The House of the Dragon Season 2 finale is here, folks, and with it comes the call of war (finally). “The Queen Who Ever Was” isn’t a frenetic, action-packed, high-octane freight train, but it sows more narrative seeds for the rest of the Dance and digs deeper into these characters. It also strays off-book significantly in some respects; however, that shouldn’t matter as long as you view book and show canon as two different things.
House of the Dragon, “The Queen Who Ever Was”
Below, I’ve compiled a list of my eight favorite moments from House of the Dragon‘s “The Queen Who Ever Was.” DISCLAIMER: The night is dark and full of spoilers for this series and Fire & Blood, so proceed at your peril.
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Helaena Telling Aemond About Her Visions
As a Fire & Blood reader, this scene is pretty damn rad. Helaena (Phia Saban) discloses her visions to Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), and he doesn’t like what he hears. She claims that Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) has yet to see victory and that he’ll eventually sit on a “wooden throne.” In the book, Aegon walks again, but he’s unable to climb the steps to the Iron Throne. Thus, he holds court from a cushioned, wooden seat.
According to Helaena, Aemond boasts a much different fate. He’ll be “swallowed by the God’s Eye, never to be seen again.” This foreshadows Aemond’s fateful battle with Daemon (Matt Smith) above the God’s Eye, a large lake near Harrenhal in the Riverlands.
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Ewan Mitchell and Phia Saban are incredible in this scene. Upon hearing Helaena’s dream, you see Aemond revert to that fearful little boy. She also knows he purposely burned Aegon. With her unique gift of clairvoyance, Helaena is a formidable threat. I wouldn’t be surprised if Aemond finds a way to subdue sweet Helaena while endeavoring to reverse his inevitable death via Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin).
Aegon, the Realm’s Delight
I love the scene between Aegon and Larys (Matthew Needham) when the latter tries to persuade the king to flee the city. Tom Glynn-Carney is my MVP this season. Even bedridden, he’s still delivering one of the best performances on the show. Admittedly, the man knows how to act while in bed. Aegon, wondering aloud about the point of it all, broke my heart. Plus, he boasts excellent chemistry with Matthew Needham, who’s also no slouch in the acting department.
Anyway, I also love the full-circle moment when Larys and Aegon try to settle on a sobriquet. Aegon styling himself “The Realm’s Delight” is a fun nod to one of Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) nicknames in Fire & Blood.
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Spotting Sheepstealer
Listen, I’m a simple gal — I just want to see dragons. Gimme all the dragons, please. We finally glimpse Sheepstealer in “The Queen Who Ever Was” when Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) discovers him in the Vale. However, we don’t see her claim him. My guess is she’ll do so in Season 3, or we could still get Nettles’ appearance. Regardless, all hail Sheepstealer, my ugly (yet adorable) sky lizard.
The Ulf/Hugh/Jace Conflict
This season, Jace’s (Harry Collett) storyline has been about his insecurities as a bastard. While he initially suggested that Team Black looks to those with Valyrian blood to claim their rider-less dragons, he’s not a fan of lowborn folks like Ulf (Tom Bennett), Addam (Clinton Liberty) and Hugh (Kieran Bew) getting their piece of the pie. If those who aren’t noble or full Valyrian can ride dragons, what does that say about his claim to the Iron Throne?
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Ulf learning Jace’s identity is hilarious, especially when he tries to touch the latter’s hair and remarks that it’s “as dark as they say.” That had to feel like getting salt in the bastard wound for Jace. Ulf’s behavior and conflict with Jace plant the seeds for his future betrayal. Meanwhile, Hugh is a paragon of honor and virtue. His inevitable turn will be more challenging to pull off.
Tom Bennett is delightful comedic relief, and Harry Collett stretches his dramatic wings to great effect.
Daemon Seeing the Prophecy
I’m a staunch defender of Daemon’s stay in the Harrenhal House of Horrors. At the start of season 2, Daemon had reservations about Rhaenyra’s claim to the Throne. After all, he craves power. He needed to undergo free magical therapy to work through his grief over Viserys’s death, his remorse regarding his treatment of those he loves and put his pursuit of the crown behind him.
I imagine this scene is quite polarizing among the fandom. I’m unsurprised that House of the Dragon wants to forge a connection with Game of Thrones. With Daemon seeing the prophecy—A Song of Ice and Fire—this kickstarts that innate Targaryen savior complex into high gear. It also makes him an unwavering supporter in Rhaenyra’s camp. If anything, he’ll be even more Daemon-y in the coming seasons.
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The weirwood tree vision gave us Bloodraven, the three-eyed crow, dead dragons, the red comet, Dany birthing her three dragons and Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne. Well, that last bit…
Rhaenyra and Alicent
I love this scene. Firstly, it mirrors the sept in episode three, only this time, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) pleads with Rhaenyra to stop the war. I also love that they’re both wearing blue. This references what happens to Alicent later in the Dance, how she eventually finds the color green repulsive. Alicent’s Ophelia moment in the water in “The Red Sowing” awoke something in her — a newfound resolve. We see her own up to her mistake in misinterpreting Viserys’s final words.
There’s also a role reversal at play. Growing up, Rhaenyra shirked her duties and rebelled, embracing her sexuality, while Alicent remained the dutiful and virtuous wife. Alicent admits she resented Rhaenyra for this. Now, Alicent embraces her sexuality despite her strict moral code, which creates cognitive dissonance for her all season. However, she’s free to do as she pleases, while Rhaenyra must adhere to her leadership role and fulfill her destiny.
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We get a full-circle moment from the season premiere when Rhaenyra asks Alicent to choose: “A son for a son.” The emotionally charged silence that hung between them gave me chills. You can feel their history. Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke are titans of their craft.
Corlys and Alyn
Poor Alyn (Abubakar Salim) has been waiting for decades to give Lord Corlys (Steve Toussaint) a piece of his mind. When the Sea Snake finally gives him the time of day, Alyn tells him off. It’s too little, too late to play father now. Abubakar Salim delivers a beautiful performance, brimming with fury and pain.
I love how his speech is emotional yet somewhat restrained since they’re in public. It also feels in line with his character. Steve Toussaint also offers wonderful work, really listening and allowing this speech to affect him. You can tell Corlys wants to say what he thinks but refrains from doing so.
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The Final Sequence
Everyone is finally gearing up for war. Ramin Djawadi’s score really seals the deal for me during this sequence. We hear the Winterfell theme and “The Rains of Castamere.” Perfection. Additionally, we spot Tessarion the Blue Queen as she soars above the Hightower host marching from Oldtown. Tessarion is one of my favorite dragons from Fire & Blood, and even this brief glimpse excites me to see her up close next season.
Otto (Rhys Ifans) wakes up in a prison cell, which certainly is off-script regarding the book, so I’m excited to see who’s holding him captive in Season 3. Aegon and Larys depart King’s Landing for Essos, rendering Alicent’s sacrifice of her son useless. My guess is what will get Alicent back on Team Green is her clashing with Rhaenyra over how to handle Aegon.
I also love the final shots of Alicent out in the open, finally free, with Rhaenyra “trapped” in her library, surrounded by scrolls and histories. The juxtaposition of these frames is intriguing from a narrative and character perspective.
RELATED: Read our House of the Dragon recaps
Overall, it’s a fun montage that gets us amped up for what’s to come. There’s still plenty of Dance action left.
What are your favorite moments from House of the Dragon‘s “The Queen Who Ever Was”? Sound off in the comments below.
House of the Dragon Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Max.
Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: RHAENYS TARGARYEN
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