we are
[15:51] looking forward to seeing more of them
[15:53] together throughout this season. Adam is
[15:55] also searching for Corass and the House
[15:56] Valyrian theme plays as we see him on
[15:59] Dragon Back. This is a little bit of
[16:01] foreshadowing that Corus will officially
[16:02] name his son's Valyrians in this
[16:04] episode. Semoke and Adam both spot
[16:06] Corus' white hair on the beach and fly
[16:08] down to rescue him. Even the dragon is
[16:10] also related to the Valyrian since Sea
[16:12] Smoke was Lenor Valyrian's dragon before
[16:14] he was Adams. We return to Laris and
[16:16] Aegon in the Raven Cart, now prisoners
[16:18] of the Blacks, after Laris revealed
[16:19] Aegon's identity last episode. And this
[16:22] line really made me laugh.
[16:23] >> You no longer ask for milk of the
[16:24] puppet.
[16:25] >> I'm not [ __ ] speaking to you.
[16:26] >> For all his many faults, Aegon has
[16:28] always been the funniest Targaryen.
[16:34] >> And now he and Laris are teamed up to
[16:36] deliver Westeros's best new standup
[16:38] routine.
[16:38] >> I was mistaken. I am surprised. Their
[16:40] wagon is being attacked by Tarashi
[16:42] soldiers, which you can tell from this
[16:44] guy's blue hair and beard. We saw the
[16:45] same styles when Tylen Lannister visited
[16:47] the Triarchy last season. Now, these are
[16:49] the remnants of the Triarchy forces from
[16:51] the Battle of the Gullet. Aegon has
[16:53] hated feeling powerless, so the first
[16:55] chance he gets, he claims a weapon, a
[16:56] snapped arrow from a dead body. Laris
[16:59] clubs this squire over the head with the
[17:00] Raven Cage, and Aegon puts that arrow to
[17:02] use.
[17:07] Laris wants to head to Duskondale, a
[17:08] port city, so that they can travel onto
[17:10] Dragonstone. And about a hundred years
[17:12] after the show, Donald of Duskandale in
[17:14] the Night of the Seven Kingdoms is a
[17:15] member of the King's Guard. We saw
[17:17] Kristen Cole sack Duskondale last season
[17:19] and kill its lord. So, the Greens do
[17:21] control that territory, but Aegon
[17:23] insists on traveling to Rook's rest.
[17:25] Now, Rook's rest was where Aegon fell
[17:27] from the sky during the battle, burned
[17:28] by his brother's dragon fire. It was
[17:30] also the last we saw of his dragon
[17:32] Sunfire. I left a mega garrison behind
[17:34] to protect it and the king's dragon.
[17:37] Sunfire was long in the dying. So,
[17:39] >> the show hasn't told us yet why Aegon
[17:41] wants to travel there, but book readers
[17:42] may have an idea. Back on the beach,
[17:44] Corus sits with his closest family, his
[17:46] two sons, Adam and Allen, and his
[17:48] granddaughter and former ward, Bale.
[17:50] Adam offers Corass his hand to stand
[17:52] since he has always been the more
[17:53] forgiving of the two brothers. Corass
[17:55] legitimizes Allen and Adam as Valyrians,
[17:58] which can be done with the permission of
[17:59] the king or queen. Bruce Bolton did the
[18:01] same thing with his bastard Ramsay in
[18:03] Game of Thrones. At the Red Keep,
[18:05] Allison watches Vaggar fly off towards
[18:06] Harrenhal. Her plans have worked so far,
[18:09] but there is still fear in her eyes.
[18:11] Even if everything goes exactly as she
[18:13] has designed, this is still a terrifying
[18:15] time for her. She's agreed to sacrifice
[18:17] her sons in exchange for her and
[18:18] Helena's freedom. She goes to find the
[18:20] commander of the Goldcloaks, Luther
[18:22] Largeant. Now, we haven't seen him
[18:23] before in the show, but there is a bit
[18:24] of history behind him in the book. When
[18:26] the Greens took control of King's
[18:27] Landing, they summoned all of the City
[18:29] Watchers captains and questioned them.
