Triarchy Rising
The season finale served as a summary of all the chaos that will unfold in the third season. According to Ryan Condal’s statements, the third season, as dictated by the book, will be filled with wars. One of these is the Battle of the Gullet, the bloodiest sea battle ever witnessed. We saw the preview of this battle, which will entirely alter its fate, in this episode.
In the story, the person who negotiates with the Triarchy is Otto Hightower. However, the series portrays Otto in a dire situation at the end of the episode in a way we do not understand. From this, we infer that Otto’s storyline will be significantly different from what we know. With Otto’s story changing, Tyland Lannister went to negotiate with the Triarchy. During his visit, Tyland encounters Sharako Lohar, played by Abigail Thorn.
In the first season, when Daemon Targaryen killed the pirate leader Craghas Drahar, Racallio Ryndoon took his place. Racallio is an intriguing character. Despite being a man, he dresses like a woman, dyes his hair and beard, and is a remarkably tall commander. Ryan Condal and his team decided to merge Racallio with Lysene’s Sharako Lohar into a single character. This isn’t the first time the show has done this. Oscar Tully is actually a combination of Kermit and Elmo in the same way.
The reason for the extended focus on Sharako’s segment is to give us a better understanding of Essos culture. Unlike Westeros, Essos does not consist of lands owned by nobility and is relatively closer to Middle Eastern societies. Since Tyland had nothing to offer the Essos lords, he had to perform certain cultural ceremonies to gain their support. We witnessed this ceremony in this episode. Successfully completing the ceremony, Tyland set off to clash with Corlys’ ships that blockaded the Gullet, leading the greatest fleet Essos has ever seen.
Shakespearean Words
“Or perhaps all men are corrupt, and true honor is a mist, that melts in the morning.”
After witnessing the events at Rook’s Rest, Criston Cole has begun to crumble under the weight of the war he once craved, struggling to contain his growing hatred. The dance of the dragons has rendered the war meaningless to him. Despite continuing out of respect for his duty, he is now aware of the fate that awaits him. Survival is not in his destiny.
“The dragons danced, and men are like dust under their feet.”
I must say I thoroughly enjoyed the section where Criston Cole expresses his respect for Alicent and his apathy towards the war. I appreciate the direction the series is taking. Seven armies from different regions of the continent are marching towards death over a mere misunderstanding. They are on the verge of causing the greatest devastation Westeros has ever seen by killing each other for no reason. And Criston has embraced this with his entire being.
Escape Plans
Rhaenyra’s discovery of new dragon riders has caused significant ripples throughout Westeros. Particularly, the Red Keep has received this news with great dismay. They believed they were secure by relying on Aemond and Vhagar, but now they realize that the increase in dragon numbers could shift the course of the war. So much so that they no longer wish to be part of the conflict they initiated.
Larys Strong suggests to Aegon that he flee, fearing that Rhaenyra and her dragons might come and seize the city. This cunning move by Larys is actually one of the most game-changing actions in the book. The show is laying the groundwork for this very successfully. The armies are on the brink of clashing, King’s Landing, teetering on the edge of rebellion, faces a high probability of being attacked by dragons, and even if none of these happen, Aemond might not leave his recovering brother Aegon alive to claim the throne. Although Aegon was initially reluctant about this idea, we saw by the end of the episode that he accepted the offer and set out with Larys.
Not only Aegon but Alicent also no longer wishes to be part of this war. As I wrote in the previous episode, Alicent has lost her purpose. While wandering the depths of King’s Wood, she sought an escape route, and the only way out she found was to flee. Everyone in Westeros who finds themselves in a tight spot already considers escaping to Essos. Though she broached the subject of leaving with Helaena, yet Helaena’s thoughts differ from her mother’s. Helaena has a very different role in this story, of which her mother is, of course, unaware. After this conversation, Aemond’s attempt to forcibly involve Helaena in the war was the final straw for Alicent. Watching everything she loves disappear before her eyes left her with only one option: to swallow her pride and bow to the very name she deemed an enemy.
An Angry Regent
Aemond is quite angry, but beneath his anger lies fear. The fact that Rhaenyra possesses three new dragons has unnerved him the most. The walls are closing in on him. Aegon did not die and has recovered enough to speak. The Gullet remains blocked, and the people are in dire straits. With the emergence of three more dragons, he became even more frightened. He needed to vent his anger somewhere, and he did so by burning Sharp Point, sending a message to Westeros.
While searching for Aegon, who was expected to be king, in the streets of King’s Landing, Aemond confessed to Criston that he should be king himself. Although he achieved the crown he envisioned through underhanded means, a throne is still a throne. However, throughout the season, Aemond has proven that he is far from having the capacity to be king. His actions, such as closing the city gates and imprisoning the people inside, and his inability to understand their complaints, followed by his decision to take control of all maritime trade in this episode, demonstrate his complete disconnect from the populace. The show is working to lay the foundations of the city’s rebellion, which the book glosses over, by placing the blame on Aemond. The city, already in a poor state during Aegon’s reign, has become pitiable under Aemond.
