House of the Dragon trailer breakdown: Episode 10, “The Black Queen”
By Daniel Roman
The first meeting of the black council
Part of the reason we’ll be spending so much time at Dragonstone in “The Black Queen” is because Rhaenyra Targaryen will gather her allies there and make plans to fight back against the greens. The aptly named “black council” is Rhaenyra’s own version of the small council. We see them here around the Painted Table, which you may recall from Game of Thrones; both Stannis Baratheon and Daenerys Targaryen used to plan their wars in Westeros.
Starting at the head of the table, we’ve got Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen, Ser Steffon Darklyn (Anthony Flanagan), Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon, and Ser Lorent Marbrand (Max Wrottesley). Not sure who the two lords are with Rhaenyra; I imagine one of them could be a Celtigar, since showrunner Ryan Condal has confirmed we’d see them at some point.
The Painted Table has been a striking visual staple of the franchise for quite a while, but it’s never looked quite as good as it does here. It’s an older, less weathered version, so it’s pretty gorgeous. The camera lingers over the northern part of the Seven Kingdoms.
“Every man standing around the Painted Table urges her to plunge the realm into war,” intones Rhaenys. This is one of the trailer’s more interesting lines — who is she speaking to here? My best guess is Corlys Velaryon, who we didn’t see at all in the last two episodes. If “The Black Queen” sticks close to the book, we’ll see him in this episode at some point.
Rhaenyra will have a lot on her mind in this episode. This shot feels like it really matches up with the title, “The Black Queen.” She’s wearing a much darker, more severe-looking wardrobe, and the horizon is bleak. This won’t be an easy episode for her.
Back to the Painted Table, a member of the Kingsguard places a little model on the board at Winterfell. Back to book spoilers, one of the biggest things decided at this meeting is to send Rhaenyra’s children out as emissaries to call her allies to war. Jacaerys Velaryon is given the task of flying to the Eyrie and Winterfell to bring the Arryns and Starks into the fold. It’s likely we won’t see much of Jace’s journey until season 2, but we’ll at least see him set out in “The Black Queen”:
“Lay siege to the Red Keep,” beseeches this lord, giving viewers the world over PTSD flashbacks to Daenerys’ troublesome war councils on Thrones. Again, I’m betting this guy is a Celtigar, or perhaps a Bar Emmon, Darklyn, or Massey. He’s flanked by Maester Gerardys (Phil Daniels), Ser Steffon Darklyn on the right, and Ser Lorent Marbrand on the left.
Next, someone picks up a sword. This could be anyone, but I’m betting its either Lucerys or Jacaerys choosing a weapon for their journey. The sleeve has a reddish hue, and we’ll see later in the trailer that Luke will be sporting House Targaryen’s colors on his quest.
“Send us,” Jace tells his mother, setting the episode’s major events into motion. His betrothed/step-sister/cousin Baela stands beside him, as does his younger brother Lucerys and Rhaena Targaryen.
Next we see a hand clutching the hilt of a sword. This is another moment that’s very hard to parse, but again, I’m guessing it’s Lucerys Velaryon. We see Luke wearing a similar cloak in the following shot.
Luke races toward his dragon Arrax while a storm rages around him. Time to get into the MAJOR SPOILERS, and talk about Storm’s End.
As mentioned earlier, Luke and Aemond will be crossing paths at the ancestral home of House Baratheon. That is what we’re seeing in this shot above. Note also that Luke does have a sword, lending credence to the idea that the hand clutching that sword hilt in the previous shot was his, probably as he comes face to face with his intimidating uncle.
A closer shot of Luke approaching Arrax:
As Luke reaches his dragon, the camera pans over to show Vhagar, illuminated by a lightning flash. The largest dragon in Westeros turns her head, eyeing the young prince and his small dragon.
This is the beginning of a climactic sequence where Aemond and Vhagar pursue Luke and Arrax into a storm. This is the first time dragons will clash in the war, but it will be far from the last.