House of the Dragon: 2.07 - The Red Sowing

ctg

weaver of the unseen
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The war for the Iron Throne escalates, and Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, in a crucial gamble, is prepared to risk everything in her urgent quest for dragon riders
IMDB score: 9.1 Runtime: 57 minutes
 
Even though I said, it's interesting that the rating in the last episode plummeted to 6.1, due to women kissing each other passionately. And in this one, the 6 is turned to 9, even though the last episode wasn't so bad, but it got bombed by the viewers, expressing their homophobia.

The thing is Daemon hasn't been taking care of the need, not that he has been waving his sausage around, so it is no wonder if the Black Queen fell for a warm embrace. She clearly was listening to the nature call, instead of becoming something else, because you can see the longing, although not clearly as the expression is one of the hardest to achieve.

Ser Cole most certainly has it, even though he got to hide the sausage quite often. But enough of that, let's see why this episode scored high. I suspect it has something to do with the dragons...
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Here we have two beautiful dragons in their metallic shades instead of doing the natural colours from Red to Black to Green and Blue. They both have brought their humans to gathering. Although in SeaSmoke's case, through insubordinate action since he found their rituals not producing a rider. Even though that lizard just likes to fly.

Like a freebird.

It is also intriguing that Syrax is the smaller one, even though she's clearly gorgeous and doesn't need bling. Seasmoke in the other hand needs something like a gang vest. It was also clear that they were talking to each other, while the Black Queen glared at the interloper. Almost as if she was angry that the boy had done something wrong.

"I had nothing to do about it," Mr Hull bled after the accusation was thrown at his face.

"What do you want?" The Black Queen shouted.

"To, to learn the ways of the dragonriders," Addam answered. "And to serve my Queen! My Grace"

As she approached the young man kneeling in the sand, both dragons crept closer. SeaSmoke snarled angrily to make Rhae stop short.

"You knee quickly..." Rhae said. "For a man so suddenly elevated."

"This dragon came to me, not I to him."

There we have it. A clearly intelligent species, but unable to produce human words out from his snout. So in George's world, they don't have long conversations, even though Tolkien suggested and the whole scene suggests that there's more to the big boy than simple snarls, and barks.

It is also intriguing that in George's world the dragons don't have different breath attacks, as a silver dragon surely would produce lighting bolts in more classical settings.

What I don't get is why Addam didn't said nothing about Corlys being the father, even though he clearly knew and could identify him as the one in the last episode? So the Black Queen was left in the void about the fact.

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It didn't take long for the word about SeaSmoke's riding reaching the Master of Whispers. Larys clearly knew about the past and hence he dismissed the rumour, instead of allowing it to reach the Regent. It is a dangerous game to keep the intel from the rulers. But Larys is not playing the first time, nor the last. He is just super selective.

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"Has the thief been seized?" The lord slap-my-face-one-more-time shouted, when Corlys acted as if he knew nothing about the rider. He had not learned anything. Instead he'd veered more towards the tradiation yes-man post than being a proper lord for the Black Queen Council.

It was obvious that Rhae had granted a guest status to Addam, even though the guard voiced it. And it was again that Rhae didn't vent to consult them, but instead she went straight to talk about it to WhiteWorm.

Funny thing is that Rhae was ready to go through the archives, while White Worm guessed correctly and suggested her "to look under the sheets," instead of spelling out clearly that she thought the most likely candidate is Lord Corlys.

The problem for the queen was the lowborn houses, instead of understanding that Targarian blood had spread wide and the dragons could sense it. That there were more riders in the world than she could or even want to admit. Maybe she could've understood it better if Addam were Daemon's offspring.

At the end, she had no choice but to accept it as she uttered, "Well then, let's raise an army of b*stards.

Addam also was granted a permanent leave from Lord Corlys service and the man said nothing even though it was clear on his face that oops had been made.

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Speaking of oopsies, Lord Tully wasn't liking Daemon doing brown licking. He wanted to serve and be the glorious Tully, but Daemon in typical manner couldn't produce an apology. Instead the boy had to rub the whole thing on Daemon's face, before he could admit that he felt loyalty to the Black Queen and her "King Consort."

All he needed to say was "sorry," but that not the way he walks as Daemon admitted to Lord Oscar that he didn't need Rivermen to love him, as he only needed the numbers to swell ranks.

The thing is that even though Oscar is young and he admitted so, he wore the leadership well as he used the pledges as a guiding lines, as he announced that he didn't love the prince, but he was ready to honour the agreements.

So like another man I know for being like Daemon, the Cruel Prince had to swole his pride to get the men. And yet, still, he didn't said he was sorry, only that he'd been "tad enthusiastic in pursuit of his goals"

It would have been easier to say it than end up lopping the head of House Blackwood, because Young Tully understood Rivermen traditions on Justice. What a twist.

Afterwards, the old man Vizerys was waiting the Prince at the Heartwood bed, the crown in his hands. It was the gods telling him again the same message on humility as King Vizerys told Daemon that he never wanted the crown. That he understood the responsiblity and the pain it causes, and yet, he never wanted it. Then he asked, "Do you still want it?"

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As if as a reminder at the same time in the Red Keep Grand Maester took the King for a stroll and then the walking broke, making the king to plant his face on the floor, screaming in pain. I know from the experience it's the one thing Maester should not have done, causing more pain to the patient. But what he could do when everything was hushhush, and yet, when the Master of Whispers arrived, the first thing he said, "You should not have tried that alone."

It was delightful to see one patient helping another, because they are the best to know what to do and how to do it, instead of carers being scared.

