House of the Dragon Episode 10 (Finale) Review
House of the Dragon Episode 10 Review
It’s finally the big finale for Season 1 of House of the Dragon. Knowing that this episode is inevitably going to launch us into the future war, the question looms of – how? What exactly will happen to do that? Will Daemon be the driving force due to his lack of control? Will Rhaenyra go into a blind rage and set her dragons to The Red Keep? Well, let’s dive in to see!
The opening scene displays the beautiful Painted Table of Dragonstone. This table was created by request from King Aegon the Conqueror and was used to plan his invasion of Westeros. It’s carved wood, set in the Chamber of the Painted Table, and is surrounded by windows that view North, East, West, and South. Even in Game of Thrones I thought this table was incredibly stunning. Watching the camera pan over the lands, rivers, mountain ranges – it's easy to grasp why it captures the eye. Lucerys stands at the end and gently touches Driftmark, lost in thought. Rhaenyra joins him and they share a conversation about ruling. He doesn’t feel ready to Lord over it if Corlys passes. His mother tells him she was just 14 when she was named heir – just as he is now. She was terrified. He states that he’s not like her. He’s not perfect. With a smile and an embrace she comfortingly reminds him, “I am anything but.” She explains that she had Visery’s help and Lucerys would have hers.
A Kingsguard approaches and announces that Rhaenys has come by dragon back and requests an immediate audience with Rhaenyra and Daemon. She shares a look with her son, they think it has to do with Corlys.
The couple stand by the blazing fire as Princess Rhaenys approaches, fresh off of her dragon and still in her armor. Rhaenyra states that she hopes that Lord Corlys has recovered. Rhaenys wastes no time in announcing that King Viserys is dead. A pause. She changes her tone slightly to say she mourns with Rhaenyra and Daemon on this - her cousin possessed a kind heart. Rhaenyra stands dumbfounded, trying to maintain composure. “There’s more.” Rhaenys says. Aegon has been crowned King. Daemon, bubbling with rage, accuses Alicent of slaying Viserys, and even accuses Rhaenys of being a traitor because even though she denied the Queen’s request for alliance – she's still alive. The Lady of Driftmark brushes past his comments and continues. Aegon had been crowned before the masses and she managed to escape on Meleys. Daemon – rightfully – scolds her for ignoring the opportunity to burn them all. She states that it is not her war to begin, regardless, the Greens are coming for Rhaenyra and her boys. All along this woman, carved by waves and fire, has remained neutral on the matter of succession. She has given her opinion here or there, of course, but she is not openly stood for anyone. I think this is what she truly means when she says it’s not her fight to begin. She’s layered with the complex feelings of loyalty to Viserys, hatred for what Rhaenyra did to Laenor (or at least what she thinks), the fear of losing even more, and the pull to do what’s right. On one hand I appreciate her caution to just side with whoever, on the other hand, I find it incredibly frustrating.
Rhaenyra, who has been talking through shots of pain feels under her dress and in shock looks at her bloody hand. The babe is on it’s way and severely prematurely.
Daemon stands around the Painted Table with the Kingsguard, Lords, and Maesters of DragonStone. He is trying to get letters to their allies and assemble the beginnings of war. Rhaenyra screams in the background. It’s a flashback to the first episode – a woman’s battlefield is the birthing bed. Rhaenyra is in a war with her body while Daemon is trying to start a war with knights and dragons. Her mind is reeling and she’s trying to stay levelheaded – all while her body begins a process it wasn’t quite ready for – and therefore, holds so much more pain. Daemon loves his wife, loved his brother, and isn’t known for patience. He’s driven to do what he knows best – fight. He knows the messes Viserys caused by choosing not to act. He saw the Step Stones.
Luke and Jace practice swords on the shores of Dragonstone. Luke is being harder on his younger brother. Rhaenys tells them their mother has requested them to come to her immediately. Through contractions, their mother tells her boys that their Grandsire has passed, Aegon has been crowned. “What is being done about it?” Jace asks.
