House of the Dragon Episode 8 – now on HBO Max and Disney+ Hotstar – is titled “The Lord of the Tides”. That’s because it largely focuses on deciding who will be the heir to the Driftmark’s throne, with Lord Corliss “Sea Snake” Valerian (Steve Toussaint) believed to be mortally wounded. (It’s a little odd that the Game of Thrones prequel spin-off series has essentially killed one of its main cast members completely off-screen. Thank you, time jumps.) In some ways, House of the Dragon Episode 8 could have been called “Lord of the Undercurrents”. While everyone involved can feel it, almost no one has the audacity to admit that war is inevitable and just around the corner. It is, if you can put it that way, the calm before the inevitable storm.
And what a strange tense peace. Six years have passed since the events of dragon house Episode 7. King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) is a shadow of his former self. Half of his face is gone, he is more or less lying in bed, and he survives on poppy milk—which gives rise to the extreme pain he feels. In his absence, the Hightowers are basically the new rulers: Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), and their hand-king father, Ser Otto Hightower (Rice Ifan). And given the Valerian household’s strong ties to wife-husband Princess Renera (Emma D’Arcy) and Prince Damon (Matt Smith)—both were married to Sea Snake’s children—the Hightowers naturally follow the standard rules of inheritance. not willing to accept. Apply to driftmark.
Instead of taking things with fire and blood, as was the case in Episode 7, political intrigue and back dealing is the name of the game in House of the Dragon Episode 8. The Hightowers have invited “petitions” that will be heard in Raid’s Place, and since the scales of power are tilted in their favor at this time – the king’s hand speaks on behalf of the king when he is unwell – they are ready to deal a heavy blow to Rainera. are certain. Holding Driftmark gives you control of the largest fleet of the Seven Kingdoms. In episode 7 that Alicent’s third-born Prince Amond (Evan Michel) conquers the Vagar, and it will make him formidable. Rainera understands this too – which is why she leaves for King’s Landing as soon as she gets the word.
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Will Johnson as Ser Waymond Valerian in House of the Dragon Episode 8
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
The said word comes from Damon’s daughter, Lady Bella (Bethany Antonia) in the driftmarks. (Bella has become her grandmother’s ward in the years since episode 7) House of the Dragon Episode 8 opens there, with Sea Snake’s younger brother, Ser Waymond Valerian (Will Johnson), making his case for why he needs to be new. needed. The owner of Driftmark should not make Corliss. I have to admit, I had to see his name. Vaemond has barely been on the show — it’s partly a problem of years of jumping, characters not getting enough screen time — and suddenly, she’s front and center for a mighty seat. Like, who are you? Princess Rennes Targaryen (Eve Best) warns her brother-in-law that her words are treasonous, but Waymond is secure in the knowledge that it is the queen who rules these days.
Alicent is so busy governing that she doesn’t even have time to greet her guests, Renera and Damon. Although this is the more charitable version. The two best friends from childhood are no longer seen face-to-face – and things ended very badly last time around. In fact, when they meet again dragon house Episode 8, Alicent’s gaze turns to Rainera’s left hand, where the scar has healed but is visible. Instead of being a moment of concession, the reunion ends spicy, with accusations leveled back and forth. Given the status of his king father, Rainera feels that the Hightowers are occupying the Iron Throne without any legitimacy. After all, he is the heir. Alicent protests that Viserys is guiding them from his bed. In whom do you choose to believe?
Damon’s laugh at that time in House of the Dragon episode 8 says it all. After all, it’s clear who’s really calling the shots. Judgment Alicent – with the guidance of his father, Otto – here is essentially a reflection on the bigger picture. If you ignore a son’s right of inheritance (in this case, Prince Lucerise, son of Rainera and grandson of Sea Snake in the name, if not by blood) because you want someone who is on your side ( In this case, Waymond is the guy who’s barely been on the show), you’re setting a dangerous precedent. Sure, you’re helping your own cause down the line – Rainera’s chosen heir versus Alicent’s firstborn Aegon – but it also opens you up to questioning and suspicion from other lords in the future.
