Small Council: What did you think of House of the Dragon Episode 8?

Every week, we talk back and forth about the latest episode of House of the Dragon. The small council is in session!

DAN: House of the Dragon has gotten accused — more or less fairly, I think — of moving pretty quickly through most of its first season, of blasting forward in time before we can really settle down with the characters for too long. And of course I get why the show did that — it had a lot of ground to cover — but there is something to be said for an episode that slows down long enough for you to realize that you like these characters. And that’s what happened to me with “The Lord of the Tides.” I like these people…even if a lot of them suck.

When Alicent took Rhaenyra’s hand in hers like she used to back when they were kids, I felt something. I wanted things between them to work out, even though I doubt they will. When Daemon helped Viserys up the stairs to the Iron Throne, I felt something. I remembered that Viserys had banished his brother twice in this very room, and I loved that they were trying to move past it. I thought this episode quietly paid off a lot of character stuff set up in the first half of the season, even if there wasn’t a ton of “action” to speak of.

And how about when they made a moving, triumphant moment out of an old man walking across a room? I’m going to miss Viserys, terrible decisions and all.

This should be the last time we have a major time jump for the remainder of the series. We finally have our core cast. I suspect this is the last time they’re going to be relatively civil to each other for…possibly ever. Soak it in, and then let it go.

SABRINA: But Dan, I don’t want to let it go! This episode cemented that these characters are family, warts and all. To say it was moving would be an understatement. I’ve been quite vocal in Small Council posts about my dislike of Viserys, but he got me in “The Lord of the Tides.” Y’all have been proclaiming for awhile that Paddy Considine deserves an Emmy for his performance and he went above and beyond in affirming that statement in this episode.

As you pointed out, that walk to the throne was triumphant. I got chills. This is our king, in his last days, ensuring his daughter is supported. Personally, I feel like he’s been trying to make up for the choice he made back in the series premiere, when he picked the possibility of having a male heir over the love he had for Aemma. It’s not a choice he could have ever made up for, but he tried, and much of that manifested in his decision to stand by Rhaenyra no matter the cost.

But he still, even if just for a moment, got his own heart’s desire, which was to see his family whole and happy. It shattered mere seconds after he left the dinner, but he had it and it made his heart glad. That last supper was perfection right down to the moments between Alicent and Rhaenyra where it felt like they were healed. I know they’re not, but I’m going to live in a state of denial until the next episode rips away this good feeling. Rhaenyra plans on returning to Alicent’s side as quickly as possible via dragon express flight, okay? I’m emotional!

Though I will say these best friends need to talk about child rearing because Jace and Luke are young gentlemen who are mindful of their betrothed, well-mannered, and aware of their duty. Especially Jace who wants to honor his family’s traditions. Meanwhile, Aegon is a predator and a terror and somehow Aemond is Daemon-lite without ever having been around his uncle long enough to pick up his most horrible traits. Viserys and Alicent failed and the realm is poorer for it!

Speaking of that mismatched pair, Viserys clearly thought he was speaking to his daughter in the last scene of the episode. I do wonder what the repercussions of Alicent thinking she’s the great uniter will be. Has the dumpster fire been lit? Because I think I smell smoke.

DANIEL: I think it’s safe to say the dumpster fire is about to become an inferno, Sabrina. King Viserys I Targaryen is dead, and now that Alicent has misinterpreted his last words as an affirmation of their kid Aegon’s claim to the throne, the greens have all they need to try and deny Rhaenyra’s rule. This season was all a slow burn leading to this moment. The Dance of the Dragons is about to begin in earnest.

This episode devastated me, and I totally agree with what Dan said about the show finally slowing down and letting us sit with these characters. I’ve been excited for each episode this season, but “The Lord of the Tides” was the first time that I felt outright giddy as the opening credits rolled. Maybe it’s because we’re finally with the saga’s main cast, or because I’m just so invested at this point in the season, but there was just something about this episode that screams “House of the Dragon is here to stay.”

Which is ironic, because King Viserys is not. What can I say about Paddy Considine’s final performance that hasn’t already been said? The guy deserves an Emmy; just think about the sheer range of his work during this season, where he transformed from a healthy king doing his best to keep the realm together to a bedridden leper who hardly knew where he was or who he was talking to. It was hard to watch, but impossible to look away. Viserys hasn’t always been my favorite character on the show, but Considine’s performance has consistently been one of the best. We shall never see his like again.

