Previously on HBO’s House of the Dragon, Ser Criston Cole was killed. Rhaena goes to Lady Jeyne’s home to beg her to let her stay, but Lady Jeyne says no, making her leave. Rhaenyra and Alicent make a deal that Helaena will stay in King’s Landing in the castle, while Alicent gets Aemond to return home.
The seventh episode continues to slow things down intensely as we near the end of the season. This episode is character-driven, focusing not just on Rhaenyra, but also on Daemon, Rhaena, Alicent, Aemond, Helaena, and Aegon. It’s among the most dramatic this season because of the complex relationships and emotional difficulties, even though the dragons take the spotlight.
One theme that will always continue to show up in House of the Dragon is family over duty. This episode expresses, through Daemon and Aemond, that sticking up for your family is more important than other things. While Daemon decides to stand up for his daughter, Rhaena, wanting to protect her from being killed, we watch Aemond defend his mother.
Two other themes that go hand-in-hand with each other that we see are redemption and forgiveness. Throughout the episode, a number of people try to mend damaged relationships or make amends for mistakes made in the past. Regardless of whether their apologies are accepted, this episode implies that redemption takes tough choices and genuine sacrifice. We see this as Daemon and Alicent attempt to repair connections that are important to them.
The visual aspect of dragons fighting one another is well-done, seeing them wounded and grow more aggressive over time. This is a sequence throughout the series that is always visually captivating and a huge part of the storyline. Seeing them in specific scenes this episode shows just how much the dragons care about their owners and what they all mean to them individually.
Overall, this was a good episode, bringing more tension toward the end of the season. With trust becoming harder to come by and every decision carrying lasting consequences, the near end of the season continues to build toward a very explosive finale. Many questions need to be answered, like what will happen to Rhaena and what will Aemond do?
Rating: 8/10