“Nothing yet!” she exclaims. Nothing should happen without her permission, she tells them. Almost begs them. You can see the desperation on her face. Will a war begin under her nose while she’s thrown into the threshes of childbirth? Jace comforts her by saying he will take care of Daemon.
Back at the painted table, Daemon receives news that Lord Corlys’s fever has broken, but where he is sailing, no one knows. Jace comes in the middle of Daemon issuing out various orders and stops him – much to his demise. He goes ahead and orders at least the ravens to be sent and then tells Jace to follow him. He wants to show him what loyalty truly means. He leads him outside and they stand on the mountaintop, two Kingsguard conveniently positioned below them. Daemon demands to know their allegiance. To which heir do they serve? The red, snakelike Caraxes whistles and whirs himself into view. Caraxes was previously owned by Aemon, Prince Daemon’s uncle. He was known as the fiercest of dragons – even out of Vhagar and Meleys. He had been war hardened by his previous rider and watching him snarl at the two Kingsguard – he lives up to his name “Blood Wyrm.” Daemon gives the men two choices - they can either serve Rhaenyra or die screaming as traitors. Jace looks just like his stepfather in these scenes, even down to the way he sets his jaw. You can see the influence he’s had over the years. He does swallow hard at one point – showing he may still possess the tenderness and hesitancy of his mother.
Rhaenyra screams in the throes of childbirth while flashes of a roaring Syrax can be seen. Childbirth was a dangerous thing back in medieval times, which is roughly when House of the Dragon is resting in its fantasy alternate universe. 1 out of 20 women would die in the birthing bed. When children were breached, the c section was known – but as we saw from Aemma – extremely dangerous with an even higher mortality rate. Here, we have an incredibly premature babe “nowhere near it’s time” as the Maester proclaimed. I am beyond sure that Rhaenyra and her midwives knew how this was going to end. Rhaenyra is heartbroken at the news of her father passing, she is enraged at the thought of her half-brother usurping her with the aid of someone who just days ago seemed like a friend again, and she is now in depths of fighting for her life –all while knowing that her unborn child will most likely remain silent upon entering the world. The rage and pain mix in tremors over her body as she screams for the baby to get out. It almost comes across as cold and heartless. She refuses the help of the midwives, and her husband is aloof while she battles alone. The thing is, though, she is not. Syrax can feel her pain and is there with her, comforting her. Syrax, like Rhaenyra, was the mother of many dragons. The bond between a rider and their dragon is rumored to be deep. The dragon’s roars go to show us just how deep. As the blood boils within our Princess – creating and awakening a dragon we’ve never seen in her before – she can power through with the help of her dearest friend, Syrax. When Visenya, who is not named in the show but named in the books, finally makes her silent entrance – the midwives look forlorn. Rhaenyra clutches the tiny babe in her arms and with hollow eyes rocks her back and forth. In the depths of her core – Rhaenyra is so tender as a mother. There is a special bond between a mother and son, but such a different and equally special bond between a mother and daughter. This opportunity to watch this blossom and grow, to have a female see that she can break expectations and shatter cultural expectations has now been completely stolen from her. She stays with this precious girl for a while, we can tell when Daemon walks by her now empty room and sees her on the floor still clutching Visenya. It does not show if he went in to comfort her or not – and he almost seems carved of stone. It flashes to Rhaenyra wrapping the motionless infant in burial cloth while being watched by the Silent Sisters. As she does so with shaky hands, Daemon walks as if in a daze to the beach and falls to his knees in despair at the loss of his child, showing he is most certainly not made of stone. Rhaenyra finishes wrapping the child and falls to her knees, weeping and kissing the burial cloth.