[18:31] Five of seven were deemed loyal to
[18:32] Aegon. And of those five, Luther Larent
[18:35] was named the new commander. Gane High
[18:37] Tower is Larent's second in command in
[18:39] Fire and Blood, but in the show, he
[18:40] seems to be playing a different role.
[18:42] Largent is also a loyalist to Damon in
[18:44] the books, turning against the Greens
[18:46] when the blacks take the city, as he
[18:47] does in this episode. And when he's
[18:48] called a turncloak, Larent says, "Damon
[18:51] gave us these cloaks, and they're gold
[18:52] no matter how you turn them." Damon has
[18:54] been able to use the gold cloaks to his
[18:56] advantage before since blood of blood
[18:58] and cheese was also loyal to him.
[18:59] Ironically, Damon was given his position
[19:01] as commander of the city watch by auto
[19:03] high to Tower as an attempt to remove
[19:05] Damon from the small council.
[19:07] >> Putting Damon in command of the city
[19:08] watch was your solution.
[19:10] >> Not a great plan.
[19:11] >> On Dragonstoneone, Damon returns and is
[19:12] greeted by Hugh Hammer and Ol. Now, Ol
[19:15] attempts a hug, calling Damon the rogue
[19:17] prince. This was the name of George R.
[19:19] Martin's novellet about Damon and
[19:20] Viserus as well as the name of season 1
[19:23] episode 2. Ol is Damon's half brother
[19:25] which might be why he acts so familiar
[19:27] but that doesn't win him any points with
[19:28] Damon who rips Hugh and Ult to pieces
[19:30] for abandoning their post near Harrenhal
[19:32] where they were waiting for Vaggar.
[19:34] Damon and Misaria have quite the history
[19:36] together. Now when they were younger,
[19:37] Misaria was a sex worker at a pleasure
[19:39] house and he was her customer. He then
[19:41] promised to protect her and took her to
[19:43] Dragonstone with him. But instead of
[19:45] keeping her safe, he told the realm that
[19:46] he was going to make her his second wife
[19:48] and that she was pregnant with his
[19:49] child. And neither of these things were
[19:50] true. As far as we know, Damon had no
[19:52] plans to marry her, and she revealed in
[19:54] season 2 that she cannot have children.
[19:56] >> I cannot bear children.
[19:59] >> He was just trying to make Vaserus mad
[20:00] after he was banished from King's
[20:02] Landing. Afterwards, Misaria left Damon
[20:04] after he put her in danger and
[20:05] accumulated power instead in King's
[20:07] Landing as a spy master called the White
[20:09] Worm.
[20:10] >> I think he will wish to hear what the
[20:11] White Worm can tell him. Misaria ends up
[20:14] helping the royals to find Aegon at the
[20:15] end of season 1 when he was trying to
[20:17] run from his responsibilities. All she
[20:19] wanted in return was for Otto High Tower
[20:21] to look out for the small fold.
[20:23] >> Remember, it was me who put him there.
[20:26] >> But instead, Loris torched her
[20:28] headquarters and left her fleeing across
[20:29] the narrow sea. Then in season 2, she
[20:31] was picked up as a stowaway and brought
[20:33] to Dragonstone. So, she made a deal with
[20:34] Damon, giving him information on King's
[20:36] Landing that he used to hire blood and
[20:38] cheese in exchange for her freedom. But
[20:40] instead of freeing her, Damon left. But
[20:42] Rene honored his word and let Misaria
[20:44] go. On her way out of Dragonstone,
[20:45] remember Misaria spotted Sir Eric
[20:47] arriving to kill Rene and she warned the
[20:49] Queen's Guard. After she saved Rea's
[20:51] life, the queen offered her a seat at
[20:53] her court. And since then, she's been a
[20:54] valuable ally for Rene and her cause.
[20:56] The two women have also become quite
[20:58] close in more ways than one. Happy
[21:00] Pride. In the books, Misaria or Lady
[21:02] Misery was an important character, but
[21:04] she was more Damon's paramore than
[21:06] Reneer. She did in fact become pregnant
[21:08] with his child at one point, but lost
[21:09] the baby. Misaria and Damon spar with
[21:11] each other and it's clear that they're
[21:13] both vying for Reneer's affections. They
[21:15] keep exchanging positions on the stairs
[21:16] as they argue, indicating the shifting
[21:18] balance of power between them that is
[21:20] continually changing. Finally, Misaria
[21:22] brings herself level with Damon, showing
[21:24] that she sees herself as his equal and
[21:26] will not lower herself in front of him.
