“House of the Dragon” S1 Episode 7 Review: Aemond, Vhagar, and a Shocking Targaryen Wedding
In this episode of “House of the Dragon,” King Viserys calls for an end to the infighting as everyone gathers at Driftmark for Laena’s funeral. He does not get the pause from the infighting that he seeks. He is clearly ill at this point, but his family pays no heed to his desires for peace. The political tension is just too great. It is clear, by the way, that Aegon is bored.
The most shocking thing about this episode is Laena’s funeral, which draws everyone. Laena receives a traditional Velaryon sea burial, with her coffin lowered into the water. It is a striking way to open an already tense episode. The biggest story of this episode, apart from the desired peace, is that Rhaenyra and Daemon get married. Do you think their marriage will last?
“House of the Dragon” Episode 7 Review
The two big stories of this episode are the leadership chaos inside the castle, which comes to a head in this episode of “House of the Dragon.” This happens right after Aemond steals and goes for a joyride on a dragon. The second major story is Daemon and Rhaenyra’s relationship, which leads to their eventual marriage which is set up by Laenor’s death.
Why King Viserys Wants Peace at Driftmark in “House of the Dragon”
The first big story of this episode is the peace among family members that is desired by King Viserys. The infighting over his succession is destroying his family and, though ill, he sees the civil war that is brewing. He gets a firsthand look at this, as the contestants later come to blows (and slashes).
After the funeral, Aemond claims a dragon, Vhagar (the dragon that belonged to Laena). He rides it around the castle and wakes those who were asleep. He makes a big ruckus. When he returns, Lucerys ultimately cuts Aemond’s eye. In the melee, Luke has his nose broken, and Lord Corlys arrives just as King Viserys demands everyone be silenced in the hall together.
In the hall, Alicent and Rhaenyra are at the center of the chaos. This is not the type of peace that King Viserys wants, with his wife and daughter fighting. Aemond is asked who told him about Rhaenyra’s sons, and he names Aegon. “Everyone knows,” he says. Oh boy, shocked silence follows.
King Viserys says the fighting is sufficient and demands that everyone stop fighting. They do not. Alicent, his wife, gets Viserys’ dagger and attempts to attack Lucerys before Rhaenyra intervenes. Alicent then cuts Rhaenyra’s arm. She cuts the latter’s arm, and blood splatters all over the floor. This is jarring since the two were childhood friends.
The tension of the dramatic scene ends when Aemond says he may have lost his eye, but he gained a dragon. So, the matter is resolved. A disturbing scene happens right afterward, with Otto Hightower telling his daughter Alicent he is proud of her. Alicent’s side now has Vhagar, one of the most powerful dragons in the realm, and Otto sees that as a major advantage. Maesters, meanwhile, patches up Rhaenyra.
Daemon and Rhaenyra’s Relationship Takes a Shocking Turn
It is said that politics makes for strange bedfellows. We see a first-hand piece of evidence in this episode of “House of the Dragon” with Daemon and Rhaenyra having sex and then getting married. After the funeral, Daemon and Rhaenyra walk down to the beach together and start kissing.
She says she wants him, and they have sex right there on the beach. Afterwards, she suggests that the two get married, in true Targaryen fashion, by binding their blood. They get married in a ceremony at the end of the episode on Dragonstone. In the ceremony, the blood of each is smeared on the other.
This is all made possible by Laenor’s supposed death. Daemon and Rhaenyra arrange for Qarl Correy to appear to kill Laenor, while another body is burned so everyone believes Laenor is dead. In reality, Laenor survives and escapes Driftmark with Qarl. The scene shows Qarl stabbing Laenor, and the camera lingers on Laenor’s body being burned beyond recognition in the fireplace.
An Unholy Alliance
These two stories in the seventh episode of “House of the Dragon” are linked. The shifting alliances that make for the political infighting preview the civil war that will rack the kingdom. Daemon and Rhaenyra are on one side of that civil war. The Greens are on the other side.
