Ryan Kirksey
The following recap contains spoilers for House of the Dragon S3E2, “Queen’s Landing” (written by Sara Hess and directed by Clare Kilner)
One of the biggest challenges facing House of the Dragon in its penultimate season, and truly since the beginning, has always been the source material itself. Unlike HBO’s Game of Thrones, which had thousands of pages of detailed story from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels to adapt (about 4,500 pages to be exact, depending on your format, with two more 1,000-page novels still to come, hopefully), House of the Dragon is based on a text called Fire & Blood.
Fire & Blood is an account of history told from the perspective of three witnesses. The section of the book that is covered in this entire show is only around 170 pages long and covers a few decades of Targaryen history. That means the writers of the show often have to expand the quiet moments between the major events or create bridges between events, filling in character motivations, conversations, and political maneuvering that were only briefly mentioned in the book, or not mentioned at all.
For example, there is very little dialogue in the book. When there is, the writers often adapt it directly, like with a famous Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) line in this episode. What this means is that at its best, this allows the series to embellish emotional depth to characters like Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), Alicent (Olivia Cooke), and Daemon (Matt Smith). Think about the wonderful conversations between Alicent and Rhaenyra in the first two seasons. At its worst, it can create some slower stretches where the story feels like we are just waiting to reach the next major battle or shocking moment that happened in the book.
“Queen’s Landing” is a perfect example of this tension. The first two-thirds of the episode spend a lot of time building toward Rhaenyra’s descent upon King’s Landing, with characters moving pieces around the board and preparing for battle or for Rhaenyra’s arrival. Some of those scenes are necessary because the show is trying to make the conflict feel personal rather than simply another battle for a throne. But once the episode reaches its final act, the build-up delivers one of the most important moments of Rhaenyra’s journey so far. She returns to King’s Landing and reclaims the Iron Throne where her father, Viserys, once sat.
The episode opens in the aftermath of the Battle in the Gullet, with the cost of victory already weighing heavily on everyone. This is why we get Lord Corlys’s line recorded in Fire & Blood, “If this be victory, I hope I never see another.” Three dragons now fly over the waters, with the dragonseeds Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew), and Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) riding into battle to help finish off the remaining Triarchy forces. Their involvement is curious, because in the book, they are present for the whole battle, whereas here, they just show up to play the last few minutes in a Team Black blowout.
The war has reached a point where bloodlines and houses and armies are no longer enough. Both sides need anyone who can claim a dragon, because dragons have become the equivalent of weapons of mass destruction in Westeros (and will play a role later when four of them arrive in King’s Landing).
But for Rhaenyra, the victory means almost nothing because she has lost her son, Jacaerys (Harry Collett). Baela (Bethany Antonia) returns to Dragonstone carrying Jace’s body, and Rhaenyra’s grief becomes one of the strongest performances Emma D’Arcy has delivered in the series. Instead of responding like a queen making a wartime calculation, she responds like a mother who cannot understand why her child has been taken from her. Her words—“How could you do this to me?” and “You answer me!”—show someone who is not just angry at the war but furious at the gods and at her fate for taking away the one thing she could not replace.
(One line from the book here also helps us see her transition from grief here to resolve and motivation later: “Broken by the loss of one son, Rhaenyra Targaryen seemed to find new strength after the loss of a second.”)
Her grief also causes her to turn inward and question the people around her. Ser Lorent (Max Wrottesley) admits that he failed her when he locked her in her chambers, and offers to surrender his sword and die as punishment, but Rhaenyra saves his fate for later, and will eventually let him decide how he will die. The tragedy is that everyone around her has failed in some way, and now she is left carrying the burden of decisions that have cost her family another heir.
While Rhaenyra mourns, the war continues moving forward, especially in the recovery from a recent battle. Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) searches for Lord Corlys, who remains missing after the battle. Meanwhile, Princess Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) seeks help from Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) in the Vale, hoping for protection, but she is rejected. In desperation, she offers the one thing that could change Jady Jeyne’s mind: her dragon, Sheepstealer, as protection for the Vale. This clearly shows that dragons have become the most powerful currency in Westeros. A person without power can suddenly become the most valuable figure in a kingdom if they control one.
Elsewhere, Daemon celebrates a victory after defeating the Lannister forces. I want to stop after that sentence to express my disappointment in the fact that the “victory” they are celebrating is from a battle called the Fishfeed. This is one of the most violent and tide-turning skirmishes in this civil war, and we apparently aren’t going to get it onscreen. I’m sure we will hear some reasons like financial decisions, timing issues, blah, blah, blah. Just disappointing.
The celebration is decorated with enemy heads displayed on spikes, including that of a lion and of Ser Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall). Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) arrives with wine and a message from Rhaenyra. The moment for celebration is gone for Daemon when he learns of Jace’s death and that he has been summoned back to Dragonstone.