It’s a credit to the writing, direction, and acting that the climactic moments of the episode were a scene where an old man walks across a room and an awkward family dinner. House of the Dragon is a high budget production filled with dragons and special effects, but it doesn’t need them to be good, and that speaks volumes.

I’d also be remiss not to mention the slew of new cast members, all of whom I pretty much loved. Ewan Mitchell as Aemond was easily my favorite. I’m team black all the way, but I also cannot wait to see what mayhem Aemond will cause as the show goes on. Tom Glynn-Carney’s performance as Aegon surprised me as well. The dude is a total shit and deserves a horrible death, but Glynn-Carney also gives him a layer of tragedy I didn’t expect; he’s a princeling who fully knows he isn’t suited to his station. Harry Collet’s Jace was also so endearing, and Bethany Antonia was great as Baela. A power couple in the making!

“The Lord of the Tides” was the best episode of the season yet, and I am beyond excited to see the fallout from Viserys’ death this Sunday. A coup is afoot!

SAVANNAH: The emotional episode we all needed came in “The Lord of the Tides.” This episode hit me in all the feels and had me misty-eyed multiple times. It was King Viserys’ send-off, his last supper, and one final attempt to make things right. Instead he caused a lot of nonsense because he thought Rhaenyra came to see him, but unfortunately for all involved, it was his wife. Talk about poor communications skills — okay, I know he was dying, but come on, it causes hell to break loose.

Paddy Considine deserves an Emmy for the eight episodes we saw him in House of the Dragon. He was the glue, and his performance was truly breathtaking. That walk to the throne was a moment and was better than Alicent’s wedding entrance. However, that final “my love” from him as he died was perfect and showed that he was going home to be with Aemma.

“The Lord of the Tides” is my second favorite episode behind last week’s, because that wedding at the end still gives me chills. Sure it moved quickly, but I loved it. Episode 8 slowed down just enough so we could appreciate these characters. Like Dan said, even though many of them are not good people, we appreciate them more in this episode. Well, a few of them. I was not too fond of Alicent threatening the girl after her son assaulted her. I felt like she overthinks everything, which, as we all saw, would cause her to misunderstand Viserys’ words at the end of the episode. Some people like her. I see Alicent for what she is : a manipulative individual who judges the actions of others while she commits her own evil deeds.

The older children on both sides were great. Jace holding in his violence to give a nice toast was great and showed what kind of raising he got from Rhaenyra. However, Alicent’s children are entitled rich kids; Aegon is, anyway. That kid needs some serious punishment.

Aemond is a badass. His character was the best among the older children. He has really grown into himself and accepted this new villainous role. However, he seems to be the reasonable one and the observer. While he did have his little “Strong Boys” moment, he is someone I’m excited to see for the rest of the season. He reminds me of a young Daemon. Helena is still a sweet, out-of-this-world character who doesn’t care what goes on around her but loves her life.

While this was an emotional episode, I also think it offered a few lighter moments. Losing a loved one is never easy, but it’s also important to find times to be normal for them. We all know the ending, but to give them one last fond memory is far more important than fighting with each other.

That dinner scene when Heleana gave her toast and Otto Hightower gave her a thumbs up like a proud grandfather made me chuckle. I love her free spirit and quirky personality. I cannot wait to see what her latest prophecy portends.

Another moment I laughed was in the throne room when Daemon told Vaemond to “say it.” I busted out with a ‘HA,’ and Vaemond said it, including the whole whore thing, which I thought was unnecessary. However, it gave Daemon reason to slice off his head but leave his tongue. I laughed at that scene; while gaudy and unhinged, it showed how much Daemon cares about his wife and their family.

The way Daemon acts around Rhaenyra is what you want. He looked at her before doing anything to Vaemond, and her slight nod was *chef’s kiss.* Daemond loves her. However, it was when he helped Viserys onto the throne and placed his crown on his head that got me the most emotional. Daemon lets the past be the past, showing his brother that family is everything. He loves Viserys very much, and that is clear. That act showed it wasn’t ever about the throne for him, and I think we needed to see that softness from our beloved bad boy.

There is so much more I could talk about with Episode 8 because it was that good. I will say one final thing: I’m glad Rhaeyns made the decision she did. At first, her not backing down to Rhaenyra was slightly off-putting, but she made the right choice.

Episode 8 pulled at our heartstrings just so Episodes 9 and 10 could destroy everything, and I am ready for it. This next episode should be the shocker, as this franchise has told us, but who knows? I think we may be in for a surprise — I’m hoping anyway. Also, Game of Thrones/House of the Dragon Gods, keep Rhaenyra and Daemon alive until season 2, amen.

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