House of the Dragon episode 8 — out now on HBO Max and Disney+ Hotstar — is titled “The Lord of the Tides”. That’s for the reason that it really is mostly centered on selecting who will inherit the throne of Driftmark, what with Lord Corlys “Sea Snake” Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) considered to be gravely wounded. (It is really a bit bizarre that the Game of Thrones prequel spin-off sequence has fundamentally killed one particular of its main forged associates totally off-display. Many thanks, time jumps.) In some techniques, Dwelling of the Dragon episode 8 could’ve been identified as “The Lord of the Undercurrents”. When absolutely everyone included can experience it, nearly no one has the audacity to acknowledge that a war is unavoidable and about the corner. This is, if you can phrase it as these types of, the relaxed prior to the inescapable storm.
And what a weird pressure-loaded calm it is. Six yrs have handed considering that the activities of Dwelling of the Dragon episode 7. King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) is a shadow of his previous self. Half his deal with is absent, he’s more or considerably less bedridden, and he is surviving on the milk of the poppy — which stems the huge agony he feels. In his absence, the Hightowers are essentially the new rulers: Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and her Hand of the King father, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). And specified the Velaryon residence has much better ties to wife-partner Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) — both of those have been married to the Sea Snake’s youngsters — the Hightowers are by natural means not inclined to allow the regular policies of inheritance apply to Driftmark.
Relatively than using factors by fire and blood, as was the scenario in episode 7, political machinations and back again dealings are the name of the match in House of the Dragon episode 8. The Hightowers have invited “petitions” that will be listened to in the Purple Keep, and given that the scales of energy tilt in their favour at this time — the Hand of the King speaks on the King’s behalf when he is indisposed — they are sure of working a major blow to Rhaenyra. Keeping Driftmark gives you regulate in excess of the Seven Kingdoms’ largest fleet, after all. Increase to that Alicent’s thirdborn Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) successful Vhagar to their result in in episode 7, and that would make them formidable. Rhaenyra understands this far too — which is why she sets off for King’s Landing at when soon after obtaining word.
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Wil Johnson as Ser Vaemond Velaryon in House of the Dragon episode 8
Image Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO
Stated phrase arrives from Daemon’s daughter, Lady Baela (Bethany Antonia), at Driftmark. (Baela has grow to be a ward of her grandmother in the a long time since episode 7.) House of the Dragon episode 8 opens there, with Sea Snake’s younger brother, Ser Vaemond Velaryon (Wil Johnson), creating his circumstance for why he really should be the new lord of Driftmark need to Corlys not make it. I have to acknowledge, I experienced to search his title up. Vaemond has barely been in the display — this is partly a issue of leaping several years, with people not getting sufficient display time — and quickly, he is entrance and centre, vying for a powerful seat. Like, who are you? Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Very best) warns her brother-in-regulation that his words and phrases are treason, but Vaemond is secure in the awareness that it can be the Queen who principles these times.
Alicent is so active performing the ruling that she would not even have time to greet her visitors, Rhaenyra and Daemon. However that is the a lot more charitable version. The two childhood ideal buddies really don’t see eye to eye anymore — and issues finished really poorly previous time around. In actuality, when they are reunited on Household of the Dragon episode 8, Alicent’s eyes drift to Rhaenyra’s left arm, where the scar has healed but continues to be noticeable. Rather than currently being a instant of concession, the reunion ends up getting spicy, with accusations levelled back and forth. Given the state of her king father, Rhaenyra feels the Hightowers are occupying the Iron Throne with no legitimacy. She’s the heir after all. Alicent protests that Viserys is guiding them from his bed. Who do you opt for to consider?
Daemon’s chuckle at that second in Residence of the Dragon episode 8 states it all. After all, it really is distinct who’s really calling the shots. The final decision Alicent — with guidance from her father, Otto — tends to make right here is primarily a reflection on the larger photo. If you neglect a son’s proper to inheritance (in this scenario, Prince Lucerys, Rhaenyra’s son and the Sea Snake’s grandson in name if not blood) for the reason that you want an individual who’s in your favour (in this case, Vaemond the male who’s hardly been in the demonstrate), you’re setting a hazardous precedent. Certain, you’re assisting your individual cause down the line — Rhaenyra the preferred heir vs Alicent’s firstborn Aegon — but it also opens you up to questioning and suspicion from other lords in the future.
