Ah, the finale that should’ve been. I just finished reading House of Sky and Breath so I’m really trying to keep up with the episodes but all I can think about is the last 50 pages of that book and if you’ve read it, you can understand why.

This episode and the season premiere would’ve elevated season 2 so much but to be honest, I’m glad it didn’t because it meant we got Harry Collett for another press tour and that’s always a positive. I don’t know how he managed to stay so still when Rhaenyra was losing it over Jace’s body because I would’ve been sobbing.

Oh my gosh, Emma D’Arcy’s acting in that scene was amazing and you can just tell that RHaenyra can’t handle any more loss after Viserys, Visenya, Luke, and then Jace in such a short span of time. I’m so glad they started with mourning Jace because even though Alicent’s working to get Rhaenyra on the throne from the inside and all, I feel like Jace’s death is the big event we’re all clinging to (as we should). Baela carrying his body back on Moondancer and saying in that flat tone that the battle is won is so heartbreaking because yes, the enemy was defeated but the cost was so great that it doesn’t feel like a victory. And I do love that although Luke’s death enraged Rhaenyra (no matter how fleeting that rage was), Jace’s death affects her differently and it breaks her to the point of not thinking properly and arguing with his dead body. And I love that the next time we see her is when Daemon is trying to both console her and convince her to keep pushing forward and just sitting up in bed is too much for her grief. I really felt the bond between Rhaenyra and Daemon in that scene and I’ll get more into it later but Daemon is so much more likeable since his time in Luigi’s mansion and here, despite being harsh and violent, he’s gentle and intimate with Rhaenyra because that’s what she needs right now and he knows that’s how to get through to her. Yes, she’s the queen and death is inevitable in war but she was a mother first and this was the child that made her a mother, not to mention the circumstances he died under with him having her locked in her room to keep her safe and flying out instead of her. She could be wondering if she could’ve prevented it beyond going out the back door of her room like not pushing him so much to stay put on Dragonstone ever since Luke’s death.

The Velaryons were all fantastic this episode and I’m so glad that the four of them (minus Rhaaena because girl needs a bit of therapy before telling the blacks she rode Sheepstealer) got together and had a little chat because the Velaryons have lost so much with Leanor’s death, then the next heir Luke, then Rhaenys and now Driftmark is burned. I love that in the aftermath of a horrendous battle, they find some comfort in each other and I’m so happy that Alyn and Addam are now gonna get the Velaryon name because they absolutely deserve it. I’ll be honest, I didn’t warm very much to Alyn but he’s getting more likeable to me and I think that’s unfortunately just because when we first met him, he was all pissy about Corlys pushing him aside (as he should) and we hadn’t met him before and the damn ship being repaired in the docks for an entire season after an incident we didn’t even see happen just made everything in that storyline drag so much. I’m really trying not to drag season 2 so much but oh my god, it was so boring seeing these characters we haven’t seen before, never heard of, being shunned by Corlys as sons because there was a whole lot of other characters that needed movement in their story and I feel like seeing that ship in the docks in a single episode would’ve been better than every now and again over the whole season. At least Addam was a bit happier in general which was definitely needed because so much of season 2 was just people being depressed because of the war and all so for me, Alyn finally getting the recognition he deserves means he’s going to be doing more and not just seething all the time. And I did enjoy his and Baela’s conversation about Corlys and this is another thing I think I was spoiled for in the books that they marry at some point later. I did initially think that it was weird Baela would marry her half-uncle but then I remembered what damn show this is and that Daemon is literally Rhaenyra’s uncle. I did hate the idea of them being together at first but after that interaction, I think I’d be okay with them going down that route especially since they’re letting Jace’s death breathe and Baela can mourn him and openly talk about their bond with Alyn because that was such a huge loss for her and I think that it’s important that that trust between her and Alyn is established.