[21:28] She finally says,
[21:29] >> "Not everything is about you, Damon."
[21:31] >> And this echoes what Helena said to him
[21:33] last season.
[21:34] >> "It's all a story,
[21:36] and you're but one part in it." Damon
[21:39] has had to learn time and time again
[21:40] that he is not the most important person
[21:42] in everyone's lives. Damon and Misaria
[21:44] seem to make an unspoken agreement to
[21:46] have a truce both sitting and discussing
[21:48] things frankly. Misaria asks if it's
[21:50] possible that there is truly still a
[21:52] bond between Allison and Reneer and
[21:54] Damon responds with that pain you
[21:57] >> with his knowing smirk. It seems to
[21:58] imply that Damon is somewhat aware of
[22:00] the romantic tension between Misaria and
[22:02] Reneer. Back at the Red Keep, Allison's
[22:04] sworn protector, Sir Rickard Thorne,
[22:06] confronts her about her actions, but she
[22:08] dismisses him. We saw Sir Rickard
[22:10] escorting Allison on her field trip to
[22:12] the Kingswood last season. You may also
[22:14] recognize the actor as Garp from the One
[22:16] Piece live action. I want these spiders
[22:18] taking a life.
[22:19] >> And we go quickly to Dragonstone where
[22:21] Damon tries to comfort Rene. Now Rene
[22:23] orders him to track down Sheepsteeler
[22:25] and his rider, which isn't going to be
[22:27] good for Damon once he realizes that the
[22:28] rogue dragon rider is in fact his own
[22:30] daughter. Rea mourns her part in this
[22:32] war, saying that this is because of her
[22:34] quest to the throne that her sons are
[22:36] dead. But Damon won't let her give up.
[22:37] Last season, Alice River showed him
[22:39] visions of Aegon's dream, the song of
[22:41] ice and fire. He now knows the truth
[22:43] that unifying the seven kingdoms is
[22:45] about more than Aegon versus Reira. It
[22:47] is about preventing the end of life in
[22:49] Westeros. He saw a vision of Daenerys
[22:51] and her dragons far in the future. Damon
[22:53] talks to Rea in High Valyriion, like
[22:55] when she was young, and they use the
[22:57] language to have private conversations.
[23:04] This prophecy is also a Targaryen secret
[23:06] and he speaks in Valyrian so he doesn't
[23:08] run the risk of being overheard. Last
[23:10] season we thought that when he saw a
[23:11] vision of Dany, he assumed it was Rene.
[23:13] But this speech makes it clear that he
[23:15] knew it was a different woman.
[23:23] >> But he believes that in order for that
[23:24] future to come to pass, Rene must be
[23:26] queen. In her chambers, Allison is
[23:28] gathering her things for a life on the
[23:30] run. She takes some jewelry, perhaps
[23:32] thinking it can be sold to help her and
[23:33] Helena survive, but she is stopped by
[23:35] Lord Jasper Wild, the master of laws on
[23:37] the small council. Jasper, as known as
[23:39] Iron Rod, for his strict attitudes on
[23:41] the law. Lord Jasper and Allison have
[23:44] clashed once before when she was
[23:45] horrified to discover that the Green
[23:47] Council had plotted to put Aegon on the
[23:49] throne without informing her. And
[23:50] >> yes,
[23:51] >> one more word and I'll have you removed
[23:52] from this chamber and sent to the wall.
[23:53] Jasper accuses Allison of snaking her
[23:55] way into power since she was a girl,
[23:57] which is a particularly nasty way of
[23:59] phrasing that she was married off to a
[24:01] man who was three times her age and then
[24:03] forced to have his children. At that
[24:04] point in her life, Allison was basically
[24:06] just Otto's political pond, that he
[24:08] maneuvered straight into Viserus. But
[24:10] Jasper makes it sound as though all of
[24:12] these events were Allison's doing.
