The primary 5 episodes of Home of the Dragon incrementally pushed the story into the longer term, however as of the sixth and most up-to-date outing, “The Princess and the Queen,” we’re carried out tip-toeing down the halls of time. Now, we’re totally sprinting into the longer term, shifting ten years deeper into the lives of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, now performed by new sequence regulars Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke.
Certainly, a lot has modified between the occasions of “We Mild the Method” and “The Princess and the Queen,” it’s value bullet-pointing the headlines shortly so we are able to all communicate the identical language. Prepared for the nuts and bolts? Right here we go:
• Regardless of a cliffhanger ending wherein he collapsed to the bottom, King Viseryes (Paddy Considine) by some means survived the ending of final week’s episode, albeit trying worse for put on than ever. Ten years and nonstop leech remedies haven’t carried out a lot for the poor king, who’s totally down one arm. On the brilliant facet, he appears to have the identical cognitive energy as ever earlier than… which is to say, not practically sufficient of it.
• Princess Rhaenyra (D’Arcy) and Queen Alicent (Cooke) are older, too, leaving actors Milly Alcock and Emily Carey behind because the characters push into their 30s. Are they wiser of their older years? Maybe not. They actually aren’t kinder. The enmity between these two previous associates has solely deepened, evidenced by Alicent’s merciless command to see Rhaenyra’s new child son instantly after the princess has given start to him. Unable to provide an inch to her opponent, Rhaenyra walks all the best way to the queen’s chamber along with her son in hand, mere moments after bringing him into this world.
• The infant joins the rising forged on the coronary heart of the royal household, as Rhaenyra and Alicent each have children of their very own, now full-fledged characters. On Alicent’s facet: Aegon (performed by Ty Tennant, son of David, one more Physician Who connection right here in Home of the Dragon), Helaena (Evie Allen), and Aemond (Leo Ashton). On Rhaenyra’s facet of the household tree, her sons are named Jaecarys (Leo Hart) and Lucerys (Harvey Sadler), the previous of whom is subsequent in line for the Iron Throne as soon as Rhaenyra takes her seat. Her new child, birthed into the world on the high of the episode, is Joffrey, taking his identify from his father’s late lover.
• Even throughout the Slim Sea, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) has a brand new household of his personal alongside Laena Velaryon, daughter of the Sea Snake (Steve Toussaint, absent on this episode however assuredly nonetheless within the combine). At present taking residence in Pentos together with his spouse and twin daughters, Daemon’s days of preventing and lusting for the throne look like behind him—with the phrase “seem” doing a number of heavy lifting.
• Along with all the brand new children on the block, we have now a ton of recent dragons within the combine as properly. Hopeful future king Jace claims the dragon Vyrmax at one level, whereas his cousin Aemond is left to bond with a creature known as “The Pink Dread” … only a pig with wings, nothing extra. (You don’t must be an eagle-eyed viewer to note Aemond is lower than amused by that specific prank.) Again in Daemon’s world, the largest dragon of all of them soars excessive overhead: Vhaegar, the oldest dwelling dragon, now serving Laena (Nanna Blondell, the third actress to take the mantle). Certainly, Vhaegar and Laena are so completely bonded, the dragon would even burn her personal rider to demise if—and when—she requested for it.
That’s the tough narrative terrain after we hop again into the story 10 years down the highway. Emotionally, a lot is as we left it, simply intensified. Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) remains to be a member of the Kingsguard, now faithfully at Queen Alicent’s facet. Lyonel Robust (Gavin Spokes) stays Hand of the King, although not for lengthy. Tensions between the princess Rhaenyra and Alicent are so excessive, they’ll’t probably rise increased—till they do precisely that.
Rhaenyra’s new youngster is the Valyrian straw that breaks the dragon’s again. Child Joffrey marks her third son who seems to be nothing like husband Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan), a indisputable fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the princess’ adversaries—particularly, Queen Alicent. Rhaenyra’s ex-best buddy isn’t incorrect in her suspicions, both: Jace, Luke and Joffrey are all of the organic sons of Ser Harwin Robust (Ryan Corr), higher generally known as Breakbones, who has change into the princess’s lover in some unspecified time in the future prior to now decade. Yet one more main off-screen improvement that fuels the most recent on-screen drama.
For what it’s value, Rhaenyra and Harwin’s relationship is the worst-kept secret in King’s Touchdown, with solely the king himself refusing to see it. However even Viserys will get a front-row take a look at the rumor in motion, when Criston Cole calls Breakbones out about his true relationship to Jace and Luke, resulting in the 2 knights slugging it out in public. Consequently, Harwin loses his job, and his father Lyonel makes an attempt to give up his function as Hand, just for Viserys to disclaim his resignation. Even now, Viserys refuses to see the reality.