Rhaena, I don’t blame you for Jace’s death and you’re definitely not the first to realise the hard way that dragons can’t be controlled, after all that’s how Luke died. It’s really poetic I think that Jace and Luke, both of Rhaenyra’s sons died from the same mistake but I do think that it could’ve been somewhat avoided because it happened twice. When is it gonna be team green’s turn to suffer a loss because of that mistake? Poor Rhaenyra can’t get a break. But I’ll be real here, I’m struggling a little bit to fully back Rhaena. When she goes to the Vale and argues with Lady Jane, she really seems like she’s in shock and she’s been in shock since finding Sheepstealer. I’m so ready to see her come out of her shock, grow some confidence at the fact that she bonded with a wild dragon, and then face the blacks for her involvement in Jace’s death because from a story perspective, I think Jace would’ve died anyway but in universe, I get the sense that Baela would feel like Rhaena caused Jace’s death. I could’ve sworn that Baela knew Rhaena was the rider at the Gullet but maybe I’m tripping but if she did, then I’m glad she didn’t tell Rhaenyra because even though she’s Daemon’s daughter, I think Rhaenyra would fully go off on Rhaena.

How is it possible that season 1’s most despicable characters, Aegon and Larys aka Mister Fighting-Pits-Frequenter and Mister Foot-Fetish, are so funny that I swear the show becomes a comedy when we switch to their storyline. Aegon doing the classic talking to someone to tell them they’re not talking to them and Larys’ monotone “right” was so good. At least Aegon was funny last season before he got barbecued but I really did not expect Larys to be so fun to watch. Literally every time I rewatch season 1, I realise that my brain made me forget about him literally getting off staring at Alicent’s feet and I’m so glad the writers decided to just leave that in the past because he’s much more enjoyable dealing with a snappy Aegon on the road. I genuinely laughed aloud when they opened the carriage door and Larys goes “I was mistaken, I am surprised” and then the camera shot of them both poking their heads out and following the rider going past. And Tom Glynn-Carney’s acting was amazing when he stabbed the soldier when an arrowhead because it’s such a subtle moment but you can tell when he starts feeling pain from the vigorous movement. And although Aegon is an absolute little shit, there are moments when you can see a bit of wisdom like when Larys insists they go on to Duskendale but Aegon says they’ll go to Rook’s Rest. I am aware of what he and Sunfyre got up to in the books later down the road so I feel like Aegon is going back to be with Sunfyre because after all, he did love his dragon and although he was grounded, I feel like he’s still alive and that’s part of why Crispy left such a large garrison there, to protect basically their only active dragon other than Vhagar. Helaena should be kept as far from battle as possible.

Alright, I need to address Daemon’s shift in character because the change might’ve happened last season after the whole ‘watching the entirety of Game of Thrones through a vision’ and sure, we got that scene where he gets all the men at Harrenhal to declare they fight for Rhaenyra but I feel like this is the episode where we actually see that shift. Daemon is in every second scene here and first, he’s with the Harrenhal gang, then he’s reprimanding Ulf and Hugh - and side note, I cackled on my rewatch and seeing the utter disbelief on Matt Smith’s face when Ulf goes in for a hug before his face falls and steps back - and then he’s having a chat with Mysaria, then consoling Rhaenyra AND THEN he’s storming the Red Keep with her in the second half of the episode. Sort of like Rhaenyra, I was on the Daemon-train in season 1, loving all the dramatic entrances in the throne room after being exiled, then couldn’t stand him after blood and cheese in season 2 (which is more to do with the frustration all of us had with Luigi’s mansion), and then liked him again after he remembered who his damn wife is and what he stands for. And now, I think he’s even more likeable than he was in season 1 (hear me out). He’s literally known as the Rogue Prince, going out and doing random shit like clearing out the criminals in King’s Landing or putting on his crime hoodie and staging a murder so he and Rhaenyra could marry. But after watching Game of Thrones, he seems like he’s directing that violence towards something. It feels like in season 1, he was rebelling against Viserys’ pushing him away and in doing so, cementing the idea that he isn’t fit for court but now, he has a goal that he’s working towards and everything he does is to get himself further to that goal. I remember in drama class in high school, we were always told that each character must have a clear goal and motivation for their actions and it seems like everything Daemon does is to get further to this goal without completely changing his personality. He’s still revelling in the exploits of war and enjoying the celebration after a victory, still asserting his superiority over those beneath him like the Dragonseeds, still the Rogue Prince but his violence is fixated on the greens and every single thing he does in this episode is to get Rhaenyra on the throne. And it’s also great that he can talk to Rhaenyra about the prophecy with understanding instead of literally choking her. I still don’t know why he choked her way back when. I get that he didn’t like the idea of Viserys keeping something secret from him because he never saw him as the heir but why on earth would he choke Rhaenyra because of it? I’m sure there’s an answer I’m overlooking but it’s been 4 years since season 1 and I still haven’t figured it out.

