Daemon and the Sea Snake's Alliance
At the end of Episode 2 of House of the Dragon, Lord Corlys Velaryon, aka the "Sea Snake" and Daemon had made an alliance to wage war on the CrabFeeder at the Stepstones.
House of
the Dragon Season 1, Episode 3 begins with the burning fields of battle at the
stepstones as the crab feeder nails a prisoner to a stake and feeds him to the
crabs.
The prisoner taunts the crab feeder that the Sea Snake and Daemon would answer the slight. Daemon does show up, swooping in on his Dragon to save the day, but as we know very well, when Dragons are
involved, there is no differentiating between Coryls’ men and the CrabFeeder’s
men, all men burn…or in this case, can be crushed by the massive foot of a
dragon. Deamon takes a fiery arrow hit and has to retreat. An insight into how well, or not, the war is going.
House of the Dragon Season 1, Episode 1 Premiere Review - The Heirs of the Dragon
House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 2 Review - The Rogue Prince
The Targaryen
Hunt
This
episode does a good job of establishing the conflicts and likely problem areas that
are bound to arise soon enough in the growing Targaryen camp.
We pick up
about 2 years after the last episode and Allicent Hightower has birthed a son (Aegon, The Second of his Name)
for Viserys Targaryen. The political intrigues are in full swing as the royal party head
off for a hunt, to celebrate Aegon's second name day. Rhaenyra is not eager to
attend.
The subtle politics,
insinuations, etc are at play, all around the King as Lords jostle to position
their family as close to the royal table as possible via royal marriage
proposals, allegiances, and whatnot. The Lannisters have come to play and Jason
Lannister, a proud man, wastes no time in introducing himself to Rhaenyra and hinting at a
possible betrothal.
Rhaenyra has become ever so rebellious, exerting her independence and capabilities as she struggles with the very apparent threat to
her position as heir apparent. And the hailing of Aegon as another conqueror
in the making, only makes her worry more valid.
The
characters are very well fleshed out and solidified with this episode. Viserys
does not like confrontation and has left Daemon and Coryls to fight the Crabfeeder
for 3 years at the Stepstones, refusing to intervene even as
reports of their losses reach him.
Even the
king’s advisers haranguing him about stepping in to help Daemon and Coryl’s
cause does not make him waver. The ladies gossip, chief amongst them, Lady
Redwyne, throwing innuendoes, both about the King’s brother starting the war
and the King’s refusal to intervene, Rhaenyra with the wit of a whip, makes
quick work of lady Redwyne, reminding her of her place but most likely gaining
an enemy in the process.
House of the Dragon Season 1, Episode 1 Premiere Review - The Heirs of the Dragon
House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 2 Review - The Rogue Prince
Rhaenyra is
quick-tempered, her interactions show that she lacks the tact and diplomacy that
have come to be an asset in the Royal court. Her lack of diplomacy and patience causes her to confront her father in the presence of everybody about her prospective betrothal before storming off.
The Targaryen Contrast
A stark (no pun intended) contrast is made in this episode between, Viserys and Rhaenyra Targaryan, showing their
differences. What people might perceive as a flaw in one, might actually be a strength
and what might be perceived as a strength in one might be a flaw.
Rhaenyra rides off in anger after confronting her father about her proposed betrothal, she
is quickly followed by Ser Criston. They both bond, talking in the woods before being attacked by a wild boar, however,
with the help of Ser Criston, Rhaenyra kills the boar.
When you juxtapose this to Viserys’ hunting expedition, where he has to try several times before delivering
a killing blow to a stag that was held down for him, you can tell the picture that
is being painted here. When the boar Rhaenyra killed is dragged into camp later with her riding along covered in blood, you can see the looks of wonder on the faces of all present, a contrast
to the hesitant and embarrassed look on the faces of the king’s men as they
implored him to strike the stag again, after failing to kill the stag the first time.
Viserys is
slow to action and he has foresight, it's his strength and it is also perceived as a weakness by those around him, but you see that Rhaenyra is quick-tempered, sure,
impatient, and stubborn, it’s her strength and what is very admirable in leaders
but its also her flaw, it could be her undoing.
While
challenging her father about trying to find her a consort, she only sees it
from the point of view of losing her place as heir, thinking she is being shipped
away, she does not have Viserys’s foresight to see that she would be
strengthening her claim as well with marriage to a strong house that could help her
claim when the time came. Viserys had to point this out to her but still, I can't tell if she heard him.
House of the Dragon Season 1, Episode 1 Premiere Review - The Heirs of the Dragon
House of the Dragon, Season 1, Episode 2 Review - The Rogue Prince
The King's Advisers
The king's hand, Otto Hightower advises the king to marry Rhaenyra to the 2-year-old Aegon (Hightower's grandson), and the king laughs him away for the sheer ridiculousness of
the suggestions.
Viserys
consults Sir Lionel Strong again and he does come through again with solid advice in
favor of The Seasnake. It seems like Lord Strong has no ulterior motive when he advises the king, even when the king preempts him and insults his son, who is incapacitated, Lord Strong does not waver as he advises the King to betroth Rhaenyra to the Sea Snake's son, Laenor aka The Seasmoke.
We should note though that years of experience in Westeros
have shown that, it is the ones that look like they have no motive that are actually
playing the longest and most dangerous game. Besides, the element of surprise
has always been a valuable asset in all types of adversarial interactions.
Lord Strong
advises the king to appease Coryls by marrying Rhaenyra to his son Leanor. This
is another piece of advice from Strong I don’t think the king would heed, because he then subsequently leaves it up to Rhaenyra to choose her betroth, for her own happiness.
Otto
Hightower counsels his daughter to prod the king to change his heir to her son,
Allicent is reluctant but she does go to the king and succeeds in convincing him to send aid to Daemon and The Seasnake after reading a call for aid from Coryls
brother, Vaemond. This singular act shows the level of control Alicent can exert on the
king and it would be interesting to see how she decides to exercise this.
The Battle at the
Stepstones
Just as the Seasnake's brother, Vaemond is stoking up mutinous sentiments against Daemon, a message arrives from Viserys to Daemon. As
Daemon reads the parchment from his brother about sending aid, you can see the embarrassment
on his face. The rage that he was not able to conquer this foe on his own, and his subsequent
attack on the messenger shows a savage attempt to placate his ego. Talk about don't attack the messenger!
And in
the next scene, you can't help but wonder (for a minute), if Daemon paddling
towards the Crabfeeder and waving a white flag is him surrendering rather
than accepting aid from Viserys.
son, Laenor aka The Seasmoke, emerges from nowhere and sets the Crabfeeder's men
ablaze with his dragon in a fiery ring of screaming men.
Of course, Daemon
surrendering is a ruse!
The episode ends with Daemon emerging from the Crabfeeders
cave dripping in blood and dragging with him, a dismembered half of the Crabfeeder.
We can't help but
ponder the question, "the Crabfeeder isn't badass enough to deserve an onscreen death? Way to demystify a villain you spent 2 episodes setting up.
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