[24:14] Jasper makes a sleazy reference to
[24:15] Allison's affair with Sir Kristen Cole
[24:17] last season. After Viserus's death, it
[24:19] was something of an open secret at court
[24:21] that Allison and Cole were sleeping
[24:22] together, but she broke it off with him
[24:24] after he refused to stand by her at the
[24:26] small council and instead elected Aeund
[24:28] as regent.
[24:29] >> Aemon is the next in line.
[24:31] >> Allison grabs a small turtle statueette
[24:32] and hits Jasper over the head with it
[24:34] when he attacks her. Now, turtles are
[24:36] significant not necessarily in Game of
[24:37] Thrones directly, but to its author,
[24:39] George RR Martin. He had pet turtles as
[24:41] a kid and he said he made up stories
[24:43] about them becoming kings and fighting
[24:45] in wars, which is where he claims the
[24:46] ideas for Game of Thrones originated
[24:48] from. Jasper says, "Plead with me."
[24:51] >> And with that, Allison has had enough.
[24:53] This is a momentous occasion for her
[24:55] character. For so long, she has used her
[24:57] body as a tool and an object. She has
[24:59] never had control over her own sexuality
[25:01] since she has been a victim of sexual
[25:03] violence all of her life. When Aean
[25:05] kissed her romantically last episode,
[25:07] she had no choice but to go along with
[25:09] it in spite of her horror because she
[25:11] needed to control him to save herself
[25:13] and her daughter. But here, finally, she
[25:15] fights back against Jasper, and
[25:16] symbolically, she's fighting the
[25:18] patriarchal system that has ruled her
[25:20] body and her life, and she fights
[25:22] viciously.
[25:23] >> Plead with me.
[25:25] >> House of the Dragon has shot its sex
[25:27] scenes very differently from Game of
[25:28] Thrones. This show tends to avoid
[25:30] showing its main actors bodies during
[25:32] intimate scenes, and the same goes here
[25:34] for this attempted assault. Game of
[25:35] Thrones received criticism for the
[25:37] sexualization of its many assault
[25:39] scenes, and this may be House of the
[25:40] Dragons answer to that critique. This
[25:42] scene is not at all filmed in a sexual
[25:44] light, but instead with a horrific tone.
[25:47] Jasper is interrupted by Maester Orws.
[25:50] He tries to implicate Allison in
[25:51] treasonous behavior. Instead, Orwh has
[25:54] him arrested. Now, Maester Orw has often
[25:56] been Allison's ally at court. He helped
[25:58] her reach Dragonstone to talk to Reneer
[26:00] last season, and he also made her moon
[26:02] tea, a form of birth control after her
[26:04] affair with Kristen Cole. Back on
[26:06] Dragonstone, Reira finally emerges from
[26:08] her chambers after Jayce's death. In
[26:10] Fire and Blood, the Maester writes that
[26:12] Jayce's death hardened her, burning away
[26:14] her fears, leaving only her anger and
[26:16] her hatred. This is immediately visible
[26:18] in her costumes. She's not wearing her
[26:20] Valyrian dress anymore, but instead
[26:22] armor and a sword. Rea is emerging as a
[26:25] woman of action. When she says,
[26:26] >> "I'm done with,"
[26:28] >> she walks away from the painted table as
[26:30] a visual metaphor. She's leaving behind
[26:32] strategy in favor of direct attack.
[26:34] Misaria gives Rea her crown, the one
[26:36] that once belonged to Jiharis the
[26:37] consiliator and her father, Viserus.
[26:39] Aegon II wore the crown of Aegon the
[26:41] Conqueror at his coronation. But in this
[26:43] moment, Rene has become far more
[26:45] conqueror than Consiliator. Misaria asks
[26:48] Rene to send for her in King's Landing
[26:50] and urges her to
[26:51] >> remember which one of us has been
[26:53] faithful. Misaria and Damon are Reira's
[26:55] two closest adviserss and they represent
[26:57] two different ideologies. Misaria
[26:59] represents the interests of the common
[27:01] folk and the belief in being a just and
[27:03] kind ruler. Damon represents fire and
[27:05] blood and burning everything down to
[27:07] rule over the ashes. In this moment,
[27:09] Rene is much more aligned with Damon
[27:11] than she is with Msaria. Damon's smirk
[27:13] at Msaria when he leaves shows that he's
[27:15] also aware that he has been chosen. Rene
[27:18] finally flies to King's Landing along
[27:20] with Damon, Hugh, and Ul. They fly over
[27:22] the debris from the battle of the
[27:23] gullet, showing that this is the tragedy
[27:25] and loss that is driving Rea to action.