I feel like everyone’s talking about this but the blocking in the scene where Daemon and Mysaria are chatting is so good. It doesn’t come across as awkward but it’s telling you exactly who holds the power throughout the conversation. Whoever has more power between the two of them depends pretty much on who Rhaenyra is more into at the time. In Daemon’s absence after blood and cheese, Mysaria was there filling the hole he left which led to her and Rhaenyra’s close relationship. And with Daemon and Mysaria’s history, I wonder if they’re gonna be leaning more towards fighting each other for Rhaenyra’s ear or making their peace and having a threesome and calling it a day. I think in general, Daemon does have more influence and power then Mysaria but he lacks the compassion Mysaria has for those in need, like the smallfolk who are taken advantage of by those in power like Daemon. I do really appreciate that by the end of their conversation, they’re comfortable enough with each other to sit side by side and talk about Rhaenyra like two people who trust each other and their love for their queen (and wife/lover).

I didn’t like the inclusion of that scene with Alicent. I very much appreciate that HotD has brought back the amount of sexual violence compared to Game of Thrones but I’m really not a fan of this addition particularly because it wasn’t even in the books as far as I’m aware so this seems like a completely new scene put in for nothing other than shock value due to how it doesn’t lead anywhere beyond Lord Jasper not being with the other small council members when Rhaenrya and Daemon arrive. It didn’t need to be there and it didn’t need to go so far before being interrupted. I’m of the opinion that every scene and choice needs to have a purpose, whether to further the plot, establish place or character, provide insight for motivation, which is why I dislike season 2 so much because it had a whole lot of nothing. So I can’t see any purpose this scene could provide beyond giving Alicent an obstacle to overcome whilst moving things into place for Rhaenyra’s arrival, which I don’t think was really needed. I love Orwyle’s response in saying that although Alicent’s recent whereabouts is up in the air, he saw with his own eyes the crime Lord Jasper was committing. We already have a bit of characterisation for Orwyle and although I do appreciate that we can get a strong sense of character for him here, it could have just been left for later when Daemon finds him and Orwyle explains how he feared for his life if he sided with the blacks.

Before we move onto the end sequence, I wanna talk about Aemond, who has been my favourite character for the most part of the show. Aemond and Daemon really mirror each other so much and this is one of those instances where their similarities are so obvious. In season 2, Daemon stormed Harrenhal pretty much on his own with Caraxes and he walks into the room with the big table (if it has a name, I don’t know it) to find Simon Strong and co having brunch and takes command of Harrenhal. Aemond does the exact. Same. Thing. He parks Vhagar and goes into the keep, cutting down everyone in his path if Vhagar hasn’t roasted them already, walks into said room with big table to find Simon Strong and co chomping away and takes command on Harrenhal. I wasn’t really expecting him to straight out kill Simon after demanding they fight but bro is nothing if not thorough. RIP to Simon, though. We lost a diva. I do appreciate how baffled Aemond was at being stabbed because I truly believe Aemond thinks he’s invincible because not only is he maybe the best swordsman alive (apart from Daemon of course but that’s pretty obvious) and rides Vhagar, the biggest and baddest war dragon, but his mentality is absolutely terrifying. He seems to truly think that anything he wants is achievable if he maneuvers himself correctly and terrifyingly for the blacks, he’s smart enough to do so. I think he definitely has a soft spot for Alicent which is why he was easier to manipulate into going to Harrenhal and I do like that the show leaned more into his deep issues with a mother figure because it does explain and flesh out a lot of his character and how he fits into politics. Watching Vhagar burn everyone, you can almost feel the immense power Aemond can feel and I think that is so important to understanding his character. But I don’t think that his wound alone justifies his bodily reaction. It would have taken him 5 steps to reach Alys but with each step, he grows weaker and by the time he’s reaching her, he’s on the ground, losing consciousness and grasping for her asking for help. I love all the mystery surrounding Alys and I really hope that after her earlier conversation with Daemon, her allegiance shifts more to the greens and Aemond rather than basically a trophy for Aemond as it goes in the books because I think it would do a disservice to reduce such an interesting character to possession, not to mention that the removal of sexual violence is always a plus. I’m so ready to see Aemond and Alys together because Ewan and Gayle seem to have such great chemistry and I think two compelling characters colliding and sharing a storyline would be fantastic. I’d love to explore Alys’ character more and I hope they lean more into the blood magic path because it really seemed that when Aemond was crawling to her, she was doing something to him to make him weaker each inch he moved closer.