Maybe more interesting detail is that the Green Queen escaped the castle with one guarding and then she told him that she might not going back. All while Jace told the Black Queen that the lowborn had no business with the dragons because they are "mongrols."

Then he kindly admitted that in the root were his own insecurities, as he was jealous of Targarian golden hair. All his black hair told him that he wasn't good enough. That mum was going to give away all of it, including his dragon, instead of accepting the reality.

Man... :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:

Not long after, White Worm acted on Lady's wishes and sent a message to King's Landing for the b*stards to crawl out and gather at the beaches for a chance to claim a dragon. But it was Hugh who said it best when he told her lady that this was his chance to be something. That he felt the calling and there could be nothing else he wanted to do.

Yet, the wife knew as they always that the man could be destined to go with the gods.

When the b*stards gathered in the DragonStone the DragonKeepers told to the Black Queen that they wanted no part in scheme, because the lowborns could not be lords. That only Lords could ride the beasts before they marched out.

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They obviously knew what was in the order when they made the hasty escape and acted as if they were on strike. Vermitor is almost as old as Vhagar, but he's meaner than the old boy. Or at least that's what the Black Queen claimed when she told the candidates what's on order. The people clearly couldn't understand that they'd gathered at BBQ, where they were going to be served as meat.

Vermitor wasn't happy about a lot of them, so he scorches, snacked and pummeled people to death until Hugh said no more and stepped boldy at Vermitor's face, ready to die. With a joy in his heart, the blacksmith accepted the destiny and the big boy was happy to have a rider.

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A survivor from the snack party, deep in the dragons lair, completely oblivious about the danger he is facing. Silverwing didn't appreciate that the old man stepped in the snack pile, so he woke up and recognized the blood.

Old man thinking he was about to die, pretended dead before he opened his eyes and saw Silverwing backing away, accepting him completely. I don't know how long it has been but the first ride took them over the king's landing for Aemond to see that he could not hold all the power. The Queen of Dragon had more and they were big ones.

The Regent tried to chase the old man with Vhagar and he got close to DragonStone. Vhagar sensed a battle and wanted to go in, but Aemond understood it was going to be death if they did that. So he ordered and struggled to turn the monster around. Yet, he succeeded even though the Black Queen was in the strike range with all her riders.

--

9/10 the last 25 minutes has mostly no dialogue
 
Vermitor is almost as old as Vhagar, but he's meaner than the old boy. Or at least that's what the Black Queen claimed when she told the candidates what's on order. The people clearly couldn't understand that they'd gathered at BBQ, where they were going to be served as meat.

Vermitor wasn't happy about a lot of them, so he scorches, snacked and pummeled people to death until Hugh said no more and stepped boldly at Vermitor's face, ready to die. With a joy in his heart, the blacksmith accepted the destiny and the big boy was happy to have a rider.

A survivor from the snack party, deep in the dragons lair, completely oblivious about the danger he is facing. Silverwing didn't appreciate that the old man stepped in the snack pile, so he woke up and recognized the blood.
I thought it was a terribly designed set of interviews. You have two Dragonriding jobs on offer today, but you line up all the candidates for both positions at the BBQ, and then hope that Vermitor doesn't kill them all, and that some escape to sit for the second interview?
 
I thought it was a terribly designed set of interviews. You have two Dragonriding jobs on offer today, but you line up all the candidates for both positions at the BBQ, and then hope that Vermitor doesn't kill them all, and that some escape to sit for the second interview?

I've been to interviews like that.
 
Even though I said, it's interesting that the rating in the last episode plummeted to 6.1, due to women kissing each other passionately. And in this one, the 6 is turned to 9, even though the last episode wasn't so bad, but it got bombed by the viewers, expressing their homophobia.
Or maybe viewers thought the kiss was stupid, came out of nowhere and wasn't well developed, although there have been hints that Rhaenyra is bisexual (Alicent in the garden) I just didn't buy the kiss.

I just don't believe that House of the Dragon viewers are homophobic to that extent - given the record of GoT and HotD, 2.06 was the worst episode of the season. Now if Alicent and Rhaenyra kissed in the earlier seasons then I would have totally believed it, it would have felt natural as their on screen chemistry was fantastic.

Anyway the last episode was really good, Vermithos was suitably mean and the whole scene played out like some horror movie. I really did expect the Oaf guy to end up with Vermithor and the proud blacksmith to be eaten - that twist didn't come though. I would rank this episode a solid 8.
 
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Vermithos was suitably mean and the whole scene played out like some horror movie
I wouldn't say mean, per se, he was just unsatisfied with the offering and clearly hungry.
I really did expect the Oaf guy to end up with Vermithor and the proud blacksmith to be eaten - that twist didn't come though.
To me, the blacksmith has a face that speaks volumes of fierceness. Even in the above shot, he's grizzly and ready to take on the big lizard all by himself. Although, he absolutely expected to get eaten.
 
The Dragonrider selection was good fun. Seems like it is heading towards a big episode 10 battle then.
The intrigue was pretty good, and glad to see that very little of it was at the council tables.
Overall though the season is still a drop off from the first. Let’s hope for plenty of quality in the next two weeks.
 
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Hmm I wonder who the big casualties will be. Probably not the biggest characters. Though one or two of the new dragonriders will be amongst them.
Surely a betrayal from Rivermen or some faction will crop up. I don’t see that the war will be much closer to a conclusion whatever happens.
Alicent must have some role to play too. Hopefully not just being kidnapped.
 
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