Aemond, whom we have seen to be quite vulnerable throughout the series, has slowly started to assume his character from the book: ruthless, terrifying, and aggressive. The Aemond we will watch in the third season will be entirely savage. And, ironically, despite the fearful eyes of his family, Aemond’s current aggressive stance might be the only choice that can save them.
Line of Fate
The foundation of the A Song of Ice and Fire universe is essentially tied to a single line of fate. Since Aegon the Conqueror set foot in Westeros, the entire universe has focused on the deadly army coming from the north and the characters destined to stop them. Fire and Blood, as I have repeatedly mentioned, is merely a book of rumors. The Ryan Condal team felt the need to incorporate the A Song of Ice and Fire prophecy into the story while filling in the gaps between the lines of this rumor book with the characters’ motivations. Just when we thought they had left this prophecy aside in the second season, they brought it back in a much more striking manner in the final episode. A dream seen by Aegon the Conqueror became the fundamental reason behind every decision made in the universe for 300 years.
Although Daemon spending an entire season within the walls of Harrenhal was tiresome for me, the writers had no other choice fundamentally. When we examine the book, especially during these periods, we do not know what Daemon did or where he was outside of Harrenhal. Consequently, instead of reducing the screen time of a name like Matt Smith, they wrote him an entirely new story and made him part of the prophecy. Throughout the season, Daemon, haunted by the ghosts of his family’s former members, finally closed the Harrenhal chapter. Thanks to Alys Rivers, who provided a 60-second summary of the eight seasons of Game of Thrones, Daemon found a whole new purpose for himself. This is quite significant. Throughout the season, Daemon, who betrayed Rhaenyra and dreamt of becoming king, will now become Rhaenyra’s greatest supporter. Because he knows that Rhaenyra and his own children must somehow remain on the throne. The bloodline must continue.
Until the final episode, I thought Daemon would engage in a power struggle with Aemond in the future. I believed Daemon would defend his personal interests in the legendary Battle at God’s Eye, but with the prophecy, Daemon’s line of fate has completely changed. If we consider that Nettles has also been removed from the series, the Daemon in the show will transform from a gray character having an illicit affair during the war into Rhaenyra’s greatest asset.
Greenseer
The most striking part of this section was, of course, what Daemon saw when he touched the tree, but another significant detail was that he saw Helaena at the end of the vision. The show has added the ability to foresee the future to Helaena, but it seems that she possesses even more than that. She is one of the individuals trying to maintain the balance of the line of fate we will watch unfold over eight seasons.
Aemond caught Helaena just as she was connecting with Daemon and brought up the topic he had previously mentioned, asking her to use Dreamfyre. Helaena, however, sent Aemond back to where he came from by telling him things more terrifying than he had ever heard before. There are two things to discuss here. Since last season, I have suspected that Aemond secretly desires not just the throne but also Helaena. Additionally, for those unfamiliar with the book, Helaena gave a significant spoiler: Aemond learned that he would die. This revelation will turn an already angry Aemond into a highly unstable character in the third season.
There is one more topic I want to mention in this episode. After hearing what Helaena had to say, Aemond threatened her by saying, “I could have you killed.” That moment made me wonder: Will Helaena’s death be different from the one in the book? Could Helaena become a victim of family murder?
Vulgarity
Although Rhaenyra’s decision to form an army of bastards even disturbed her own son, this choice has already begun to cause fractures among the greens. However, Rhaenyra must endure this decision because the people entrusted with her dragons are common folk. They are individuals with no idea how to behave at a queen’s table. Ryan Condal and his team particularly focus on Ulf. This is a point worth discussing.
Ulf was the only uncouth person at Rhaenyra’s table. He was so coarse that he even disturbed the other bastards. Yet Ulf doesn’t back down from his vulgarity because he knows the queen needs him. The question to discuss here is why the show focuses so much on Ulf. According to the book, the bastards will eventually take a different path from the one written for them. However, at this moment, only Ulf stands out as different from the others. The audience is clearly being given the impression that “this guy will betray the queen in the future.” Ulf’s constant conflicts with Jace could become one of the main reasons in the third season. But Ulf is not the only one who will take this path. This indicates that in the third season, we will see some events from the book portrayed differently. Throughout the season, I have predicted that Hugh’s daughter will die. She hasn’t died yet, but I still believe this change will be related to his daughter.