[27:27] At the Red Keep, Helena is entertaining
[27:29] herself with the caterpillar and the
[27:31] leaves. She has always loved bugs ever
[27:32] since she was a little girl. She says,
[27:34] >> "This is strange. It isn't the season."
[27:37] >> Now, there are a few possible meanings
[27:38] of this since Helena's statements are
[27:40] often cryptic and layered in mystery.
[27:42] Helena has prophetic dreams and often
[27:43] foreshadows future events.
[27:45] >> You will have a dragon one day.
[27:47] >> You'll have to close an eye.
[27:49] >> Not the dragons, the rats. The queen is
[27:51] an enduring mystery, is she not?
[27:53] >> So, this could mean that the winter is
[27:55] coming early, perhaps talking about the
[27:57] arrival of the winter wolves, or even
[27:59] more momentous, it could mean that the
[28:00] Starks themselves are coming south.
[28:02] Helena also has a journal that she seems
[28:04] to be filling with notes on her insects.
[28:06] The butterfly is called Alisoni of Nth.
[28:08] Helena has written, "They are said to
[28:10] cause death to people around them while
[28:12] living, but so far I remain alive." Now,
[28:14] there are a few things to note here.
[28:16] First, Nth is an island in the summer
[28:18] sea where Missande was born in Game of
[28:20] Thrones. It's also known as the aisle of
[28:22] butterflies, and there is a fever known
[28:24] as butterfly fever. It is said to infect
[28:27] and kill anyone who isn't native to the
[28:29] island. This could be partially what
[28:31] Helena is writing about. Also, remember
[28:33] that she planned to run away with
[28:34] greyworm to this island.
[28:36] >> North, I'd like to see the beaches
[28:38] again.
[28:38] >> Then I will take you there.
[28:40] >> Second though is the name of the
[28:41] butterfly. We don't think it's a
[28:43] coincidence that its name, Alison, is so
[28:45] similar to Allison. This could
[28:47] foreshadow that Allison is deadly to
[28:49] those around her. Much like the
[28:50] butterfly, whether she wants it to
[28:52] happen or not, her life creates tragedy
[28:54] for everyone in her vicinity. Helena
[28:56] asks,
[28:56] >> "Will there be a battle?"
[28:58] >> She has always been the most innocent
[28:59] and peaceful of Allison's children in
[29:01] King's Landing and has never had the
[29:03] will to fight. Even when Aean tried to
[29:05] make her fight last season, Helena
[29:06] refused. Allison says,
[29:08] >> "You told me not many days ago that you
[29:11] were happier before you were queen."
[29:12] >> And we heard Helena say those words last
[29:14] season.
[29:14] >> "I was happier before I was queen."
[29:17] >> Not only does Allison feel great love
[29:18] for her daughter, but Allison can also
[29:20] relate to that sentiment. Allison was
[29:22] much, much happier when she was a girl
[29:24] before she married Viserus and became
[29:26] queen. She wants that freedom back, not
[29:28] only for herself, but for her daughter.
[29:30] Allison goes on to say,
[29:31] >> "You I may yet redeem."
[29:34] >> She's accepted Aegon and Aemon as a lost
[29:36] cause. her irredeemable children. But we
[29:38] think that Allison believes that there
[29:39] is some hope for herself if she can save
[29:42] just one of her kids from becoming a
[29:44] monster. Elena says,
[29:45] >> "I think I might like to keep chickens."
[29:48] >> Oh, Helena. We hope she gets her
[29:50] chickens someday, but it doesn't seem
[29:52] too likely.
[29:53] >> I wouldn't get your hopes up, farm,
[29:54] girl.
