![]() Rhaenyra’s casual disregard for the laws of inheritance coupled with King Viserys’s (Paddy Considine) stubborn refusal to acknowledge what can be seen plainly understandably has Alicent upset. This is the game of thrones, after all, and if you don’t win it, you die. At first glance, Rhaenyra’s current situation – a gay bff for a husband and a zaddy paramour to churn out some heirs – seems pretty ideal. Though it may not at first seem like it because the ride is so smooth, quite a lot happens in “The Princess and The Queen.” But the core of the episode remains the conflict between the titular princess and queen as they jockey for influence at court. The sublime execution of all these elements helps first ease viewers in and then ultimately buy into what could have been a very chaotic episode otherwise. Rarely has it been easier to suspend one’s disbelief that Westerosi history could be our own history than it is here. There is just simply so much joy to be had when everything looks, sounds, and feels right on a period or fantasy show. Larys: “You cannot say that Otto Hightower would be impartial in this matter.”Īlicent: “No, but he would be partial to me!” Harwin: “I wish my father affected a similar blindness.” Lyonel: “A willful blindness of a father towards one child.” Viserys: “I do believe he has his father’s nose.” (upon viewing a baby that definitely does not have his “father’s” nose)Īlicent: “You are the challenge. Rhaenyra: “Yes, I should.” (as she stands up) Midwife: “You should remain abed, princess.” Just about everything said in this episode is believably “Westerosi” with the lines consistently rising to the heightened occasion that characters find themselves in. Some of the best lines are borrowed from Martin himself (like Alicent’s absolutely cutting take down of Laenor and his “children”) but many others appear to have arisen from the joint efforts of the writing staff in this script penned by Sara Hess. This is among the best-written installments of the show yet and the dialogue positively sings throughout. What follows is still a well-crafted hour that is positively dripping with raw, uncut, juicy, revolting drama. Granted, the rest of “The Princess and The Queen” doesn’t quite live up to the deliriously joyful highs of its opening act but nothing really could. In the span of roughly 10 minutes, House of the Dragon has effortlessly caught its viewers up on a decade of missing time, established the bona fides of several new actors, and set up the central conflict for the rest of the episode and beyond. #Spike king og dragon episode Patch#Sooner or later you may get one that looks like you,” Alicent tells Rhaenyra’s silver-locked husband upon seeing a third consecutive child with a patch of brown hair. Martin’s funniest and most catty lines ever. It also helps that the opener culminates in the delivery of one of George R.R. Martin’s storytelling (the weight of shared history wrapping itself around characters’ necks like a noose) with the visual artistry of fundamentally good-TV making. “The Princess and the Queen’s” opening dispatch is a perfect House of the Dragon moment because it combines what’s best about George R.R. Tell your freshly labored wife about that time you took a lance to the shoulder, king. And Laenor…well, he’s just being his best self. Alicent’s malevolence is believably growing. Perhaps it goes without saying but D’Arcy, Cooke, and Senator Cory Bo…I mean John Macmillan are immediately superb in their roles. All of the wounds built up between Rhaenyra and Alicent in their youth haven’t healed but calcified to the point where the queen would demand to see the princess’s child the moment he was born without giving her one single second of rest. #Spike king og dragon episode full#This opening scene (which may be the best thing the show has done yet, full stop) capably communicates just how exhausting the past 10 or so years have been for Rhaenyra. Here, however, House of the Dragon doesn’t appear to be aiming for excitement but rather exhaustion. Usually television deploys single-shot takes or “oners” to create a sensation of exciting perpetual motion for the audience. From the moment that Rhaenyra gives birth to her third son Joffrey to the moment she brings him to Alicent in her chambers, the camera never takes its eyes off of her. Though it might not be immediately apparent to the viewer because the technical execution is so seamless, the first 10 minutes or so appear to be shot in one take. ![]()
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