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Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon episode 8
Image Credit score: Ollie Upton/HBO
For Rhaenyra, the petitions are a deep affront. The Targaryen Princess sees this as a questioning of her have legitimacy to assert the Iron Throne — if her young children are ignored for the Driftmark seat, what does that say about who wields supreme electric power? At night time, Rhaenyra visits her ailing father the moment a lot more, half praying to the gods to give him toughness to oversee the proceedings. But in the morning, as the petitions are read in the Wonderful Hall, there is certainly no indicator of Viserys. Alternatively, it is really Otto who sits on the Iron Throne. As Vaemond Velaryon make his scenario in Home of the Dragon episode 8, Rhaenyra is visibly disappointed. She may be the heir to the Iron Throne, but in the moment, she’s utterly powerless.
Then, the temper in the Wonderful Hall shifts entirely as the doorways open up. In walks Viserys — clutching onto a cane, the King of the Seven Kingdoms bit by bit can make his way to the Iron Throne. Otto, Alicent, and Vaemond trade glances, recognizing this is going to spill chilly drinking water on their plans. Viserys’ frailty is apparent for all to see in House of the Dragon episode 8, and he can barely preserve the crown on his head, but as soon as he would make it to the other conclusion of the room, it truly is obvious that only a person man’s voice matters now. The King notes that because Corlys is out hurt, the finest person to converse on his behalf would be his spouse, Rhaenys.
Instead of producing a situation for herself as she experienced instructed earlier, Rhaenys publicly agrees to the marriage proposals set out by Rhaenyra in private earlier in the episode. It really is clever. Rather of undermining herself in entrance of Viserys who’s all by the e-book, The Queen Who By no means Was demonstrates that she is aware how to enjoy the activity of thrones. Having said that, her brother-in-regulation Vaemond is just not obtaining it. He goes on a rampage, calls Rhaenyra the W-term and her little ones the B-phrase. Fail to remember the insults this is treasonous, particularly presented how Viserys reacted in House of the Dragon episode 7. As you might assume, the King will get up and calls for Velaryon’s tongue. But Daemon is two steps forward, as he beheads Vaemond from powering. And just like that, the person we hardly knew is long gone.
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Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in Residence of the Dragon episode 8
Picture Credit history: Ollie Upton/HBO
That night more than evening meal, the ailing Viserys does his ideal to bridge the discrepancies amongst his spouse and his daughter. (Dwelling of the Dragon episode 8 sets this scene up with a wonderful shot of the literal gulf between the Queen and the heir — which is appropriately filled by the King.) And for a though, his words get the job done. Rhaenyra and Alicent acknowledge each and every others’ attempts. Even Rhaenyra’s children get in on the act, performing their best to say something great about their uncles, Alicent’s boys. Satisfied with what he is seeing, Viserys asks for tunes, which leads to a dance between one particular of Rhaenyra’s boys and Alicent’s only female. It is a temporary trace of a union in between the two warring factions. As he is carried absent owing to his agony, the King thinks he’s accomplished his obligation.
But, of course, that was all an act. Alicent’s boys are normally a lot more bitter, given Rhaenyra and her spouse and children will sit on all the thrones. Possessing previously mocked them more than their marriages, Aemond — the boy who became Vhagar’s new dragonrider in Home of the Dragon episode 7 — helps make a final speech. He chooses his text cleverly, contacting Rhaenyra’s boys “strong” whilst implying a thing else completely. As the little ones start out to fight, they are separated and sent to their chambers. Rhaenyra then tells Alicent that they will leave for Dragonstone in the early morning — she received what she arrived for — even however they only just arrived.
As Alicent attends to her king husband just after the contentious dinner, Viserys begins to babble about the “song of ice and fire”. He is conversing about the dream that Aegon the Conqueror had — a eyesight about a lengthy evening when invaders will arrive from the North — whose facts have been handed down era to generation, from one Targaryen ruler to the next. But the Queen misunderstands him, pondering he’s speaking about their son Aegon (II) as the “prince that was promised” and the “one to unite the realm.” It really is obvious that Alicent is heading to use people terms to create her son’s qualifications later. Rhaenyra might have read the whole detail (when Viserys was sober and in his senses), but it truly is her term towards Alicent’s now.
And with the King respiration his last in Home of the Dragon episode 8, the brittle peace he struggled to retain appears to be set to vanish any 2nd.
Property of the Dragon episode 8 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India, and HBO Max where ever readily available. New episodes launch every Monday at 6:30am IST/ Sunday at 9pm ET.
