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‘House of the Dragon’ is About to Witness the Dance of the Dragons as Rhaenys Barge In

It begins – the Dance of the Dragons, I mean. If Rhaenys Targaryen shows the whole of Westeros that she is a true power player, what will happen?

House of the Dragon Episode 9, the final episode of Season 1, begins in the morning twilight after King Viserys (Paddy Considine) dies in his sleep.

Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) and his Small Council colleagues don’t waste a second to begin their long-standing plans to place Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the Iron Throne. But at the same time, Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) is pushed to act alone.

In the final scene, a lavish coronation takes place in the sept of the Dragonpit. Aegon, donning the Conqueror’s crown, thrust his father’s Valyrian Blackfyre steel blade into the air before the people of King’s Landing as the new ruler of the realms.

However, an explosion followed. A wave of dust and rocks rises from the ground beneath the Dragonpit, spilling death on those who remain in its tracks. It’s “the beast beneath the boards” – a phrase that Alicent’s daughter Helaena (Phia Saban) has talked about since episode 8. 

As the dark cloud clears, Meleys, the dragon known as the Red Queen, emerges with the famous crown spikes on her neck. Her knight, Rhaenys (Eve Best), wears red and silver armor on her back.

Ryan Condal, co-creator and co-producer of the series, has been careful to hide the armor from the crowd up to this point.

Her Entrance

“We wanted her to be rising like a phoenix from the ashes,” filmmaker Clare Kilner told EW. 

“She’s packed it,” Best says of Rhaeney’s battle gear. 

“She’s traveled to King’s Landing with it because it’s part of her dragon-riding equipment. Also, probably in that moment of knowledge in episode 8, she’s flying into tricky waters… She hasn’t worn it for a very, very, very long time, and the fact that she’s wearing it means business. It’s like, ‘This is it. No more games.’”

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Rhaenys’ move during Aegon’s coronation is something that George R.R. Martin did not write about in the source document, Targaryen’s Fire and Blood historical record.

But it is not difficult to see a royal family move to erase the official record of some disgrace from the history books. Additionally, Rhaenys has the influence and ability to end the possible civil war over the succession before it even begins.

Best Talks About Rhaenys Entrance

Meanwhile, Alicent readies herself as Meleys looks down on her. However, rather than lighting them all in dragon fire, the creature releases a fierce cry. Rhaenys and her allies then appear through the Dragon pit doors and fly to Dragonstone to tell Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), Viserys’ chosen heir, that her throne has been taken over. 

“It’s the pinnacle,” Best explains in this scene. 

“It’s the moment when she shows herself to be the greatest possible ruler. It was the most outrageous and explosive action of the season. In a way, it’s also the most merciful and most graceful act.” 

She adds: “It’s because she’s so intelligent and, in the end, chooses to do the right thing, which is not to destroy. It’s a truly forgiving moment and sort of a loving moment, in a weird way. She has all the ammunition, and the desire for revenge is so great.

“She’s suffered so much loss, and for her own sake and on behalf of so many others, the urge to destroy is so strong. And yet the choice not to destroy becomes even stronger. That’s the mark of greatness and [a] truly inspiring moment – I think actually one that is particularly resonate in this context of what we’re going through right now in our world with everything that’s going on with Russia. The choice not to drop the bombs is the greater choice.”

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Photo: EW

‘House of the Dragon’ Does Not Disappoint in its Second Episode

House of the Dragon isn’t done pulling in audiences yet, and that might just be until its finale.

Episode 2 of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel drew 10.2 million viewers across all platforms on Sunday night, the network announced Monday. That means there’s a 2% increase over the August 21st premiere, which alone made history as the biggest debut on HBO.

As intriguing as the numbers of the premiere were, they wondered if House of the Dragon would have its momentum until the finale. At this point, the answer is probably yes, to say the least.

Also on Monday, HBO announced that its first episode, “The Heirs of the Dragon,” surpassed 25 million viewers in the United States just one week after its release.

And unsurprisingly, the series is slated for a second season renewal.

In addition, House of the Dragon’s raucous debut seems to boost viewership over its predecessor: Game of Thrones was up 30% last week. Currently in its eighth consecutive week of growth, the original series peaked at No. 2 on HBO Max last week.

House of the Dragon is far from reaching Game of Thrones rating levels at its peak. The original series continually built its audience through word of mouth and critical reviews. So much so that when HBO released the show’s final season in 2019, the final episode attracted 19.3 million viewers.

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House of the Dragon Background

Inspired by George R.R. Martin’s 2018 book Fire and Blood, House of the Dragon happens 200 years prior to Thrones and chronicles the occurrences of the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war that erupted between the Targaryens. 

The star-studded cast includes Milly Alcock, Paddy Considine, Emily Carey, Matt Smith, Rhys Ifans, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, Emma D’Arcy, and Olivia Cooke. 

Emily Carey has recently revealed in an interview that she asked co-producer Miguel Sapochnik about the inclusion of a detail that was left out in the first episode of the series: Princess Rhaenyra’s best friend Alicent Hightower, played by Carey, was the woman her father, Viserys, married after her mother, Queen Aemma, died.

Read also: House of the Dragon Producer Says the Show Portrays No Sexual Violence

House of the Dragon Producer Says the Show Portrays No Sexual Violence

Theories have floated about what could happen in HBO’s highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon. One very crucial question is how, or whether, the show will display any explicit sexual content.

After co-producer Miguel Sapochnik’s testimony on the blowout, Sara Hess, executive producer of House of the Dragon, sets things straight.

Despite Game of Throne’s popularity in portraying sexual violence, Sapochnik told Hollywood Reporter that the approach made in House of the Dragon is done “carefully, thoughtfully, and [we] don’t shy away from it.”

He continued, “If anything, we’re going to shine a light on that aspect. You can’t ignore the violence that was perpetrated on women by men in that time. It shouldn’t be downplayed, and it shouldn’t be glorified.”

The remark was talked about, seeing that it is subject to a civil war at the center of the show because “the patriarchy would rather destroy itself than see a woman on the throne.”

Discussions followed another statement from Sapochnik that childbirth in an ancient fantasy setting is inherently violent and potentially deadly.

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House of the Dragon: Domineered by Men

Many scenes have shown how the show’s female leads – Olivia Cooke’s Lady Alicent Hightower and Emma D’Arcy’s Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen – must compete to make a breakthrough in a world dominated by male kings and lords.

However, the statement serves as a reminder to several readers of the fiery controversies around Game of Thrones’ depiction of violence and left something to think about – whether House of the Dragon would also give us scenes that felt gratuitous.

Responding to the quotes, Hess clarified that the show’s theme treatment will not be as visceral.

“I’d like to clarify that we do not depict sexual violence in the show,” the producer told Vanity Fair. “We handle one instance off-screen, and instead show the aftermath and impact on the victim and the mother of the perpetrator.”

She added, “I think what our show does, and what I’m proud of, is that we choose to focus on the violence against women that is inherent in a patriarchal system.”

House of the Dragon drops on August 21.

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