The dragons came out to play in the penultimate episode of House of the Dragon season 2. "The Red Sowing" was a major turning point for the Dance of the Dragons civil war, with Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) adding three new dragonriders to her army: Addam of Hull on Seasmoke, Hugh Hammer on Vermithor, and Ulf the White on Silverwing. Now, Rhaenyra has enough large dragons on her side to give even Prince Regent Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) and his terrifying beast Vhagar pause.
As we do every week, we're scouring the episode for all the hidden details and easter eggs we can find. SPOILERS APLENTY beyond this point.
House of the Dragon Episode 207, "The Red Sowing" Easter eggs
"The Red Sowing" picks up right where the previous episode, "Smallfolk," left off, with Rhaenyra Targaryen confronting Seasmoke's new rider Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty). In terms of easter eggs, this is a pretty light scene; it's all about the dragons and the conversation!
The main detail worth pointing out is what Addam says about his parentage. He claims that his father is no one of consequence, because at this point no one outside of Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), the late Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), Addam, and his brother Alyn (Abubakar Salim) knows that Addam is actually Corlys' illegitimate son. It speaks to Addam's character that he doesn't spill this secret, which could potentially be problematic for Corlys. He's got loyalty and discretion!
As for his mother, Addam only says that she "was a shipwright." In the book, Addam's mother is still very much alive, and is a shipwright named Marilda who eventually became a successful merchant. The show aged up Addam and Alyn and killed off Marilda, probably to keep things a little simpler. We'll talk more about her shortly.
Alicent just needs a day off
In King's Landing, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) decides she just really, really needs to get out of the Red Keep for a minute. We all need a day off sometimes, Alicent!
- Alicent's cut on her forearm that she got during the riot is in the same place where she slashed Rhaenyra with Aegon the Conqueror's Valyrian steel dagger in the season 1 episode "Driftmark." They'll have matching scars now!
- Alicent complains that "nothing is clean" in the Red Keep as a rat scurries across a nearby table. She means something deeper than just the rats, but the fact that they have free reign is a good reminder that Aegon II had all the castle's ratcatchers executed.
- In the book, Otto Hightower brings a hundred cats into the Red Keep to replace the dead ratcatchers before Aegon fires him. Too bad we never got that in the show! Maybe Otto will roll up in the finale with a bunch of kitties.
- The Kingsguard knight Alicent asks to go with her to the Kingswood is Ser Rickard Thorne, a distant ancestor of the Night's Watch master-at-arms Ser Alliser Thorne from Game of Thrones. He's played by Vincent Regan, who also plays Vice Admiral Garp in Netflix's One Piece show.
Ironrod heard a rumor
Outside in the Red Keep courtyard, Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) and Jasper "Ironrod" Wylde (Paul Kennedy) discuss the possibility that Seasmoke has gotten a new rider.
- Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) banishes the last two of Aegon II's lickspittle Kingsguard knights to the Wall. This is the only time we've actually seen people get sent to the Wall in House of the Dragon. The third of the lickspittles was presumably killed during the riot.
- There are a few members of the Night's Watch in the courtyard when Aemond passes this sentence. Aside from the season premiere where Jace went to the Wall, this is the only other time we've seen them in the show.
- Larys confirms that Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) tried to claim the dragon Seasmoke when she was 14, and Seasmoke nearly chomped her up. That would have been a couple of years before House of the Dragon Episode 108, "The Lord of the Tides."
- Ironrod says he heard the rumor that Seasmoke has a rider from his squire. "He heard it from a stablehand, who heard it from his father, a fisherman, whose shipmate claims he saw it." So Seasmoke was probably spotted by a fisherman working out of King's Landing.
- The power play here is very interesting. Ironrod's information sounds a little suspect; by passing it off to Larys, he gives Larys the opportunity to elevate his position if it's true, but also take all the blame if it isn't. It isn't clear if Larys is canny enough to just not fall for that, or if he's also trying to actively undermine Aemond since he knows the prince regent loathes him.
The Blacks take stock
On Dragonstone, Rhaenyra and Addam of Hull arrive with their dragons, while the Black Council chafes at the queen's decisions (and her lack of appearing to explain them).
- You have to love the quick, quiet moment where Maester Gerardys (Phil Daniels) tells Corlys Velaryon that the new dragonrider is a "shipwright in your employ," and actor Steve Toussaint glances down as the realization of who it probably is sinks in.