Daemon immediately wants revenge before he even sets off, and draws his leaders together. He pushes the armies led by Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) and Roderick Dustin (Tommy Flanagan) to march toward King’s Landing and strike down their enemies before they have time to recover. Dameon plans to meet them on dragonback as soon as he is able.
Meanwhile, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) find themselves in a dangerous situation as they are transported toward Rhaenyra. Their caravan is attacked by Triarchy soldiers, and Aegon kills one of the men holding them before escaping into the forest. It is a small but important moment for Aegon, showing that despite his weaknesses as a king, he is still capable of survival when forced into a desperate situation. What happens to the two of them is very important, considering what happens next, but I will miss the buddy comedy from Episode 1, with the two of them traveling together.
The episode’s biggest turning point begins when Rhaenyra and Daemon finally decide they must go directly to King’s Landing, trusting Alicent will greet them peacefully as she promised. They know they cannot wait any longer. Rhaenyra’s claim must be restored publicly after losing two sons, and she understands that she cannot simply sit back and hope the kingdom recognizes her. Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) returns Rhaenyra’s crown to her, and she mounts Syrax, ready for the entire balance of power to change.
With Rhaenyra, Daemon, Ulf, and Hugh traveling together, it almost feels like four nuclear weapons heading toward the capital. Their dragons make them nearly unstoppable, but the question becomes whether they will use that power to restore order or create even more destruction, like a certain other Targaryen queen who descended upon King’s Landing some 180 years after this.
Inside the Red Keep, Alicent realizes what is coming. She tells Helaena (Phia Saban) that Rhaenyra is approaching and that they need to flee, but not before they both command the armies to stand down. Standing atop the walls of the Red Keep, she orders the soldiers not to attack anyone who comes. She understands that continuing the cycle of violence will only create more bloodshed and that risks the entire city being burned.
At the same time, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Vhagar bring trouble elsewhere. They arrive at Harrenhal, burn the surrounding area, and attack the inside of the castle all the way to the great hall, where he finds Ser Simon Strong. Aemond searches for Daemon and kills Ser Simon Strong and his sons before being wounded himself. He turns to Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) for help, setting up potentially another mysterious storyline involving magic and the strange forces surrounding Harrenhal.
The final scenes of “Queen’s Landing” are where the episode earns its title. Rhaenyra arrives at King’s Landing, dragons circling above the city as Alicent and Helaena escape. Outside the castle, soldiers bend the knee as Rhaenyra approaches. Inside, there is some resistance by those who are loyal to Aegon II, but Daemon quickly eliminates the remaining threats. When Rhaenyra reaches the Iron Throne, she is at first stopped by Kingsguard members and soldiers, but the City Watch and Ser Luthor Largent (Tom Cullen) reveals its loyalty to her and Daemon. The Green forces are made to surrender.
However, Rhaenyra does not immediately sit on the throne. She demands that Aegon be brought before her. She wants the person responsible for stealing her crown to face her. Grand Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) reveals that Aegon and Larys have already escaped. Instead, Daemon brings her a different prisoner he’s found in the depths of the jails. A present left by Larys Strong, named Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans).
Otto’s subsequent beheading and death should end up being one of the season’s most symbolic moments. Daemon gives Rhaenyra the opportunity to execute him and fully claim her place as queen, but she hesitates at first, not sure if she can. But when Rhaenyra finally swings the blade, she misses on the first attempt, hitting Otto in the back instead.
This is a minor mistake that carries enormous meaning because it immediately reminds viewers of her father, Viserys. During Aegon’s nameday hunt years earlier, Viserys struggled to kill a deer, needing multiple attempts before finally succeeding. While no one would dare say anything, it said something about the King, and his inability to do some of the basic tasks required by a king.
Rhaenyra making the same mistake shows how much she has become like her father, someone who was never naturally built for violence but was forced into a world where violence is the only language people understand. After finally killing Otto and Lord Jasper (the Master of Laws, played by Paul Kennedy), Rhaenyra walks toward the Iron Throne with bloody footprints behind her.
The throne she has spent her entire life trying to claim is finally hers, but the path to it is covered in blood. We certainly get the metaphor, but this won’t be the end of the blood or the fire. Alicent is brought into the room, and as she sees her father dead, and the tragedy of her relationship with Rhaenyra becomes even clearer. These two women once loved and trusted each other, but are now standing on opposite sides of a war that has destroyed both of their families. Even though Rhaenyra trusted Alicent, and Alicent paved a path to the throne as best she could, this act of executing her father will surely drive that wedge deeper.
“Queen’s Landing” may spend much of its time setting the table, but the final moments reveal the direction of the season. Rhaenyra has stopped waiting for the throne to open up for her. She has taken it. The question now is whether she can rule differently (or will be allowed to rule differently by Alicent, Aemond, and Aegon) from the people who came before her, or whether the violence required to win the crown has already changed her forever.
