‘House of the Dragon’ soars into the battle to come with its season finale – KTVZ

A woman with silver blonde hair in a crown and a black cloak.

All hail the Black Queen.
Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

After 10 episodes, several time jumps, and manner more dragons than we ever saw on
Game of Thrones, Season ane of
Firm of the Dragon
has come to an unforgettable end.

The season finale, “The Blackness Queen,” picks up where the ninth episode, “The Green Council,” left off. Princess Rhaenys (Eve All-time) informs Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) that the Greens accept disrespected her claim and usurped the Iron Throne. The residue of the episode sticks with the Black camp, post-obit how they plan to proceed in the face up of what will certainly be a war of succession.

Of grade, this being Westeros, things don’t quite play out how you’d expect, and in that location are several twists — and one devastating expiry — ahead. Allow’due south intermission it downwards.

What is Rhaenyra’southward side by side motion?

A woman with silver blonde hair in a black cloak stands at a war table covered in candles. Knights swarm behind her.

And and so the Dance of Dragons begins.
Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

“The Black Queen” puts Rhaenyra through hell. She finds out that her father Viserys is dead and that Alicent (Olivia Cooke) put Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the Iron Throne, and
then
she goes into premature labor. She delivers a stillborn baby and has no time at all to mourn before she is crowned Queen by her supporters in Dragonstone.

In the midst of all this grief, Rhaenyra does her best to hold the realm together, as this is what Aegon the Conquistador’south Song of Ice and Fire demands of a Targaryen leader. However, she does movement to take stock of her allies. Once Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) recovers from his fever, he declares Business firm Velaryon’s back up for her. With Corlys at her side, Rhaenyra has the advantage of the biggest fleet in Westeros, one that can cutting off shipping lanes to Rex’southward Landing. If Rhaenyra could bind Houses Arryn, Tully, Stark, and Baratheon to her side, she would exist truly unstoppable. She sends out her sons Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) as messengers to these cracking lords. Jacaerys will treat with Cregan Stark, while Lucerys will remind Borros Baratheon of the oath his begetter swore to Rhaenyra years ago.

What does the piece of paper Otto gives Rhaenyra mean?

A woman with silver blonde hair in a crown and black cloak and a man in a black fur cloak stand on a stone path overlooking the ocean.

History repeats itself.
Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO

Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) arrives on Dragonstone to deliver Rhaenyra terms for her accepting Aegon equally king. He is met with a very hostile Daemon (Matt Smith) and Rhaenyra riding Syrax. The whole scene plays out like a mirror version of the Dragonstone collision from episode two. Once, Rhaenyra and Daemon were rivals threatening each other with dragons. Now, the two of them join together against Otto.

Just like with the last Dragonstone showdown, this tense encounter doesn’t end in bloodshed, and information technology’s all thanks to a bulletin from Alicent. Otto hands Rhaenyra a piece of paper and she recognizes it immediately every bit a page from a history book that Alicent one time quizzed her on, all the manner back in episode 1. The fact that Alicent kept it all these years — and that Rhaenyra
remembers
— definitely speaks to the strength of their bail (as well as, dare I say it, deeper feelings than friendship). Since Rhaenyra and Alicent were on the verge of reconciling in episode 8, information technology makes sense that Rhaenyra doesn’t immediately attack Otto. If there’s a chance to mend that friendship and unite the realm, she will near definitely consider it.

Who is that dragon Daemon sings to, and what does that scene mean for Season 2?

A large bronze dragon stares down at a man with silver blonde hair.

A new dragon friend!
Credit: Courtesy of HBO

While Rhaenyra exercises restraint afterward learning of her father’s expiry, Daemon craves decisive action. With his blood brother dead and his wife’s throne usurped, he’s clearly on the warpath. He even takes his anger out on Rhaenyra. 1 of the episode’s darker scenes sees him choking her at the mention of the Vocal of Ice and Burn. To him, this is a reminder of Viserys’ own inaction and obsession over dreams. Simply in his mind, the Targaryens didn’t get where they did because of dreams. The source of their power has always been dragons. And Daemon plans to become more than of them.

Afterwards in the episode, Daemon journeys under the Dragonmont on Dragonstone, where he encounters a very large dragon and sings to it in High Valyrian. That dragon is Vermithor, and he hasn’t had a rider since Jaehaerys, the king earlier Viserys.

Every bit Daemon points out, at that place are several riderless dragons roaming Westeros, including Laenor’southward old dragon Seasmoke. If the Blacks can discover dragonriders, they’ll get more dragons, and their advantage over the Greens will grow. Vermithor doesn’t attack Daemon, so step 1 in his program seems to be a success. Flavor 2 volition likely come across Daemon seeking out a new crop of dragonriders and teaching them… how to train their dragons.

What happens at Storm’s End in the
House of the Dragon
finale?

A man dressed in black with silver blonde hair and an eyepatch stands in a stone hall. A bearded man sits on a throne behind him

The outfit? Impeccable. The kinslaying? Inexcusable.
Credit: Gary Moyes/HBO

House of the Dragon
Season 1 ends with our first big dragon battle of the serial. It’southward Aemond’south (Ewan Mitchell) behemoth Vhagar confronting Lucerys’ small but speedy Arrax. Naturally, Vhagar trounces Arrax and devours Lucerys, simply how we get to that point is every bit every bit important as the dragon-chomping itself.

Lucerys does not find a warm welcome at the House Baratheon seat of Storm’southward Cease. Aemond has already agreed to marry i of Borros’ daughters in commutation for his support, so Borros feels he has nothing to proceeds by bankroll Rhaenyra. However, Aemond escalates the situation by demanding that Lucerys remove one of his eyes as retribution for taking out Aemond’southward eye and so long ago. (Aemond reveals he’s had a sapphire put into his eye socket, confirming that he is the near dramatic Targaryen to always live.)

Lucerys obviously refuses, and what follows is a sky fight! Vhagar hunts Arrax through the clouds, and while Aemond appears to just be having some sadistic fun, Vhagar is out for blood. She takes out Arrax and Lucerys in one large bite, leaving Aemond to stare on in horror as he realizes how gravely this will bear on the conflict between Rhaenyra and Aegon. I don’t know what to tell you, Aemond — when you play with fire, you get burned.

Vhagar’s actions remind united states of the immortal words of Daenerys Targaryen: “A dragon is not a slave.” These are immensely powerful creatures capable of peachy destruction, and they have minds and desires of their own. Until this point in the show, they haven’t fought each other. Now, though, all bets are off. If the Greens’ dragons take on the Blacks’, all of Westeros will suffer.

And past the cease of the episode, information technology’s clear that’s where things are headed. In the finale’south terminal moments, Daemon informs Rhaenyra of Lucerys’s fate. She stares downwards the photographic camera, anger and resolve burning in her optics. It’s a tremendous final bit of interim from D’Arcy, and an omen for Season 2: The Black Queen is going to war. Now, the fire and blood volition pelting down in hostage.

Flavor 1 of
House of the Dragon
is at present streaming HBO Max.

(opens in a new tab)

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Source: https://mashable.com/article/house-of-the-dragon-season-1-ending-explained

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