- Lord Bartimos Celtigar (Nicholas Jones) is very upset about the idea that commoners are "seizing dragons." Aside from the Targaryens and Velaryons, the Celtigars are the only other noble house which traces its lineage back to Old Valyria. So not only is Bartimos salty because he got slapped around by Rhaenyra last episode, but it's also an extra affront that commoners are grabbing up dragons while his ancient Valyrian bloodline still has none.
- After Gerardys announces that Addam of Hull is to be trained as a dragonrider, Baela (Bethany Antonia) glances over at Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) to gauge his reaction, knowing that it will probably be a sore spot for him owing to his own bastardy and lack of Targaryen features.
- Mysaria's line that Rhaenyra would be better served "looking under the sheets and in the woodpiles" is a line directly out of the book, except there it's the fool Mushroom claiming he said it to Jace.
- The pleasure house that Mysaria references where "generations of Targaryen princelings had their revels" is probably the one in King's Landing where the brothel madam played by Michelle Bonnard was spending time with Aemond earlier this season. Don't forget, our introduction to Mysaria in this series was her having sex with Daemon in a very similar pleasure house — perhaps even the same one, though the set has changed.
- Mysaria says she knows of "four score" Targaryen bastards at least. That's around 80 bastards. Those Targaryens do keep themselves busy!
Judgment at Harrenhal
At Harrenhal, Lord Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) arrives with an armed group of Tully guards. Love seeing the Tully trout displayed so proudly on shields, armor and banners!
- Daemon receives Oscar with his sword Dark Sister laying on the table of the great hall of Harrenhal, which calls to mind the way King Viserys received important business in the throne room while holding his sword, Blackfyre.
- It looks like there's a tarnished, faded iron map of the Riverlands on the back of Daemon's chair. Part of it is broken, and the shape is slightly different than modern maps of the region, likely because that chair belonged to Harren the Black, who ruled the Riverlands in the days preceding Aegon's Conquest.
- The assembled Riverlords are the same ones who accosted Daemon a few episodes back: Lord Petyr Piper of Pinkmaiden (Antonio Magro), Lady Mallister of Seagard (Anna Francolini), Lord Darry of Castle Darry (John-Paul Hurley), and Lord Walys Mooton of Maidenpool (Turlough Convery). Now we can see some of the heraldry too, like the dancing maiden of House Piper!
- There's an interesting bit of theater going on here. Lord Oscar tells Daemon he knows the other Riverlords hate him. In private, he calls Daemon "my king." In front of the other lords, he calls Daemon "the prince." Ser Simon also says that Oscar and the Riverlords have come answering Daemon's summons, but Lord Oscar says the Riverlords answered his own summons. Daemon even tells Oscar before the meeting, "I don't need their love. I need their swords," which unwittingly gives Oscar permission to drag him in front of his vassals—within reason. The games of politics are very twisty in this meeting.
- The face carved into the weirwood tree in this scene is modeled after none other than George R.R. Martin, the author who wrote Fire & Blood, the book on which House of the Dragon is based.
- The scene starts to get more surreal as Daemon beheads Willem Blackwood, which immediately leads into another vision scene. I wonder what sort of affect shedding blood in front of a weirwood like this, practically onto its roots, would have on a person's mind?
- Daemon sees another goat in the hall of Harrenhal. Is that Black Phillip from The Witch, or is it a nod to Vargo Hoat, a future denizen of Harrenhal whose banner is a goat? You decide!
Larys Strong is very sneaky
During Daemon's talk with the specter of King Viserys in Harrenhal, Viserys tells him that the crown "crushes whoever wears it." We then cut directly to King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) trying to walk for the first time since his horrible maiming during the Battle of Rook's Rest, and collapsing in agony on the floor. A nice bit of thematic layering, to show how the current king is being crushed by his station.
The main takeaway from this scene with Larys, Orwyle, and Aegon is that Larys Strong is manipulating everything. Orwyle says that he's pushing Aegon more than is wise on Larys' orders; Larys replies that he'll try to have the guards give more warning before he bursts in next time. Essentially, Larys is anticipating that at some point, Aemond will try to make a move on Aegon's life, so he's forcing him to prepare in case he has to move as quickly as possible. In the process, he's also ingratiating himself to Aegon, since he's the one person trying to look out for him. Larys has plans afoot!
Dragonseeds, assemble!
Meanwhile on Driftmark, Lord Corlys Velaryon sets Alyn of Hull on a secret mission for Rhaenyra to ferry the Dragonseeds from King's Landing to Dragonstone. This is the frankest conversation these two have had all season about their relation, where Corlys tells him that, "Our people are of Old Valyria, but we are no dragonlords. I confess, I knew little of your mother's heritage. If it is...something in the blood."
