Episode 8 of Home of the Dragon – now on HBO Max and Disney + Hotstar – is titled “The Lord of the Tides”. It’s as a result of it’s largely centered on the choice of who will inherit the throne of Driftmark, what with Lord Corlys “Sea Snake” Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) I imagine was significantly injured. (It's type of bizarre that the Recreation of Thrones spin-off prequel collection basically killed off certainly one of its principal forged members utterly off-screen. Thanks, time flies.) In some methods, Home of the Dragon episode 8 may very well be referred to as. “The Lord of the Underground.” Whereas everybody concerned can really feel it, virtually nobody has the braveness to confess {that a} battle is inevitable and round. That is, in the event you can name it that, the calm earlier than the inevitable storm.
And what a wierd tension-filled calm it’s. Six years have handed for the reason that occasions of episode 7 of Home of the Dragon. King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) is a shadow of his former self. Half of his face is gone, he is kind of bedridden, and survives on the milk of the poppy – which soothes the immense ache he feels. In his absence, the Hightowers are mainly the brand new rulers: Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and her father-in-law of the King, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans). And provided that the Velaryon household has stronger ties with the wife-husband Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) – each of whom have been married to Sea Snake's kids – the Hightowers are naturally not prepared to depart the usual guidelines of inheritance. apply to Driftmark.
Somewhat than taking issues by fireplace and blood, as was the case in episode 7, political machinations and again offers are the secret in Home of the Dragon episode 8. The Hightowers have invited “petitions” that will probably be heard within the Pink. They maintain, and for the reason that scales of energy are tipping of their favor at this second—the Hand of the King speaks for the King when he’s indisposed—they’re positive to deal a heavy blow to Rhaenyra. In spite of everything, Holding Driftmark offers you management of the most important fleet within the Seven Kingdoms. Add to this Alicent's third-born Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) profitable Vhagar to his trigger in episode 7, and that makes them formidable. Rhaenyra understands this too – which is why she leaves for King's Touchdown proper after she will get the phrase.
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Wil Johnson as Ser Vaemond Velaryon in Home of the Dragon episode 8
Photograph credit score: Ollie Upton/HBO
This phrase comes from Daemon's daughter, Girl Baela (Bethany Antonia), at Driftmark. (Baela has turn out to be a ward of her grandmother within the years since episode 7.) Episode 8 of Home of the Dragon opens right here, with Sea Snake's youthful brother, Ser Vaemond Velaryon (Wil Johnson), that makes his case for why he needs to be the brand new one. Lord of Driftmark mustn’t Corlys. I’ve to confess, I needed to search for his title. Vaemond has barely been on the present – that is partly an issue of leap years, with characters not getting sufficient display screen time – and all of a sudden, he's entrance and middle, combating for a strong place. Like, who’re you? Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Greatest) warns her brother-in-law that his phrases are treason, however Vaemond is secure within the data that she is the Queen who guidelines right this moment.
Alicent is so busy making selections that she doesn't even have time to greet her friends, Rhaenyra and Daemon. Though that is essentially the most charitable model. The 2 childhood greatest mates now not see eye to eye – and issues ended very badly final time. In actual fact, once they reunite on episode 8 of Home of the Dragon, Alicent's eyes drift to Rhaenyra's left arm, the place the scar has healed however stays seen. Somewhat than being a second of concession, the assembly ended up being heated, with accusations being thrown forwards and backwards. Given her father's standing as king, Rhaenyra feels that the Hightowers occupy the Iron Throne with out legitimacy. He’s the inheritor in any case. Alicent protests that Viserys leads them from his mattress. Who do you select to imagine?
Daemon's chuckle in that second in episode 8 of Home of the Dragon says all of it. In spite of everything, it’s clear who is absolutely calling the pictures. The choice that Alicent – with the steering of his father, Otto – makes right here is actually a mirrored image on the larger image. In the event you neglect the correct of the inheritor of the son (on this case, Prince Lucerys, the son of Rhaenyra and the grandson of the Sea Serpent in title, if not blood) since you need somebody who’s in your favor (in on this case, Vaemond the man who was simply within the present), you’re a harmful precedent. Positive, you're serving to your personal trigger down the road—Rhaenyra the chosen inheritor versus Aegon, Alicent's firstborn—however you're additionally opening your self as much as questioning and suspicion from different lords sooner or later.
