In the sport of Thrones universe, penultimate episodes are the most likely to pummel viewers with mind-blowing feats of struggle choreography, or surprise them with merciless twists. Ned Stark’s beheading, the conflict of the Blackwater, the battle of the Bastards, the struggle of Winterfell — they all passed off within the 9th episodes of their respective seasons, provoking the unstated settlement with viewers that finales were given all of the pizzazz.
This ninth episode is a ordinary beast (specifically considering that Miguel Sapochnik, who directed a number of the war-heavy episodes indexed above, is a showrunner for residence of the Dragon). There are those dragon pyrotechnics on the cease, when Meleys pummels via the masonry of the Dragonpit ground like the T. Rex roaring via the banner on the give up of the first Jurassic Park, but for the most component “The green Council” is a recreation of cat and (drunk) mouse.
Rhaenyra doesn’t make an look — a fitting selection, considering she is aware of nothing of her father’s dying, the coup to knock her from the accession, and the mini civil war brewing inside the large one. Rather, this episode belongs entirely to Alicent, who has come a long manner from the benign little mildew that the display’s writers haplessly locked her into for the primary half of the season. (Olivia Cooke were given all the good stuff — and made the most of it.) This Alicent is calculating however sympathetic: we watch as her shell hardens and crackles over 24 hours after she learns of Viserys’s loss of life. Her tears are actual, but so is her newfound determination to assert herself because the interpreter of her husband’s, ahem, very last wishes.
Even though Alicent hadn’t misinterpreted Viserys’s final-breath mumblings about “Aegon’s desires” and the track of Ice and fireplace, Otto and the Small Council (terrible Beesbury excluded) might have routed Rhaenyra from the throne and hooked up Aegon the Asshole besides: they’d a plan of succession as distinctive because the Queen of england’s funeral cortege. (The trouble with the authority of the monarch is that it’s really worth less than nothing after said sovereign croaks.) Alicent wishes her eldest son at the Iron Throne, however is correctly horrified via her father — her ethical certitude flip flops alternatively realistically — and received’t stand for the scheme to put off Rhaenyra, Daemon, and their kiddos. The paternal bond and Alicent’s usefulness can be all that maintain her alive as she stands inside the way of (this component) of Otto’s plot. Consider what happened to Lord Beesbury, whose head ends up a cracked egg on the Council’s table. Dissent, quashed.
That is a campy, capey episode, and the quest for Aegon offers abundant possibilities for courtiers and sworn swords to don their trusty hoodies. Alicent and Otto every ship out a duo to search for Aegon and anoint him inside the mild of The Seven: because the episode stretches on it becomes extra clear that that is a ruse without a factor. Finding Aegon received’t maintain Rhaenyra alive — Alicent would possibly have spent the time sending 1000 ravens to Driftmark to warn the princess that she became now a marked girl. As an alternative, she dispatches Criston and a resentful Aemond into the city to dig up the inheritor unapparent. The combination is an interesting one: Criston and Aemond each see themselves because the embodiment of valor. Criston — who has twice smashed a man’s head in even as others seemed on — is without a doubt only a vengeful ex, however he thinks he believes in Alicent’s divinity as Queen Consort. Aemond’s inferiority complicated is so sizeable that he surely ought to use a 15-minute chat with better assist, however he does make a solid factor: He research the dominion’s records, can beat nearly all and sundry with a sword in hand, rides the biggest extant dragon, and is commonly extra deserving of the crown. However birth order is a complain while you’re born into the ruling elegance.
Speakme of birth order, Otto’s emissaries to find Aegon are Sers Arryk and Erryk of residence Cargyll — identical twins with a very specific mid-aughts attractive-scummy-indie-band-beard look. We’ve best briefly seen certainly one of them as soon as before: final episode, Alicent mistook Arryk for Erryk, which makes complete feel, considering their look and the truth that George R.R. Martin bestowed names on them that can handiest be differentiated via a tiny wiggle of the epiglottis. Alternatively, a mix-up may be the point of the Wakefields of Westeros.
They ultimately discover Aegon — below an altar inside the Sept? — way to … Mysaria? Who is also an suggest for deprived fight membership youngsters and goes by means of the name the White trojan horse? Forgive the query marks, but this logjam is the made of a few very moved quickly narrative swerves and a timeline so rushed that i found it simpler to tell apart Arryk and Erryk than to figure what inside the seven hells became occurring right here. Mysaria, whose accent borders at the offensive, meets with Otto (lookin’ good in a hood) to allow him understand that she’ll screen Aegon’s location if he shuts down the children’ swing ring. Aemond and Criston just so happen to peer this take vicinity, in a capital metropolis teeming with people and slender passageways. A sword fight on the stairs ensues, and Aegon finally ends up in Aemond’s clutches.
Aegon is a begrudging king-to-be, and who can blame him? (“I haven’t any desire to rule, no flavor for duty. I’m not suitable!” is a hilarious but self-aware aspect to yell when a person is attempting to make you the maximum effective man at the continent.) protecting Blackfyre, the Valyrian metallic sword wielded via Aegon the Conqueror, turns him on, although, and the pageantry receives his blood pumping. Alicent thinks she can offer him suggest (basically, don’t kill your step-aunt/half of-sister) but we’ve all seen that look earlier than. King Aegon will no longer be referred to as “the non violent.”
Permit’s take a second of silence to honor absolutely the bullshittery of that express coronation. I refuse to consider that Westerosi infantrymen could make a sword archway for their new king to run via, like he’s coming out of the tunnel at the AFC East Championship. There was additionally, I shudder to remind you, a few slo-mo. And lastly, Ser Criston Cole, fancy knight from nowhere, has no authority to crown the new goddamn king. HE MURDERED someone IN A assembly the day past.
Princess Rhaenys, who needed to sit around for a whole season looking justifiably angry, eventually receives her due. Her counsel to Alicent is wise — “you choice no longer to be loose however to make a window within the wall of your jail” — and once more she makes the honorable choice, refusing to assist Aegon’s claim in trade for Dragonstone, and her freedom. Bizarrely, Alicent tells her that she have to had been queen, that her claim changed into legitimate and her instincts for the process higher. But Rhaenys in part supports Rhaenyra because she once shared her state of affairs. Because the firstborn, Rhaenys’s claim become exceeded over due to her gender. In a bid to woo Rhaenys, Alicent contradicts herself.
Launched from her chamber by way of one of the Cargyll twins (“I can not permit this treachery stand”), Rhaenys is carried into the Dragonpit by way of the crowds. A forerunner to Cersei Lannister’s devilish ingenuity, Rhaenys bets on what lies underneath the ground, and heads underneath to reconvene with her dragon. Flying stones and stomping dragon ft take out some dozen commoners, but while Meleys bellows, it’s extra than a danger to blo
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