Daemon and Rhaenyra stand by the burning funeral pyre, surrounded by the people of Dragonstone. They look completely lost and broken. No throne, barely any allies, a lost babe, and a situation that breeds enmity with every passing second. What are they going to do, and are they even able to do it? Will people truly risk their lives to follow them? Ser Erryk comes with the answer they need. He kneels before them and while presenting them with Viserys’s crown, “I swear to ward the Queen with all my strength and give my blood for hers.” Daemon gingerly takes the crown he had just days before placed on his brother’s brow. “I shall take now wife, hold no lands, father no children.” The prince gazes upon it in almost disbelief. The weight it must hold in his hand. “I shall guard her secrets, obey her commands, ride at her side, and defend her name and honor.” Daemon and Rhaenyra, still reeling from the loss of their child as the embers have yet to go out, still reeling from the circumstances they find themselves in have found a new and delicate hope – it is the first time she has been called “Queen.” He walks to his wife, places the crown on her head and bows, “My Queen.” The Queen, shocked, looks across at her small crowd of people also bowing before her. There is a new hope.
Candles are being lit while Rhaenyra, the crown on her brow, surrounded by Queens Guard, to the Painted Table. The candles are placed underneath and for the first time the dark wood alights with the deep orange of candlelight making it appear that the entire world of Westeros is interwoven with lava. As if this piece could not get any better, it just got a +50. The Queen, awkwardly trying to get used to her new role of everyone keeping eyes on her, nods for Baela and Rhaena to join her. She asks for their standing – Daemon launches in with how many bowman, foot soldiers, etc they have. They agree that they need Storms End, Winterfell, and the Vale. Aemma was an Arryn, the Vale should be a given. Borros Baratheon needs to be reminded of his father’s oath to her. Lord Corlys is sailing for Dragonstone and they pray for his support as well. Their standing enemies: Hightowers, Lannisters, and a few others. The fact that the Blacks have dragons is brought up – Rhaenyra quickly reminds them that so does the Greens. Daemon reminds her that team Alicent only has three adults and that they have around 13. The Queen mentions that those dragons have never seen war. Seasmoke is riderless, as well as Vermithor and Silverwing who are on Dragonmont. The camera pans to Rhaena. Daemon wants to rest at Harrenhal where they can then swoop in and take over the castle. The Queen does not get a chance to respond because it is announced that there is a ship offshore with a green dragon flag.
In a remarkably familiar scene, Daemon and crew meet Otto and crew halfway down the bridge to Dragonstone. He is here for a message specifically for Rhaenyra – where is she? On cue, Rhaenyra, and the golden Syrax, swoop around the army before landing behind them. Just as she did when she was younger, she hops off and walks straight through the Greens to stand by Daemon’s side. Otto calls her Princess, she corrects him – it is Queen now. He continues that King Aegon has sent very generous terms to her. Accept him as King and they will still have Dragonstone, Jace will be its heir, Luke will still be Lord of Driftmark, and Aegon and Viserys can be shield and cup bearers for the King.
“I would rather feed my sons to the dragons than have them carry shields and cups for your drunken, usurper c**t of a King.” Daemon says. We all nod in agreement. That’s fair.
Otto, annoyed, states that Aegon wears the crown of, bears the sword of, and the name of the Conqueror. Every symbol of legitimacy belongs to him. He states that they are already treating with Stark, Tully, and Baratheon. Rhaenyra reminds him that they already swore oaths to her when she was named heir. “Stale oaths will not put you on the throne.” Otto tells her. She throws his Hand of the King pin into the ocean and calls him a traitor. Otto then hands her a page she had ripped out of a story book so long ago when she and Alicent were reading under the Godswood. Half of the page reads “Lashed together with ropes and cable, Nymeria’s fleet dispersed at the coming of the first storms...” It’s symbolic in its words as well as the emotion it’s meant to invoke. It gets the reaction he wants because he continues to state that Alicent has never forgotten their friendship and no blood need be heedlessly shed. They can carry on in peace. Daemon draws swords stating that they can have their answer now. Otto’s men draw their swords. Rhaenyra becomes flustered but is grounded when Syrax roars in the background. She states that they will have their answer on the morrow.
Back at the Painted Table, Damone tries to reason with his wife. Dragons can kill dragons. Rhaenyra reminds him that she is well aware of the histories – Viserys spoke of them often.
