House of the Dragon Episode 6 Review – The Games Begin!

After the end of Game of Thrones no thought we’ll see a royal saga like this ever again. But HBO wasn’t done giving us adaptations of George R.R. Martin’s works. There came the idea of a prequel, a prequel that would tell the story of the infamous house that ruled over the Seven Kingdoms before Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark’s rebellion. The house whose people are closer to gods than men. The house that tamed the greatest power the world has seen- dragons. The house our Mother of Dragons – Daenerys Stormborn belonged to: House Targaryen or rather House of the Dragon. The show’s events are set 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen. The prequel focuses on King Viserys I’s rule. The rule that was going to give us the Dance of the Dragons.

However, the show isn’t there yet. The show is based on another book of George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood. The pilot of the prequel became HBO’s biggest debut with gathering as much as 9.986 Million viewers in the first 24 hours. While many judged this success was simply an extension of the fan base that Game of Thrones has left behind but the follow-up episode proved everyone wrong. The second episode of the prequel out did the first when it comes to viewership numbers as there was a 2% growth. Meaning not only did the show retain its audience but in fact added eyeballs. However, the third episode saw the show’s first linear viewership drop but that was only on cable. The prequel soared high on HBO Max with 16 Million viewers.

Episode 4 saw another 5% growth in viewership numbers and Episode 5 had a 3% increase. The show has an average audience of 29 Million per episode. That is a humungous number. Apart from viewership records and ratings, episode 5 left us on a note of uncertainty especially as it was the last episode for Milly Alcock’s Rhaenyra and Emily Carey’s Alicent. I was excited for episode 6, to see how does the recasting works. Now that it is out I can gladly say that the new episode is so much more than just about the recasting. It takes the biggest leap in the story and not just time wise. So, without any further ado, let’s continue the Dragon Saga. Review Marathon – Episode 1 / Episode 2 / Episode 3 / Episode 4 / Episode 5.

Episode – The Princess and The Queen (SPOILERS AHEAD)

Rating – ★★★★1/2

House of the Dragon Episode 6 Review: The New Princess and The New Queen!

House of the Dragon Episode 6 begins with Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra giving birth to her child and we soon realize that this isn’t the first one, it is the third. Olivia Cooke’s Alicent calls to see the child and Rhaenyra being insecure about it takes the child to her, herself. Laenor tells everyone that the child will be named Joffrey, after his lover. Alicent whispers to Laenor that he should keep trying until one child looks like him. This a sly comment and a dig at Laenor’s sexuality and the hair color of Rhaenyra’s children- black unlike white.

Their children should have white hair as their parents are Targaryens and Velaryons both have white hair. So Rhaenyra’s children having black hair is a testament of their wrong parentage. So, who is the father you ask? Ser Harwin Strong. Son of the Hand of the King. All three children are his bastards. He is Rhaenyra’s replacement for Criston Cole. Viserys’s health is getting worse. Alicent is feeling that no one takes her side anymore since her father has been fired. Viserys ignores Rhaenyra’s children parentage despite Alicent filling his ears.

Rhaenyra is still his heir. Criston and Alicent have formed an alliance as it appears. Aegon II is almost a grown man now and he has grown to be well kind of like Joffrey Baratheon. He is a jerk to his brothers. Alicent tries to make him understand that he should be onw with his real family and their enemy is actually Rhaenyra and his sons. He convinces him that there is a threat to him from Rhaenyra. Daemon and Laena are married now and they’re travelling, currently they’re in Pentos. They two children together and Laena is pregnant once again.

Larys is still advising Alicent for his own gain. While training all the princes, Criston is being unfair towards Rhaenyra’s kids. Harwin opposes them but then Criston provokes him and Harwin beats the shit out of him. Lynol tries to resign as hand of the king based on his son’s actions but Viserys refuses to accept it. However, Lynol wishes to send Harwin to Harrenhal to their ancestral seat and take charge of his duties. There is movement in the Step Stones once again as the Triarchy is forming an alliance with Dorne.

Laenor wishes to go there and fight but Rhaenyra refrains him. Rhaenyra senses the distance Alicent and her so she proposes to Alicent a marriage between Jacaerys and Helaena but Alicent doesn’t want that even if Viserys is excited about it as that would unite the two families once again into a formidable alliance. Harwin leaves Harrenhal and Alicent is upset about Viserys not doing anything about Rhaenyra’s actions. Larys then decides to find a solution for it. He sends some people who are sentences to death to burn the castle of Harrenhal.

He kills his brother Harwin and possibly his father Lynol as well. Rhaenrya realises that she can’t stay in the Red Keep so she takes Laenor and  Laena faces a complication in her delivery and she realises she is going to die. She always wanted a Dragon rider’s death and she goes to her dragon Vhagar and asks him to burn her. The episode comes to a close with a hauntingly beautiful monologue from Larys about children.

Verdict

House of the Dragon Episode 6 some of the best TV I’ve seen in a while. I’m not seeing it is without flaws but its pros exceed its cons. I have my problems like I wished they showed more of Laena and Vhagar. I wished they showed how Laena got Vhagar but it seems like the writers have been ignorant of her track. Well she is dead now. Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra is actually getting into her groove. She is not as gooas Milly Alcock but then again she has only gotten an episode yet. Olivia Cooke though feels like she is playing a new character.

I mean Emily Carey had a way to show Alicent’s displeasure but Olivia Cooke not yet she is more upfront with the character that doesn’t necessarily suit Alicent. I’m not saying she is bad but Emily Carey was so much better. Maybe Cooke will get better as we move forward. Rhaenyra still feels like the same character though. I love that this episode finally gave us a look at Vhagar, even though it was very minimal. Also, I don’t know whether you guys noticed but the intro has changed.

As the intro is the bloodline of the Targaryens, the intro adds all the new children that have been born. I believe the intro will change as we move further as well. Just like Game of Thrones’ intro changed whenever they added more storylines. Matt Smith as Daemon is great, Matthew Needham as Larys Strong was the star performer of this episode. We only had one Littlefinger in Game of Thrones, we have many in the prequel. Episode 6 of House of the Dragon was the best episode of the show so far. The episode was great and gets a rating of drum roll please……. 4.5 out of 5 stars. The betrayals and shocks have officially kicked in. I’m sure there’s more to come. If you haven’t watched it already, check out House of the Dragon on HBO Max or Disney+ Hotstar.

The GOT prequel has an incredible ensemble cast that includes Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonoya Mizuno, and Rhys Ifans. Along with the main cast, the supporting cast of the show includes- Milly Alcock, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Emily Carey, Harry Collett, Ryan Corr, Tom Glynn-Carney, Jefferson Hall, David Horovitch, Wil Johnson, John Macmillan, Graham McTavish, Ewan Mitchell, Theo Nate, Matthew Needham, Bill Paterson, Phia Saban, Gavin Spokes, Savannah Steyn, and more.

House of the Dragon’s first six episodes are currently streaming on HBO Max or Disney+. New episodes will debut on every Sunday or Monday on HBO and HBO Max or Disney+ Hotstar depending on the region you live in, at 9 pm or 6.30 am.

If you have any questions regarding House of the Dragon, feel free to ask in the comments below. For more content, stay tuned. As usual, like, subscribe and share our articles as we here are trying to build a community of people High on Cinema!