The world of Ice and Fire is all set to return after a largely disappointing final season of Game of Thrones and the hype is getting real. The first season of the prequel series House of the Dragon is all set to debut on HBO Max on 21st August 2022 and is said to have 10 episodes. The showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik intend to make at least 5 seasons. With barely a day to go, fans are really excited to revisit this dark fantasy world and explore the origin of their favorite houses. Well, this article isn’t for the people who like to witness stuff firsthand and so, MASSIVE SPOILER warning is now in effect, as the article consists of entire plot summary for first episode, thanks to the Freefolk Subreddit.
House of the Dragon Episode 1 Spoilers and Full Plot Summary
Title – Heirs of the Dragon
Cold Open – Great Council of Harrenhal scene with older Rhaenyra’s voiceover explaining what happened.
(Title Cards Play)
(House of the Dragon Episode 1 Leaks Part 1) Episode begins proper nine years into the reign of Viserys I. Young Rhaenyra riding Syrax over King’s Landing, returning from a pleasure ride. She lands at the Dragonpit where Harrold Westerling and Alicent are waiting, she then joins Alicent in a wheelhouse to be taken back to the keep. Rhaenyra visits pregnant Aemma before attending a council meeting where she is her father’s cupbearer. They mainly discuss Daemon and the tournament to celebrate the Queen’s pregnancy.
Cut to Red Keep garden where Alicent and Rhaenyra study together, Rhaenyra rips a page out of ‘Ten Thousand Ships’, Alicent sends this to Rhaenyra with the generous terms in the finale Viserys visits Aemma who’s in the bath, they discuss their unborn child and he tells her of his dream of a son on the Iron Throne with the crown of Aegon the Conqueror.
Cut to Daemon getting ready in some barracks and he and the City Watch raiding criminal hotspots around Flea Bottom. Cut to morning, Viserys is told of daemons pillaging in the small council. Otto clearly despised him. Daemon turns up and it’s all very tense. A bit later Daemon sits on the throne as Rhaenyra approaches, they talk in High Valyrain and he gifts her a Valyrian Steel pendant. Maesters attends to a nasty cut on Viserys (from the Iron Throne), they leech it. Daemon in a pleasure house with Mysaria, but he can’t finish. People are watching them as they couple including Talya, a woman in Mysaria’s personal spy network who plays a role throughout the season. Tourney begins.
(House of the Dragon Episode 1 Leaks Part 2) We see Viserys welcoming everyone and there’s a few shots establishing who’s there (Alicent, Rhaenyra, Corlys etc etc). Establishes that Aemma is in labor. Daemon announced as first joust, he chooses Gwayne Hightower to be his opponent and he wins. He asks Alicent for her favour. Next is him and Criston Cole (not KG), Cole asks Rhaenyra for her favour after the win (Alicent bit jealous). He knocks him off his horse and daemon continues the fight on the ground. Cole manages to get dark sister off him with his morningstar, he wins. Daemon storms off. Otto rushes into royal box and delivers news of Aemma’s birth complications to Viserys. He leaves to see her. She’s in agony and there’s clearly not gonna be a happy ending.
Back to the tourney we see Corbray, Tully, Tarly and Darklyn knights fight – Darklyn has his head caved in and the Tully is in agony with broken bones. As this happens, Rhaenyra and Alicent turn away from the horror and see a fuss in the royal box. Rhaenyra realizes her mother has died in childbirth. We cut to Viserys on Aemma’s now empty birth bed, and the maester informs him Baelon has died also. Rhaenyra sees and runs away.
Cut to the funeral on the Hill of Rhaenys. Rhaenyra is furious that Viserys’s insistence on having a male heir cost Aemma’s life. Daemon gently encourages her to light the pyre (by commanding Syrax). Back in the Red Keep, Rhaenyra breaks down in Alicent’s arms. The small council convenes to talk of succession, Otto suggests Rhaenyra, Corlys suggests Laenor, some stand by Daemon like Lord Strong. Viserys furiously screams “my wife and son are dead, I will not suffer the crows come to feast on their corpses” and storms out. Otto speaks to Alicent and tells her to visit Viserys later to give him company, tells her to wear her late mother’s dress.
(House of the Dragon Episode 1 Leaks Part 3) We see Daemon and Viserys in the throne room discussing the gods, dreams and ambition. Viserys is visibly concerned about Daemons wishes (the Conqueror and Targaryen god-like stuff). They embrace though and it’s a nice brotherly moment at the beginning when Daemon tries to comfort Viserys. Daemon is in the pleasure house and makes the heir for a day toast – this was meant sincerely and not as a joke, it’s just people started laughing which is why it was reported back to be a joyous declaration (it wasn’t intended).
Alicent visits Viserys and tells him how she wished people would talk to her without riddles when her mother died, and that she’s sorry for his loss. Otto hears about the toast from Daemon and informs Viserys at the small council. Everyone is shocked and he is enraged Daemon is brought to the throne room before Viserys and asked if it’s true what was said. Daemon says “we must all mourn in our own way”.
They argue and Daemon is banished to live with his wife at Runestone and declared no longer his heir (the scene in the teaser where Viserys grasps Blackfyre) Viserys and Rhaenyra talk about Targaryen power and Aegon’s dream in front of the altar for Balerion. He informs her that she will be his heir and speaks of the prophecy passed down by Aegon (White Walkers).
Alicent lovingly gets Rhaenyra ready for the ceremony (the still of Alicent looking over Rhaenyra’s shoulder into a mirror) Lords come to declare for Rhaenyra, including Lord Baratheon, Lord Stark, and Lord Velaryon (Corlys). Daemon watched in the back and skulks off. He introduces a very angry Caraxes to Mysaria in the Dragonpit, and they fly off together. Finally Viserys formally declares his heir as Rhaenyra stands before the crowd, and it cuts to a shot of Syrax opening her eye.
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