“When dragons flew to war everything burned” She says. She doesn’t want to rule over a kingdom of ash.
Daemon, exasperated, claims that is her father talking, they get in a fight, and the Queen asks everyone to leave the room. She reminds him that her place and purpose are far more than their ambitions – The Song of Ice and Fire. When her husband doesn’t seem to register, she gives a brief synopsis and says that Viserys told her when he named her heir. Daemon responds by grabbing her by the throat. He says that Viserys did anything to validate his way of ruling. When he lets go, she smiles and says that Viserys never told Daemon. His answer is silence as he walks out of the room.
Corlys wakes up from his bed with Rhaenys sleeping beside him. He wakes her up with a joke and without skipping a beat she tells him that he abandoned her. Just for sea adventures. He tries to explain his actions by saying he had lost everything, but she quickly changes that to a “we”. “We lost everything Corlys. We.” She goes on to talk of Aegon being crowned and Vaemond being killed because of his big mouth. Corlys admits that ambition is a Velaryon weakness. He tells her that she was right, that he had gone too far and now with nothing to show for it. He says they’ll go back to Driftmark and declare for no one.
Rhaenys reminds him that his grandchildren are not safe from the Greens. When Corlys gets angry and reminds his wife that Rhaenyra killed their son, she tells him that she is the only one holding the realm together by showing restraint. While everyone else is trying to shout war, she is doing her best to be cautious.
Rhaenyra sits at the painted table while men talk excitedly around her. She seems exhausted, and rightfully so. She’s barely had time to process anything that’s happened. Lord Corlys and Rhaenys come in with Baela and Rhaena. Rhaenyra greets Lord Corlys. He offers his condolences – Viserys was a good man. He asks where Daemon is which the Queen says he had other duties to attend to. He asks about their allies and states what they already know – they have too few. Rhaenyra tells him they are hoping for the Starks, Baratheons and the Arryns. Hope is the fool’s ally Corlys responds. She says they swore an other. As did the Hightowers he quips. “As did you” she reminds him. It’s at this point that he states that she will have his full support in the upcoming war. She seems genuinely surprised by this as she timidly tells him he honors her. She says that she will not be the first to act because she wants to know who her allies are before she sends them to war. Corlys tells her that the Stepstones are now in his possession and that this time he was wise enough to have them garrisoned. This is a tremendous success for team Black. Rhaenys says she will help to further protect the area by patrolling the Gullet on Meyles. When Rhaenyra turns to look at her, the smile Rhaenys gives her is heartwarming. She is seeing a woman do what she could not, and instead of being petty as she has been in the past, she is helping her succeed. Rhaenyra, now feeling a little fuller of hope, says they need to send ravens to Winterfell, Eyrie, and Storm’s End.
Jace states that dragons are faster and more convincing. She should send him and Luke. The Queen gives her eldest boys a long and thoughtful look. She must be seeing them as grown men for the first time. The years of their lives possibly play in her mind. In the episodes when they were young, she constantly held them so close – a steadfast shield between them and the world. She has not done that since they’ve grown, but her views of protecting them has stayed the same. It’s time to let them spread their wings. She finally gives a “very well.”
She waits outside for them holding their messages. She tells Jace he’s going to the Eyrie where Lady Jeyne was her mother’s cousin, and Winterfell where Lord Cragen is close to his age and hopefully, they can find common ground. Luke will be going to Storm’s End which is just a short flight away to appeal to Borros Baratheon. She gives them the speech that people view Targaryen's as closer to the gods than to me, but if they are to serve the kingdoms, they must answer to their gods. She has them swear on the seven that they are only messengers and will not participate in fighting of any kind. She gives her boys advice on how to deal with each Lord and reassures Luke that Borros will be honored to have a prince and his dragon in his home. “I expect you will receive a very warm welcome” she says. She gives her boys one last look before telling them to go to it.