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Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in Home of the Dragon episode 8
Photograph credit score: Ollie Upton/HBO
To Rhaenyra, the petitions are a deep affront. The Targaryen Princess sees this as a query of her personal legitimacy to say the Iron Throne – if her kids are neglected for the seat of Driftmark, what does that say about who holds the final word energy? At night time, Rhaenyra visits her sick father as soon as extra, praying among the many gods to provide him the power to supervise the trials. However within the morning, because the petitions are heard within the Nice Corridor, there is no such thing as a signal of Viserys. As a substitute, it’s Otto who sits on the Iron Throne. As Vaemond Velaryon makes his case in Home of the Dragon episode 8, Rhaenyra is visibly annoyed. He may be the inheritor to the Iron Throne, however in the mean time, he’s completely powerless.
Then, the temper within the Nice Corridor modifications utterly because the doorways open. In steps Viserys – clutching a cane, the King of the Seven Kingdoms slowly approaches the Iron Throne. Otto, Alicent, and Vaemond exchanged glances, figuring out this was going to pour chilly water on their plans. The fragility of Viserys is evident for all to see in episode 8 of the Home of the Dragon, and he can hardly hold the crown on his head, however as soon as he did on the different finish of room, it’s clear that just one man's voice issues now. . The King notes that since Corlys is injured, one of the best particular person to talk on his behalf could be his spouse, Rhaenys.
As a substitute of constructing a case for herself as she had beforehand recommended, Rhaenys publicly accepts the wedding proposals set out by Rhaenyra privately earlier within the episode. He’s clever. As a substitute of undermining herself in entrance of Viserys who’s all by the guide, The Queen Who By no means Was exhibits that she is aware of how you can play the sport of thrones. Nevertheless, his brother-in-law Vaemond shouldn’t be having it. She will get indignant, calls Rhaenyra the W phrase and her kids the B phrase. Overlook the insults; that is betrayal, particularly given how Viserys reacted in episode 7 of Home of the Dragon. As you may anticipate, the king stands up and calls for Velaryon's tongue. However Daemon is 2 steps forward, as he decapitates Vaemond from behind. And similar to that, the man we barely knew was gone.
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Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in Home of the Dragon episode 8
Photograph credit score: Ollie Upton/HBO
That night time throughout dinner, the sick Viserys does his greatest to bridge the variations between his spouse and daughter. (Episode 8 of Home of the Dragon units up this scene with a pleasant shot of the literal gulf between the Queen and the inheritor – which is appropriated by the King.) And for some time, his phrases work. Rhaenyra and Alicent acknowledge one another's efforts. Even Rhaenyra's kids get in on the act, doing their greatest to say one thing good about their uncles, the Alicent boys. Happy with what he sees, Viserys asks for music, which results in a dance between certainly one of Rhaenyra's boys and Alicent's solely woman. It’s a temporary trace of a union between the 2 warring factions. As he’s carried away by his grief, the King thinks he has accomplished his obligation.
However, clearly, it was all an act. The Alicent boys are naturally extra bitter, provided that Rhaenyra and her household will sit on all of the thrones. After beforehand mocking their marriages, Aemond – the boy who grew to become Vhagar's new dragonrider in Home of the Dragon episode 7 – makes a ultimate speech. He chooses his phrases properly, calling Rhaenyra's kids “robust” whereas implying one thing else solely. When the kids begin to struggle, they’re separated and despatched to their rooms. Rhaenyra then tells Alicent that they are going to be leaving for Dragonstone within the morning – she received what she got here for – regardless that they simply arrived.
As Alicent attends to her husband the king after the controversial dinner, Viserys begins babbling in regards to the “tune of ice and fireplace”. It tells of the dream that Aegon the Conqueror had—a imaginative and prescient of a protracted night time when invaders would arrive from the North—the main points of which have been handed down from technology to technology, from one Targaryen chief to a different. However the queen misinterpreted it, pondering that it speaks of her son Aegon (II) because the “prince that was promised” and “one to unite the dominion”. It’s clear that Alicent will use these phrases to ascertain the credentials of his son later. Rhaenyra may need heard all of it (when Viserys was sober and in her senses), nevertheless it's her phrase towards Alicent now.
And with the King respiration his final in Home of the Dragon episode 8, the delicate peace he fought to maintain appears to vanish at any second.
Home of the Dragon Episode 8 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in India, and HBO Max the place out there. New episodes are launched each Monday at 6:30am IST / Sunday at 9pm ET.