This is kind of an interesting, odd change from the book, because it makes it sound like Corlys is assuming that Alyn and Addam's mother might have had Targaryen blood. In the book, it's more broadly suggested that it's the Velaryon heritage itself through Corlys which helps support Addam of Hull's claim to Seasmoke. Marilda, their mother in the novel, has no Targaryen blood at all. Time will tell if the show ever clears up the specifics.
Alyn tells Corlys that he "is of salt and sea" and yearns for nothing else. That's a fun callback to Baela telling Corlys that Driftmark must pass to one of "salt and sea" rather than to her, a dragonrider of "blood and fire." I wonder if Corlys thought of it too?
So long to the Eyrie
In the Vale, Rhaena Targaryen leaves through the Bloody Gate, while Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) and her guards bid them a stony farewell. As the train of guards leaves, we see two people holding the child princes Aegon the Younger and Viserys. Rhaenyra's youngest, Joffrey, is presumably staying in the Vale with his little dragon Tyraxes.
Rhaena immediately hoofs it into the wild, where she tracks down another ashen spot where a dragon has cooked up some sheep. That's the last we see of her this episode, tracking this mystery dragon into the wild. More than likely, it's the wild dragon Sheepstealer. I imagine we'll get a glimpse of him in the finale.
Jace's claim is called into question
Back on Dragonstone, Jace is making it pretty clear to Rhaenyra that while he might be a bastard, he's not very chill with the idea of riding dragons with a bunch of other bastards. There's a certain bitter irony to this, considering that Rhaenyra's decision to call for bastards was partially motivated by her own anger of the injustice of other lords mocking Jace for being one. Jace is upset because it throws his own claim to the throne into question; people would accept him even though he didn't look like a Targaryen because he has a dragon, but that's far less certain when there are other dragonriders who share the blood of the dragon and look the part to boot.
"And what if one of your baseborn, silver-haired dragonriders decides he wants to rule the Seven Kingdoms," Jace asks Rhaenyra. That is some heavy foreshadowing, and I'm sure we'll see that very question come up in later seasons. Don't forget it.
The Sowing of the Seeds
From there, we're into a montage scene that sets the stage for the grand finale, as Alyn of Hull brings a message from Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) to her agent Elinda Massey (Jordan Stevens) in King's Landing. Elinda then goes around town spreading the word that Rhaenyra is looking for Targaryen bastards. To bullet points!
- Elinda talks to a washerwoman; in the background you can see a Dragonseed with Targaryen hair, scrubbing away.
- She also approaches a blacksmith; that's Silver Denys (Robert Rhodes), a named Dragonseed from the book who's the first one to approach Vermithor later in the episode.
- Elinda uses members of the Gold Cloaks to help her get the word out; there's a brief scene where we see one tear down a message from her, and another where she whispers into the ear of the soldier who originally let her into King's Landing a few episodes back.
- Ulf tries to back out of going to Dragonstone, but he's peer pressured into it by his drinking buddies, who point out that he's gotten free drinks for years because of his story about being a Targaryen bastard. The best of friends!
- Hugh's wife Kat (Ellora Torchia) wants him to avoid the call for Dragonseeds and flee to Tumbleton where her brother lives. That's a town in the Reach that is a major setting later in the Dance of the Dragons.
- Hugh (Kieran Bew) tells the story of his mother, a Targaryen princess who became a whore. This has been all but confirmed to be Saera Targaryen, one of King Jaehaerys' children.
- That makes Hugh the cousin of Daemon and Viserys, and also the first cousin of Rhaenyra, Aegon II, Aemond and Helaena.
- Hugh and Kat's daughter died offscreen between the last episode and this one. And now that we know she was part Targaryen, the great-granddaughter of King Jaehaerys, that makes it even more tragic. House Targaryen is already tearing itself apart in ways it doesn't even realize.
From there, Alicent takes a swim. Not too much to note about this. She's having a mid-life crisis and reassessing her options now that she's been forced from power. She does, however, shed all her green garments before she hops into the lake, which feels somewhat symbolic of the fact that she's removing herself from the conflict long enough to clear her head.
On Dragonstone, the dragonkeeper monks have decided they will not abide by Rhaenyra's plan to put the Dragonseeds before the dragons. To them, the dragons are gods, which makes Rhaenyra's plan akin to blasphemy.
- In The House That Dragons Built behind-the-scenes documentary, it's revealed that it was actor Emma D'Arcy's idea to walk among the Dragonseeds while delivering this speech, almost calling to mind a cult leader.