[29:55] >> Allison to Helena persuade the guards on
[29:56] top of the walls to stand down. And
[29:58] Helena adds,
[29:59] >> "Her sons were always kind." The last
[30:01] time the family met in peace, the
[30:03] evening before Viserus died, Jacece went
[30:05] out of his way to be kind to Helena and
[30:06] ask her to dance. These soldiers wear
[30:08] the Targaryen dragon, but in gold on
[30:10] green rather than red on black. And this
[30:12] is the personal sigil of Aegon II,
[30:15] adopted to reflect his gold dragon,
[30:16] Sunfire. In the forest, Vaggar flies
[30:18] overhead and brings some hope back to
[30:20] Kristen Cole. His soldiers cheer and we
[30:22] see the emblems of House Stokeworth and
[30:24] House Rosby, both from the Crownlands.
[30:26] Now, in the original series, Bronn ended
[30:27] up being betrod to Lawless of House
[30:29] Stokeworth. She's dimwitted. If I wanted
[30:32] wits, I'm out of you.
[30:33] >> Vaggar arrives at Harrenhal, burning
[30:34] what's left of Damon's host there. Damon
[30:36] and Amon are always put in parallel to
[30:38] each other as characters. And one of
[30:40] Damon's visions at Harrenhal last season
[30:42] even included himself dressed as Aemon.
[30:45] Now Aean burst into Sir Simon's dinner
[30:47] the way that Damon did when he took over
[30:49] Harrenhal. Unlike Damon though, Aean is
[30:51] not so inclined to show mercy. In both
[30:53] the book and the show, Aean demands that
[30:55] Sir Simon take up a sword to fight him.
[30:57] >> Draw your sword. In Fire and Blood,
[30:59] Aemon specifically says, "If you are
[31:01] innocent, the warrior will give you the
[31:03] strength to defeat me." But here in the
[31:04] show, it seems even more evident that
[31:06] Aemon just doesn't want to look like a
[31:08] coward striking down an unarmed man. But
[31:10] in the end, he decides he's okay with
[31:11] it.
[31:12] >> There's nothing to stop you.
[31:14] >> He kills off all of Sir Simon's sons as
[31:16] well. And in Fire and Blood, this event
[31:18] is the end of House Strong when Aemon
[31:21] executes every remaining member of the
[31:22] house. Harrenhal does not tend to bode
[31:24] well for the houses that live there.
[31:26] >> It's your new house. Say lovely.
[31:29] >> In this adaptation though, one of
[31:30] Simon's sons gets in a strike. And this
[31:32] is the perfect way for Aean to be
[31:34] injured at the hands of some random guy
[31:36] who has probably barely held a sword in
[31:38] his life. Aemon is too cocky, which is
[31:40] evident from the way he left Vaggar
[31:41] outside and took off his helm before
[31:43] facing these men. He believes that no
[31:45] one could touch him, but one lucky hit
[31:47] reminded him that he is still human.
[31:49] He's left cowering in front of Alice
[31:51] Rivers, begging for her help. The way he
[31:53] falls in front of her almost looks as
[31:55] though she may be exerting some kind of
[31:56] magical power over him, but it's equally
[31:58] possible that he's just bleeding out.
[32:00] And you can tell that Alice is enjoying
[32:02] this moment of power. She's so used to
[32:04] being subservient or overlooked. And now
[32:06] one of the most powerful people in the
[32:08] seven kingdoms is begging at her feet,
[32:10] and she can choose whether he lives or
[32:12] dies. Damon may regret his choice to
[32:14] dismiss her earlier in this episode.
[32:16] This war is giving power and authority
[32:18] to second sons, bastards, and common
[32:20] folk instead of enforcing the status
[32:22] quo. And this reflects the way that real
[32:24] life wars often realign societies.
[32:26] Dragons descend on King's Landing while
[32:27] Allison Helena and Helena's surviving
[32:29] daughter Jihira try to escape. Jiara is
[32:32] the twin of Jiharis, who blood and
[32:33] cheese murdered last season. The small
[32:35] folk cower beneath the might of the
[32:37] dragon. Hugh Hammer's wife, Cat, looks
[32:38] to the sky, seeing Vermathor and her
[32:40] husband fly far above her. two of Ol's
[32:42] old drinking buddies are staring up as
[32:44] well. And I wonder if they know that Ol
[32:46] is now a dragon rider. We also see
[32:47] Sylvie, the brothel madam that Amid was
[32:49] with in season 2. After a full season
[32:51] away, Reneova finally returns to the Red
[32:54] Keep. Now, King's Landing is not a
[32:56] particularly strategically important
[32:58] city for conquering Westeros, unlike
[33:00] Harrenhal, which is the largest castle
[33:02] in the Seven Kingdoms. However, from a
[33:03] place of appearance, having Rene
[33:05] actually sit the Iron Throne does
[33:07] wonders for her legitimacy. She now has
[33:10] the crown and the throne, and this will
[33:12] make her much harder to dismiss as a
[33:14] pretender. Damon fights his way through
[33:15] a courtyard that looks like the area
[33:17] that Cersei turned into the map room
[33:18] toward the end of Game of Thrones. Now,
[33:20] for the first time, Damon is showing
[33:22] true difference to Reneer, letting her
[33:24] walk in first into the throne room.
