Warning: This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon.

Summary

House of the Dragon
director Geeta Vasant Patel has broken down the latest episode’s ending.
Rhaenyra’s visit to King’s Landing reveals Alicent’s true motives, deepening the rift between them.
A war is inevitable, with tensions rising among the Targaryen family members as the series progresses.

Season 2, Episode 3 of House of the Dragon premiered last night, and after its shocking ending, audiences were left shaking. Of course, the episode’s director, Geeta Vasant Patel, had to come out and say something about the tense encounter between two central figures in the series. At first, it feels like this was Rhaenyra’s last resort in trying to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict by approaching Alicent, Aegon’s mother, who used to be her friend. Unfortunately for the Seven Kingdoms, it became a confirmation that war is inevitable.

In the third episode of Season 2, “The Burning Mill,” both sides remain divided over the personal views of those close to the leaders. In Dragonstone, Rhaenyra tries to avoid war in any way she can. The members of her council share different approaches, and so far, she only thinks of keeping her family safe; she sends her youngest children away from Dragonstone alongside her stepdaughter, Rhaena. Daemon heads over to Harrenhal, one of Westeros’ creepiest places, to claim it for the crown. What he finds is little resistance and a vision that will leave everyone scratching their heads. In King’s Landing, Aegon remains narrow-minded and will only follow Ser Criston’s thirst for vengeance and violence. His mother, Alicent, is unable to control him. Even his brother, Aemon, suffers from the childish and immature attitude of the new king, who holds no respect for anyone.

House of the Dragon Taking place about 172 years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon tells the tale of the rise of the Targaryens, the only family of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria. The popular HBO spinoff show first starred Milly Alcock and Emily Carey as Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower before they were replaced by Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, who play the older versions of the characters. Also starring in the series is Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen) and Paddy Considine as Rhaenyra’s father, King Viserys Targaryen.Release Date August 21, 2021

However, in the third act of the episode, Rhaenyra does the unthinkable: she sneaks into King’s Landing to try and find a solution to the inevitable conflict. She will appeal to her past with Alicent and talk her into preventing the civil war of the Targaryens. Their exchange is calm until Rhaenyra asks for some explanation about the sudden change in heart (Alicent had once said, “Rhaenyra would make a fine queen”). Alicent simply replies that it was Viserys’ dying wish. But when Rhaenyra asks her more details, she realizes her father was probably suffering too much, and spoke of a prophecy. Rhaenyra realizes the “Aegon” her father mentioned in his last words was the “Aegon” of a tale he always told. Alicent realizes she may have made a mistake, and while Rhaenyra tries to make her see this, she runs in panic, confirming she will do anything but unite the family together again.

Director Patel Expands on House of the Dragon’s Latest Episode Ending
HBO

Per Screen Rant, Patel expands on the episode’s ending, sharing some insight into the dance the characters are now caught up in, and what it means to Alicent and Rhaenyra’s future. Patel said:

“When the two women came together at the end of this episode, we just felt like, ‘Wait a minute, this isn’t about stopping the war. This is about these two women and their relationship. This is about Rhaenyra’s relationship with her father’… In episode 8 [of the first season], these two women had been fighting, fighting, fighting, and then finally promised each other that they would be friends. And Alicent tells Rhaenyra, ‘You are the queen.’ This is the first time they’re coming back around and seeing each other face-to-face, and it is a reckoning for both of them. Alicent saw what she saw, and Rhaenyra feels betrayed by her sister.”

Related Every Dragon We’ve Seen So Far in House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones It’s always a treat whenever a dragon from House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones soars onto our screens.

Patel continues, delving further into the intricate details of the episode’s closing moments. She adds:

“The other thing that we realized was that, again, Rhaenyra is not there to make a deal. Why is she really there? In my mind, and this is what Emma [D’Arcy] and I talked about, she’s there because her dad walked down that aisle in episode 8 and told her, “I love you, and I choose you.” He had not chosen her before; nobody had chosen Rhaenyra. That was a big moment for her, and now everything that happened is thrown away because apparently he said, ‘No, no, I take that back. It’s not her. It’s this other guy’…Rhaenyra was there to ask, ‘Did my father love me? Did he lie to me?’…”

I think there’s something really profound that’s happening with Rhaenyra, because she is someone who in the past has compromised. But in this moment, I believe and this is me as a fan—there’s an ego rising in her.

“There is an ego forming, and I think that really helps develop the end of the episode where you feel the ego again.
Alicent is spinning from everything she’s just heard
, but her ego keeps her from saying, ‘Okay, you’re right. I’m wrong.’ Instead, she’s just like, ‘No, I’m sticking to my guns,’ so Rhaenyra’s galvanized to push the button.”

A War is Blooming in House of the Dragon

In the episode, Ser Criston is now on the road following his king’s orders to claim the territory that will help them advance in the conflict. But a Hightower is put by his side by Alicent, and the new Hand of the King isn’t very happy about it. However, what’s important is that Baela saw them in her dragon and almost caught them before they hid in a forest. Baela returned to Dragonstone to tell Rhaenyra, and this is when the queen decided to approach Alicent.

Daemon hasn’t found any peace in his quest, and would certainly go to war if needed. His “nightmare” wasn’t premonitory but it ended in a harrowing message shared by a Harrenhal resident. Also, in this episode, we saw Aemond being the same old devilish guy, but he’s showing some grudge towards his brother, which means nothing is good in the Targaryen household of King’s Landing. By this point, it’s inevitable. A war is coming, just like the winter in Game of Thrones. Rhaenyra and Alicent seemed to be on the same page to try and find peace. But after last night’s tense and nervous conversation, we can’t see Rhaenyra holding back. Her sad but furious glance at Alicent’s lack of reasoning was revelatory: she will strike. The question is when.

House of the Dragon
‘s episodes are released every Sunday and are available to stream on Max.