Previously on the HBO series House of the Dragon, Rhaenyra faces many challenges during her first few days as queen. We saw a more vulnerable side of Rhaenyra as she struggles with choosing to do what’s right or wrong through her moral compass. While stressed out, she also ends up putting a strain on her and Lord Corlys’ friendship, taking her anger out on him. At the end of the episode, we learn that the Daeron that Daemon took from Lord Ormund is, in fact, not even Daeron.
This episode of House of the Dragon has a balance between fast and slow-paced scenes. This episode focuses more on the difficult choices shaping each side of the conflict, continuing the pace of episode 3. We continue to see Rhaenyra struggling with conflicts, as well as Daemon and Lord Ormund.
A theme that we see in this episode is that leadership comes at a cost. Nearly every major player is forced to confront the responsibilities that come with power. House of the Dragon has a way of always showing that being king or queen, or serving someone who is, is rarely as glamorous as it appears. As we know, Rhaenyra has faced many challenges throughout her short period as queen already. But we also see some challenges with Lord Ormund and his soldiers, as well as his teaching for the real Daeron.
Another theme that plays a part in this episode is earning one’s place. We see Larys Strong and Aegon having to work for a place to stay. They find themselves in unfamiliar circumstances that force them to adapt in ways they never expected. This adds an interesting dynamic to this episode, seeing as though they are used to being higher class and now have to beg to even have shelter.
Although Rhaenyra remains the emotional center of the episode, we also get a chance to see more of an emotional side of Daemon as he reunites with someone he loves. Daemon’s storyline provides another reminder that family remains one of his greatest strengths and one of his greatest weaknesses. This is important to see, seeing as how we always see a more rough-edged version of Daemon. He decides to keep secrets in this episode, benefiting both sides of his family. He withholds information from Rhaenyra in order to protect everyone.
The dynamic between Alicent and Rhaenyra continues to evolve after Viserys’ death, especially now that Rhaenyra has replaced Alicent as queen. In this episode, we see that their conversations are concentrated on their years of history, regret, and understanding, making every interaction feel meaningful. It’s one of the strongest relationships the series has developed this season, and it’s important to mention how far they’ve already come since episode 1 of this season.
Although this episode chose not to focus more so on the action, but the emotional depth of all characters involved, it was a good episode to follow episode 3. Matt Smith did an incredible job as Daemon. He was able to provide vulnerability and secrecy. James Norton also did a great job as Ormund, providing Ormund’s true leadership and fairness, while also being headstrong and somewhat malicious. What’s to come in episode 5?
Rating: 8/10