Every episode of House of the Dragon season 1, ranked worst to best
By Daniel Roman
4. “The Black Queen” (Episode 10)
Next we come to the season finale of House of the Dragon. “The Black Queen” had a lot of ground to cover since the penultimate episode was focused entirely on the greens, and it pulls it off spectacularly. Gone are the sticking points and divisive debates, and in their place a drama that slowly unfolds as Rhaenyra Targaryen realized her birthright had been stolen at the worst possible moment.
There are a lot of great things about “The Black Queen,” but the two that stand out the most are Rhaenyra’s graphic miscarriage (which, despite being horrifying, is filmed and handled extremely well), and the climactic clash over Storm’s End, where Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys and his dragon meet their demise between the jaws of the monstrous Vhagar. The sequence at Storm’s End is among the best of the season, with Luke arriving to treat with Lord Borros Baratheon only to realize that his childhood enemy Aemond Targaryen is already there. What unfolds is one of the absolute best dragon sequences in either series to date, and possibly one of the best ever on television. It may also be the sequence with the highest stakes so far. When Vhagar goes out of control and claims Luke and Arrax’s life, it signals the true start of the Dance of the Dragons civil war.
Even beyond those two big moments, there’s a lot to love about “The Black Queen.” Emma D’Arcy’s performance as Rhaenyra can’t be understated, and Matt Smith brings back Daemon Targaryen’s dark side for one last run at the end of the season. Eve Best also turns in a killer performance as Rhaenys, who informs Rhaenyra of the greens’ betrayal and convinces her husband Corlys Velaryon to support Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne.
And let’s not forget the guest appearance by Vermithor the Bronze Fury, dragon of the former king Jaehaerys the Conciliator. Daemon’s High Valyrian dragon lullaby moment is breathtaking and sets the stage for even more dragons in season 2.
If only someone had opted to send a raven to Storm’s End instead of Lucerys…