[33:26] After his visions at Harrenhal, he
[33:27] finally has accepted that he will not be
[33:29] king and that he needs to support her
[33:31] wholeheartedly. Allison's protector,
[33:33] Rickard, and the Greens fill the throne
[33:36] room to stop Damon and Rene. In rage,
[33:38] Rene draws her sword and the guards
[33:40] laugh at her.
[33:45] >> Now, here's a thing I haven't seen
[33:46] before. Even when she wears the
[33:48] masculine trappings of strength, she
[33:50] still isn't taken seriously. But Damon's
[33:52] loyalty with the gold cloaks wins yet
[33:54] again as Sir Luther Larent and his men
[33:56] come in to the duo's rescue. All of the
[33:58] guards throw down their swords except
[33:59] Sir Rickard, who is dragged away,
[34:01] presumably to his death. Damon in his
[34:03] gold cloak sweep through the halls. And
[34:05] this is a parallel to the very first
[34:07] episode of the show where he used his
[34:08] new city watch to violently cut down
[34:11] crime in King's Landing. After all these
[34:13] years, the power is his once again.
[34:15] Damon goes directly to Aegon's chambers,
[34:17] but of course, as we know, he has fled.
[34:19] >> In episode 1, Aemon accused Orw of being
[34:22] the agent of Aegon's escape, and now he
[34:24] gets the same from Damon. Instead, Orwh
[34:27] offers up Lord Jasper in his place.
[34:29] Allison and Helena are recognized by
[34:31] some of the small folk as they try to
[34:32] run, which, you know, makes sense. After
[34:34] Jiharis's murder, Otto made Allison and
[34:36] Helena ride in a funeral procession in
[34:38] order to blame Reira for the child's
[34:40] death. Because of this commodification
[34:42] of their grief, they can no longer be in
[34:44] hiding. Damon goes to the dungeons to
[34:46] seek out Lord Jasper and also frees all
[34:48] of Rene's loyal followers who have been
[34:50] imprisoned. There, he finds out that
[34:52] Laris, like any clever schemer, has been
[34:54] playing both sides. A gift for you from
[34:57] Lord Laris Strong.
[34:59] >> Last season, Aegon dismissed Otto High
[35:01] Tower as hand of the king after he
[35:03] dressed down Aegon for killing all the
[35:04] rat catchers and for generally being
[35:06] stupid.
[35:07] >> Instead of judgment, you display
[35:09] impetuousness AND DIMINISH US.
[35:12] >> ALLISON tried to reach out to her
[35:13] father, but was unable to get word to
[35:15] him. And at the end of last season, we
[35:16] saw Otto in a mysterious prison. Now the
[35:19] answer is clear. Laris somehow contrived
[35:21] to trap Otto before he ever left the Red
[35:23] Keep, keeping him under everyone's noses
[35:25] in the black cells. These are cells with
[35:27] no light that are reserved for high
[35:28] crimes. Ned Stark was kept in a black
[35:30] cell after Cersei had him arrested.
[35:32] Damon is gleeful to see Otto imprisoned,
[35:34] which is a good reminder that the two of
[35:36] them absolutely hate each other.
[35:38] >> If you're in want of a woman to warm
[35:40] your bed, your own lady wife passed
[35:43] recently.