I can’t believe this last sequence is an entire half hour but the numbers don’t lie. Watching Rhaenyra and Daemon make their way through the Red Keep with just each other was incredible to watch and it really felt like a queen and her king consort, both as intimidating as each other, making their way to what is theirs. Daemon is the sword between them and Rhaenyra is the crown so it makes so much sense to me that despite Rhaenyra having armour and a sword, Daemon is the one cutting down everyone in their path. And everyone else running away at the sight of these two silver-haired dragonriders made me seriously want to see a screen adaptation of Aegon’s conquest with Visenya and Rhaenys. Rhaenyra walking up towards the throne but not sitting it right away reminded me a bit of Daenerys and that’s always brilliant to see. Rhaenyra and Daenerys have so many parallels between them that have been prevalent from the very first episode. They both fight for something bigger with so many similar obstacles in their way. And I do love that they keep reminding us that the city watch are loyal to Daemon rather than whoever simply sits the throne. It’s a reminder that Daemon isn’t just violent, he’s got an air about him that drives loyalty and obedience not just from fear, unlike someone like Aemond. And we got another parallel between them when Daemon went straight for Orwyle like Aemond did last episode.

Now, about Otto. As soon as Daemon laughed at seeing who was locked up, I knew exactly where Otto was chained up last season. I thought that that single shot of otto in the last sequence of the season 2 finale was so surprising that it completely pulled me out and as a result, I didn’t realise the winter wolves were marching. So I’m very glad that we finally got an answer. And I am so glad that it’s Otto who had to pay for the greens because it was all his doing. Every single move the greens made against Rhaenyra could be traced back to him. He started the war years ago by asking Alicent to comfort Viserys in his grief for Aemma and finally, he has to face the repercussions. I really enjoyed Daemon and Otto’s beef but I’m glad they made the choice for RHaenyra to execute him because although he tried to get rid of Daemon to keep him from interfering with his own plans, it was Rhaenyra’s position he tried to undermine and he’s the one who had her usurped. I’m not sure how much of a role Otto plays in the book but if the depth of his involvement in usurping the throne was new for the show, it was an incredibly wise choice. Emma’s acting in his execution was so brilliant and that shot of her stepping through his blood, walking up to the throne leaving bloody footprints and her reaching the throne being reflected in his blood is so symbolic. And then it all comes crashing down when Alicent and Helaena are dragged in and forced to endure the sight of their father and grandfather beheaded on the floor while Rhaenyra sits the throne. The looks between Alicent and Rhaenyra is so telling and it really feels like any reconciliation between them has been lost because that wasn’t supposed to happen and neither of them accounted for Otto’s imprisonment or death. And poor sweet Helaena being dragged back into the hellhole when she was so close to getting out with her little Jahaera and keeping chickens.

Yeah, it’s very clear this was meant to be the season 2 finale so going forward, I hope the writers heard the outrage from season 2 and kept up the momentum from this episode so everything doesn’t drag. We don’t need a big battle every episode and actually, my favourite episode of the whole show is season 1 episode 8, but I do hope that we don’t have hours of Alicent being depressed and Rhaenyra refusing to do anything. And hopefully, Aemond’s time in Luigi’s mansion is less repetitive than Daemon’s.

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