After much hemming and hawing, I’ve finally decided to post the episode recaps I wrote for House of the Dragon here! So without further ado, here’s what happened in the season premiere, “The Heirs of the Dragon”…
As we finally revisit Westeros in “The Heirs of the Dragon”, House Targaryen is at the height of its power. The reign of “the Old King”, Jaeherys, and Good Queen Alysanne is coming to an end without them leaving an obvious heir – at least according to that good ol’ Westerosi patriarchy. They convene a Great Council at Harrenhal and pass over Jaeherys and Alysanne’s oldest living heir, Rhaenys, in favor of his oldest male heir, Viserys.
Rhaenys isn’t too happy, and rightfully so, but it’s time to fast forward nine years into Viserys’ reign…which, the show makes sure to point out, is 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen…and then we immediately meet Princess Rhaenyra, who swoops in on dragon back to serve wine at a small council meeting.
Right away it’s clear that things aren’t all dragon riding and cakes, as Corlys Velaryon points out a problematic alliance forming in the Free Cities and is basically ignored because obviously The Most Important Thing right now is the tourney being planned in honor of the birth of what everyone insists will be Viserys’ son and heir.
Unfortunately Viserys’ brother Daemon thinks HE should be the heir, and now he’s back in King’s Landing to play creepy uncle to Rhaenyra (seriously, ew) and command the City Watch to, well, basically spread fear amongst smallfolk who may or may not be criminals by chopping off some not-so-hot-d’s, hands, and heads…which, in true HBO fashion, we see in some pretty gory detail.
While Viserys is certain Queen Aemma is about to give birth to a son, he’s been pwetty stwessed watewly and it doesn’t help that the Iron Throne – a much more book-accurate Iron Throne, mind you – keeps biting him, and his latest wound won’t heal. Daemon’s night of slaughter, of course, only adds to the king’s stwesses.
But hey, what better way to alleviate some stress than a big ol’ fancy, violent tourney! Daemon spends most of it trolling Otto Hightower, current Hand of the King, but Viserys is pulled away as Aemma is in the midst of a very difficult labor…one that unfortunately leads to Viserys having to make a very difficult CHOICE – lose both wife and baby, or order a frighteningly medieval c-section to save the child.
This scene is partnered with more tourney drama – in this case, Daemon jousting against – and losing to! – a new-to-the-lists but extremely talented Dornish knight named Ser Criston Cole.
Queen Aemma succumbs to her “bed of blood”, and while the baby is a boy, we soon learn that he also died a few hours later. And before their pyre is cold, good ol’ Otto is already demanding that Viserys figure out that pesky succession problem. SHOCKINGLY ::sarcasm:: no one wants Daemon on the throne, and Rhaenyra’s claim is also waved away because OH NOES SHEZ A GURL.
Granted, good ol’ Otto is there to send his daughter Alicent – close friend of Rhaenyra – to comfort King Viserys. While nothing untoward happens (yeeettt?), he’s playing ye olde Game of Thrones for sure, and his work is only compounded when Daemon throws a big brothel party and he and his gold cloaks toast to the “heir for a day”.
Viserys confronts Daemon and banishes him to the Vale, where his ‘bronze bitch’ of a wife awaits him, because as it turns out, Viserys has decided that Rhaenyra will in fact be his heir. He meets with her at what appears to be a shrine to Balerion and informs her of a dream that Aegon the Conqueror had and passed down – a dream of a terrible winter in the North, one which all of Westeros must stand against. That it will only end if a Targaryen – a king or queen strong enough to unite everyone against the cold and dark – is sitting the Iron Throne.
And thus, Viserys names Rhaenyra his heir, and the lords of Westeros come forward to pledge fealty to her.