[35:44] >> Are you so desperate for the king's
[35:45] attention that you've resorted to
[35:47] skullking about like a common cut? Nera
[35:49] greets Lord Merryweather and Lady Fel
[35:51] who have been freed from the dungeons
[35:52] after they refused to kneel to Aegon. We
[35:54] saw them being led away by guards in
[35:56] this very room in season 1. Damon drags
[35:58] Otto into the room. There is true hatred
[36:01] in Reneer's eyes. She has known Otto
[36:03] High Tower since she was a little girl,
[36:05] but in the end he plotted to overthrow
[36:07] her and have her killed just to put his
[36:09] own grandson on the throne. Otto is a
[36:11] complicated character and on some level
[36:13] I do believe that he thought that Rene
[36:15] on the throne would mean war in the
[36:16] realm. Reme succeeds him, war will
[36:19] follow. Do you understand?
[36:20] >> But at the same time, you can't deny his
[36:23] selfish motivations and evil actions. He
[36:25] was another second son who was set to
[36:27] inherit no castle or power, who instead
[36:30] contrived to make his family the seed of
[36:32] power in Westeros. And there's pain on
[36:34] Otto's face when he says,
[36:36] >> "I assume everyone else is dead."
[36:38] >> He's probably thinking of Allison in
[36:40] this moment. He may be a terrible
[36:42] father, but he does love his daughter.
[36:44] He has no way of knowing that Reneer's
[36:45] ascension is actually the result of
[36:47] Allison's actions, and he never will.
[36:50] Rene has not prepared to face Otto since
[36:53] she was stealing herself to kill Aegon.
[36:55] Damon then urges her on, serving as the
[36:57] devil on her shoulder, pushing her
[36:59] towards her worst, most violent
[37:00] instincts. He believes that she will not
[37:02] truly be seen as queen unless she shows
[37:04] the capability to do violence because
[37:07] all of Damon's own strengths always come
[37:09] from violence. Otto says,
[37:11] >> "If your father could see what it's come
[37:13] to,
[37:13] >> the nerve of this guy, right?" Rene
[37:15] misses her first strike, but hits the
[37:17] second. Unfortunately, not fulfilling
[37:19] Otto's last wish. Spare me at least from
[37:21] being hacked at.
[37:22] >> This is a horrible moment that reminds
[37:24] the audience that violence isn't
[37:26] elegant, but instead it's bloody and
[37:28] awful. Damon quickly dispatches Lord
[37:30] Jasper before he can finish his last
[37:32] words, but honestly, [ __ ] that guy.
[37:33] Damon says to Rene before she kills
[37:35] Otto,
[37:36] >> "In this moment, you will become queen."
[37:39] And the thing is, he ain't wrong. When
[37:41] she kills for the first time, she does
[37:43] become queen, but not the queen her
[37:45] father wanted her to be. She becomes a
[37:47] queen bathed in blood, which is why her
[37:49] steps are drenched in it as she finally
[37:51] makes her way to the Iron Throne. This
[37:53] shot of her stepping up to the throne,
[37:54] reflected in Otto's blood is just
[37:56] perfect. She finally has what she
[37:58] wanted. But was the price worth it?
[38:01] Because then in comes Allison. She and
[38:03] Helena were captured as they attempted
[38:04] to make their escape. And Allison is
[38:06] immediately confronted with her beheaded
[38:08] father. She had accepted that Rene would
[38:10] have to kill Aegon, but this is a death
[38:12] she was not prepared for. This may
[38:14] confirm Allison's worst fears that Rene
[38:16] will be just as bloodthirsty a ruler as
[38:18] her son was. And Rene, for her part, is
[38:20] stricken with horror and grief. Allison,
[38:22] her childhood friend, betrayed her sons
[38:25] to help Rene. And Rene turned around and
[38:27] murdered her dad. But Rene steals
[38:29] herself in the final seconds of the
[38:31] episode. What's been done is done. And
[38:33] now they're all going to have to live
[38:34] with it. Guys, huge shout out to Harriet
[38:36] Lingal Inright who wrote this video. You
[38:38] can find her links down below. And let
[38:39] us know what you thought about the
[38:40] episode. Were there any Easter eggs we
[38:41] missed? Let us know in the comments.
[38:42] We're on our free to join Discord
[38:44] server. You can find me on Substack. And
[38:45] if it's your first time here, please
[38:47] subscribe. Smash that bell for alerts
[38:48] for Screen Crush. I'm Ryan Ery.