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Emma D’Arcy as Renera Targaryen in House of the Dragon Episode 8
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
To Rainera, the petitions are a profound disgrace. The Targaryen Princess sees this as a question of her own legitimacy to claim the Iron Throne – if her children are ignored for the Driftmark seat, what does it say about who wields ultimate power? At night, Rainera once again visits her ailing father, praying to the half-gods to give her the power to oversee the proceedings. But in the morning, when the petitions are heard in the Great Hall, there is no sign of Viserys. Instead, it is Otto who sits on the Iron Throne. As Waymond makes his case in Valerian’s House of the Dragon Episode 8, Rainera is clearly disappointed. She may be the heir to the Iron Throne, but at the moment, she is completely powerless.
Then, the mood in the Great Hall completely changes as the doors open. In Walk Viserys – Holding a cane, the kings of the Seven Kingdoms slowly make their way to the Iron Throne. Otto, Alicent and Waymond glance at each other, knowing that their plans are about to spill over. Viserys’ weakness is evident to everyone in House of the Dragon Episode 8, and he can barely keep the crown on his head, but once he gets to the other end of the room, it’s clear that there is now only one A man’s voice matters. King notes that since Corliss is injured, the best person to speak on his behalf would be his wife, Rainice.
Rather than making a case for herself as she previously suggested, Rainey publicly agrees to the marriage proposals set by Rainera in private in this episode. It’s smart. Instead of undermining herself in front of Viserys, which is everything from the book, The Queen Who Never Was Shows She Knows How to Play game of Thrones, However, his brother-in-law Vaemond does not have it. He goes on a rampage, calling Rainera the W-word and his children the B-word. Forget the insult; This is seditious, especially considering how Viserys reacted in House of the Dragon episode 7. As you might expect, the king wakes up and asks for Valerian’s tongue. But Damon is two steps ahead, as he beheads Waymond from behind. And just like that, the man we barely knew is gone.
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Evan Michel as Amond Targaryen in House of the Dragon Episode 8
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton / HBO
Over dinner that night, the ailing Viserys tries his best to bridge the differences between his wife and his daughter. (House of the Dragon Episode 8 sets up this scene with a nice shot of the literal gap between the queen and the heir—one that is appropriately filled by the king.) And for a while, her words worked. Huh. Rainera and Alicent acknowledge each other’s efforts. Even Rainera’s kids get in on the act, doing their best to say something nice to their uncle, Alicent’s boys. Satisfied with what he is seeing, Viserys asks for music, leading to a dance between one of Rainera’s boys and Alicent’s only girl. It is a brief sign of a union between two warring factions. As he turns away because of his pain, the king thinks that he has done his duty.
But, apparently, that was all an act. The boys of Alicent are naturally more bitter, given that Rainera and his family will all sit on the throne. Having previously mocked them over their weddings, Amond – the guy who became Whogar’s new dragonrider in House of the Dragon episode 7 – gives a final speech. He chooses his words cleverly, pointing to Renera’s boys as “strong”. something else entirely, As the children start fighting, they are separated and sent to their cells. Rainera then tells Alicent that they will leave for Dragonstone in the morning – she got what she came for – even though they had just arrived.
As Alicente visits her king husband after a controversial dinner, Viserys begins to talk about the “song of ice and fire”. He is talking about the dream that Aegon the Conqueror had – a vision about a long night when invaders from the north would come – the details of which have been passed down from generation to generation, from one Targaryen ruler to another. But the queen misunderstands him, thinking that he is talking about her son Aegon (II) as “the one who was promised to the prince” and “the uniter of the kingdom”. It is clear that Alicent is going to use those words later to establish her son’s credibility. Rainyra may have heard the whole thing (when Viserys was calm and on his senses), but it is now his word against Alicent.
And with the King taking his last breath in House of the Dragon Episode 8, the brittle peace he struggles to keep is ready to disappear any second.
House of the Dragon episode 8 streaming now Disney+ Hotstar in India, and hbo max wherever available. New episodes release every Monday at 6:30 AM IST / Sundays at 9 PM ET.