This week’s episode jumps 10 years into the future. With that, comes new actresses playing Queen Alicent and Princess Rhaenyra.
See episodes one, two, three, four and five power rankings before digging in.
1. Queen Alicent Hightower
After the 10 year fast forward, we see that Queen Alicent is more focused than ever on getting her son, Prince Aegon, on to the Iron Throne. Her absolute disdain for Princess Rhaenyra’s kids is on full display for everyone to see. She feels like no one is on her side in her family battle against Princess Rhaenyra. However, thanks to Ser Larys, it seems like Otto Hightower may be on his way back to King’s Landing to retake his old position as Hand of the King.
2. Ser Larys Strong
Last week, we suggested that Ser Larys may be the House of the Dragon‘s version of Littlefinger. It turns out, he’s actually Littlefinger on steroids. What he does to his father and brother is absolutely unthinkable. What compels him to make the decision to burn his own family alive? Ser Larys is an absolute monster. He takes criminals who are about to be executed for crimes against the kingdom and tells them, “I am prepared to offer you mercy if you’re prepared to pay a little price.” The first price they have to pay is having their tongues cut out. The second price they have to pay is carrying out the twisted plans of Ser Larys — like setting Harrenhal on fire while the Hand of the King, Lyonel Strong, and Ser Harwin Strong are stuck inside.
Even Queen Alicent is disgusted by the actions of Ser Larys. She wants to have someone on her side, but it doesn’t seem like she wants it to happen this way. In any case, Ser Larys becomes the Lord of Harrenhal and a person owed a massive political debt by Queen Alicent in one fell swoop.
3. Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen
It’s wild to think that all three of Princess Rhaenyra’s children were fathered by Ser Harwin. Sure, we totally understand that Princess Rhaenyra is cool with Ser Laenor hooking up with his boyfriends and sidepieces, but you would think that they would at least have one kid together so that people in King’s Landing wouldn’t start rumors about Ser Harwin being the baby daddy.
Princess Rhaneyra is distraught when she loses Ser Harwin, and the episode ends with her telling Ser Laenor that they’re going to Dragonstone to get away from all the King’s Landing politicking. It’ll be interesting to see how things shake out now that Ser Harwin is out of the picture.
Familiarize yourself with this fiery cast of characters in our House of the Dragonguide.
4. Ser Criston Cole
Ser Criston goads Ser Harwin into beating the crap out of him, which normally would be a bad thing for the person getting beat up. However, in this case, it was a huge win for Ser Criston. Ser Harwin ends up getting let go from his job as a captain in the City Watch. On top of that, this whole incident helps expose to King’s Landing that Ser Harwin is likely the father of Princess Rhaenyra’s kids, as the entire fight started because Ser Criston was treating Princess Rhaenyra’s kids unfairly.
Oh yeah, can we please get Ser Criston’s skincare routine? While everyone else in King’s Landing was either recast or aged up, Ser Criston somehow looks younger after the ten-year time jump.
5. King Viserys
How is King Viserys even alive at this point? Every week, he becomes more and more decrepit. He just wants everyone to get along, and he’s hoping he’ll live long enough to see that happen.
6. Ser Laenor Velaryon
Ser Laenor is doing a pretty bad job as Princess Rhaenyra’s husband. He isn’t there to support her emotionally, and he clearly isn’t trying to get her pregnant since all three of “their” kids look like Ser Harwin. Hopefully their upcoming move to Dragonstone will help him become a better husband and dad.
Get an exclusive insider look at House of the Dragon from the cast who are living it.
7. Prince Daemon Targaryen
Speaking of being a bad husband and dad: Prince Daemon shows himself to be a pretty bad husband and father in this episode, which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. However, he does show a little bit of humanity when it seems like he is against the idea of Laena Velaryon getting an unmedicated c-section.
8, 9 and 10. Laena Velaryon, Lyonel Strong and Harwin Strong
Laena, Ser Lyonel and Ser Harwin are all good-hearted people who wield a decent amount of power and influence in the Seven Kingdoms. However, all three of them die gruesome deaths this week. We were hoping to see all three of these characters grow, but they were painfully taken away from us.
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