The Queen Who Ever Was
Rhaenyra had sent Ser Alfred Broome to Harrenhal to learn what Daemon was up to. Ser managed to reach the cursed castle, and the first word out of his mouth was betrayal. Upon hearing Ser Alfred Broome’s venomous message, Ser Simon Strong sent a message to Rhaenyra, prompting her to come to the castle.
This part was quite striking. Rhaenyra stood before Daemon in front of hundreds of men, essentially throwing him to the wolves:
“And to whom are you sworn?”
Had Daemon not seen the prophecy through Alys, this encounter could have been quite unpleasant. The situation could have escalated, with Syrax watching from above and Caraxes waiting outside, leading to an unwanted confrontation. Rhaenyra was aware of this, which is why she brought Addam with her, to have a two-against-one advantage. However, Daemon knelt and pledged to fulfill his duty. Thus, the Riverlands armies, which would provide a significant advantage to the blacks, swore allegiance to Rhaenyra. It was a delightful detail to see Simon Strong clapping in the background as the entire army knelt before Rhaenyra.
It’s Too Late
When fleeing proved no solution, Alicent decided to return to the root of the problem. After a secret journey to Dragonstone, Alicent confronted Rhaenyra and declared her willingness to sacrifice even her own son to end the war. I must say I really appreciated this part because the story has taken a turn that aligns perfectly with my tastes. According to the book, Alicent remains unwavering in her enmity throughout the story, so obsessed that she cheers for the blacks’ destruction. However, as mentioned earlier, the show has framed the narrative around a misunderstanding and has mobilized the armies from seven corners of Westeros for nothing. Thus, I appreciate the new, emotional, and ambiguous portrayal of Alicent as a character.
“History will pen you a villain.”
When Rhaenyra secretly entered King’s Landing and confronted Alicent, Alicent had told her, “It’s too late now.” In the final episode, the situation was reversed. This time Alicent came to Rhaenyra, but Rhaenyra told her it was too late. In fact, it’s not entirely too late. As Alicent suggested, if Rhaenyra came to the city and killed Aegon, the war could end. The current plan is indeed based on this. However, there is something neither of them knows: Larys has ruined everything. Precisely for this reason, as mentioned above, Larys has turned the entire universe into a burning inferno with a single move.
I am not surprised that viewers found the finale weak. From what I’ve seen, people seem to have forgotten the Game of Thrones they admired. Game of Thrones would have used all its weapons before the season finale, leading to a rather calm conclusion. Similarly, House of the Dragon’s second season finale provided a preview of the upcoming season. The second season finale closed with images of seven armies coming from different corners, followed by scenes of Rhaenyra and Alicent. Rhaenyra, once free for two seasons, is now trapped within walls and on the verge of killing thousands of innocent people, while Alicent, who has been seeking freedom for two seasons, has finally achieved it outside.
Some Beautiful Details
When Daemon touched the tree, he witnessed a 60-second summary of the entire eight seasons of Game of Thrones. What he saw were the most crucial figures and events in the universe’s destiny. Bryndon Rivers, who will draw the fate of the entire universe and unite fire and ice, one of the Night King’s generals, a dead dragon, the three dragons born in the lap of the Khaleesi, The Long Night, and Rhaenyra sitting on the throne. The part that intrigued me the most was seeing Bryndon Rivers in his youth, because, although everyone was troubled by Bran the Broken sitting on the throne in the Game of Thrones finale, it is time to accept the reality that Bran was not actually the one who sat on the throne.
When Ser Alfred Broome arrived at Harrenhal and cornered Daemon, he heard a distant voice. He asked Daemon if he heard it as well. Upon careful listening, the distant voice was calling Ser Alfred Broome a “traitor.” Whether it was Harrenhal or Alys, they knew what was going to be said before he even spoke.
Corlys Velaryon changed the name of his ship from Seasnake to The Queen Who Never Was. It’s a poignant detail. Not only that, but he also had a design created to represent the ship’s prowl.
Aegon made a remark while speaking with Larys Strong in his bed that caught my attention. He mentioned that his dragon was dead, and Larys did not offer a counter-response. This part is significant because those familiar with the book or who have watched Game of Thrones know Rhaenyra’s fate. The death of Sunfyre could be a choice that alters the course of the story. I am eagerly awaiting how Ryan Condal and his team will elaborate on this statement from Aegon.
Rhaena, as we left her in the previous episode, is still chasing dragons. After enduring the cold days in the meadow, she finally managed to find what she was looking for: Sheepstealer. The fact that we saw Sheepstealer alone raises many questions, including whether Nettles, whom we have been discussing for two episodes, will appear in the series. If Sheepstealer’s new rider is to be Rhaena, it means the story will follow a different path from the book.
In the final moments leading up to the season’s close, we saw Daeron Targaryen’s dragon, Tessarion. Daeron and Tessarion, moving with the Hightower armies departing for war from Old Town, will play a significant role in the third season.