- Rhaenyra drops some cool facts about Vermithor. He's the second-largest dragon in the world, aside from Vhagar, and arguably even fiercer. His nickname is the Bronze Fury.
From there, we're on to the main event, as the Dragonseeds try to mount Vermithor!
- This scene takes place in the Dragonmont, which is an inactive volcano on Dragonstone where the dragons all live.
- Baela, Addam of Hull, and Jacaerys all accompany Rhaenyra to the Dragonmont. If you blink, it's easy to miss Addam in the mix.
- There are some very cool shots of Hugh admiring Vermithor; for example, after Rhaenyra touches Vermithor's nose, a ghost of a smile passes Hugh's lips. Watching this scene once you know that Hugh is the person who claims Vermithor reveals a lot of cool little moments like that where he's getting to know this dragon who will eventually be his.
- When Vermithor shoots fire on the guards, there's one insane shot of a person literally melting against the wall. Brutal.
- After Vermithor starts roasting people, there's one long shot of Rhaenyra's face while somber music plays. This whole event serves as a pretty big turning point for Rhaenyra, where she is willing to put many lives at risk in the name of finding more dragonriders. Expect more of this sort of thing from her as the war grows worse.
- After Ulf regains consciousness on the ground below the platform, he almost stumbles into a torch and sets his hair on fire. His little startled reaction to noticing the torch is easy to miss, but kind of hilarious.
- The long shot of Hugh running around and eventually bonding with Vermithor is actually several different shots, stitched together with clever cuts to make it all look like one long take. The House That Dragons Built reveals the details of what went into makings this scene, and it's fascinating.
- There were around 45 stunt people set on fire to make this sequence, and almost none of the fire you see onscreen was computer generated. That's a lot of fire, even by Game of Thrones standards.
- Vermithor was the dragon of King Jaehaerys the Conciliator, Hugh's grandfather. Jaehaerys more or less exiled Hugh's mother Saera after she disgraced their house, which makes the idea of her son coming back and claiming Vermithor have a lot of juicy layers.
- Ulf steps on what looks like an egg sack in Silverwing's den. It's either that or dragon poop, you make up your own mind.
- If you look closely, you can see Silverwing in the background in every shot of the cave after Ulf enters. She blends into the background because she's perfectly still and asleep. You can also see her eye open when she's out of focus behind him right after he steps on the egg.
- Silverwing was the dragon of Jaehaerys' wife, Good Queen Alysanne, and she's considered one of the friendliest dragons to humans. That explains why she doesn't hurt Ulf beyond toying with him a little.
- A few episodes back, Ulf said he was the bastard brother of Viserys and Daemon. That would mean that Silverwing was his grandmother's dragon.
Ulf goes for a joyride and Aemond meets his match
Our final scenes of the episode brings Aemond One-Eye back into the picture, when Ulf does a fly-by of King's Landing on his new dragon. One last run of bullet points:
- Ironrod says that Lord Ormund Hightower's host is being "threatened on two fronts by armies allied with House Beesbury." It was mentioned last episode that House Beesbury wanted justice for their lord, Lyman Beesbury, who was killed by Ser Criston Cole during the Green Council coup. They're making lots of trouble in the Reach for the Hightowers, buzz buzz!
- Ironrod also says that Prince Daeron's dragon Tessarion has taken wing, and that Daeron hopes to join the fight soon. So that means Tessarion is flying around and big enough for battle, but Daeron still hasn't actually ridden her yet.
- When the call of "dragon!" goes up outside the Red Keep, Larys and Ironrod share a look. Remember, they both knew the rumors about Silverwing and didn't tell Aemond about it.
- You have to wonder if Ulf directed Silverwing to King's Landing or if Silverwing just took off to the city after he mounted her. Silverwing lived in King's Landing for decades when she was Alysanne's dragon, so maybe she wanted to visit her hometown just as much as Ulf did.
- Vhagar has to sleep outside King's Landing, since she doesn't even fit in the Dragonpit anymore.
- Aemond and Vhagar pursue Ulf back to Dragonstone, but turn back. Whether Aemond actually saw Vermithor and Syrax there waiting for him or not, he still knows that all those dragons live on that island. Flying there is basically the single riskiest thing he could do in the war, so it makes sense he got cold feet.
Now, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen has more dragons under her command than ever before. With only one episode remaining in House of the Dragon season 2, we won't have to wait long to see what she does with this newfound power. The season finale airs this Sunday on HBO and Max.
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