Daemon walks through the pits of Dragonmont with a torch in his hand. He is singing a song in High Valyrian – one meant to entice a beast. The song is called “Haros Bartossi” written by David J. Peterson. (As found on here) Translated is goes:
“Fire breather Winged leader But two heads To a third sing From my voice: The fires have spoken And the price has been paid With blood magic With words of flame With clear eyes To bind the three To you I sing As one we gather And with three heads We shall fly as we were destined Beautifully, freely“
His steps are purposeful and light. He kneels, drops the lantern, and stands back up to reveal a huge dragon shooting flames around him. The dragon, who has been confirmed to be Vermithor the Bronze Fury and second largest dragon in the world, gives Daemon a menacing look with his scarred and aged face. Reflected in his eye – you can see Daemon reaching out to touch him. Who will get to ride this beast? Daemon will not break his bond with Caraxes. The only riderless Team Black is Rhaena at the moment. Will she try to tame him as Aemond did to Vhagar? That would certainly be poetic justice.
Luke flies Arrax to Storm’s End and lands while the clouds thunder and darken around him. He looks over and sees the behemoth Vhagar roaring in the distance. God that dragon is huge. He asks for an audience with Lord Baratheon and the guards let him through. Aemond is already there, which means this can’t be great news with their history. The young boy bravely pushes through and announces he has a message from the Queen. Borros laughs. He just received a message from the King. House of the Dragon doesn’t even know who rules it. Upon reading the message, he gets offended at the implication that he needs to be reminded of his father’s oath. Aegon offered him a marriage pact between one of his daughters and Aemond, who would Luke marry? When Luke states he’s already betrothed, Aemond smiles. Borros is even more upset that he comes with empty hands. He tells him to go back to his mother and tell her he ain’t havin’ it. Luke states that he will take his answer to the Queen. As he turns to leave, Aemond tries to pick a fight with him saying that he can’t just go around tring to rally allies with no repercussions. He doesn’t want to fight, he just wants an eye. He pulls up his patch to show the sapphire he has place in his eye socket. Just one will do he says. Borros demands that no blood will be shed under his roof, especially with Luke being an envoy. He tells his guards to escort him back to his dragon.
Arrax is uneasy, it’s pouring down rain now. Luke notices that Vhagar is gone, and I’m left wondering how the heck Aegon was able to sprint to that beast, climb it, and set off before Luke walked the ten feet to his dragon. Like... the heck? Luke speaks High Valeryian to his mount- Focus, pay attention, stay calm. He tells him. They climb higher in the sky, the clouds form pockets, and tunnels where lightning flashes. Luke feels something following him. He’s afraid of his uncle and what he’s capable of. Suddenly Vhagar’s shadow looms over him, making Arrax look so very small. Aemond begins playing games with his nephew like the sick sadistic turd he is, allowing Vhagar to snap at and claw at the tiny dragon. Luke shows his flying skills and cunning as he uses Arrax’s tiny body to turn and whip around outmaneuvering the much larger beast. He flies through the canyons where she is unable to follow. A yells out that there is a debt to be paid. Arrax, not listening to Lucerys, bursts through the clouds and blows fire into Vhagar’s face, which pisses the older dragon off. Aemond begins to panic as he loses control over her. He keeps yelling, “No, no, no, no Vhagar! Obey!” But the dragon is just not having anything to do with it.
Lucerys and Arrax burst through the dark clouds into a bright and sunny sky. He has made it. His uncle and Vhagar are nowhere in site. He relaxes just as the huge monster bursts from the clouds and chomps Luke and Arrax into literal pieces. As the parts fall silently through the sky, Aemond is totally stunned. For one, he just killed his nephew – which even though he’s a jerk, he obviously never intended to do. For another, he just single handedly gave permission to start a war. Not to mention his mother is going to be pretty freaking pissed.
Daemon is the one to tell his wife of the brutal passing of her second son. The boy whom she was so sure would be completely unharmed. It was a short flight, and Borros was supposed to give him a warm welcome. She stumbles, grabs her womb, bows her head in anguish. The very last moment of the episode, she turns to face the camera, and all of the rage has returned to her face. For the rest of the series – she will choose violence.
