3. Daemon singing to Vermithor
Another scene that lingers in the memory is the introduction of Vermithor the Bronze Fury. In the season finale, Daemon Targaryen approaches the old dragon and soothes him with a Valyrian lullaby. Vermithor was the dragon of King Jaehaerys the Conciliator, Daemon and Viserys’ grandfather. Following Jaehaerys’ death of old age, Vermithor refuses to take on any new riders and flies off to Dragonstone to live a life of seclusion.
But with civil war brewing, there will come a day in the not too distant future when Rhaenyra and her blacks will need all the dragons they can get. This is discussed in the season 1 finale and will likely become a major plot point in season 2.
While we don’t see any new dragonriders take flight in the finale, we get that scene with Daemon and Vermithor. The gargantuan bronze dragon is the second largest alive during the Dance, topped only by Aemond Targaryen’s mount Vhagar. Vermithor breathes fire across the ceiling of his cavern as Daemon approaches, before settling down at the sound of the Targaryen prince’s song.
Vermithor’s appearance was a very cool easter egg for fans, but it’s also one of the more enduring mysteries of the season 1 finale. Until we actually see season 2, I’ll be wondering about how the show will build on this epic moment.
4. Rhaenys and Meleys interrupt Aegon II’s coronation
Next up, we have what is probably the single most divisive moment from House of the Dragon season 1. Episode 9, “The Green Council,” focuses on a coup in King’s Landing. Following the death of King Viserys, Alicent and Otto Hightower plot for the Iron Throne go to Alicent’s son Aegon instead of Viserys’ chosen successor Rhaenyra.
Over the course of an hour, we see various players lay their cards on the table, sending ravens to make arrangements in other parts of the Seven Kingdoms and vying for influence over Aegon during the lead-up to his coronation. And while House of the Dragon was generally a tightly written show, there were enough plot holes in “The Green Council” that some fans flashed back to the worst moments from Game of Thrones. It was a reminder that while House of the Dragon was solid, there was also the potential for things to go off the rails.
Thankfully, the season finale ended things on a high note. But before we got there, we watched a big dragon scene that divided viewers: as Aegon II Targaryen is crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms in the Dragonpit, his cousin Rhaenys bursts from the floor astride her mighty red dragon Meleys. Meleys rampages about stomping on peasants before ultimately taking off with little more than a roar in Aegon and Alicent’s face.
Should Rhaenys have just incinerated the entire green faction right then and ended the war before it began? Is it realistic that someone pegged as a conscientious leader wouldn’t think twice about trampling hundreds of smallfolk beneath her dragon’s scaly feet?
We don’t have answers to these questions, and neither does House of the Dragon. But we’re certainly still thinking about it months later.