INSIDE HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: EPISODE 10 REVIEW – The Black Queen

Greg Yaitanes directed this episode of House of the Dragon, along with the second and third episodes. The season finale had me ruminating on famous words from a poem by Edgar Albert Guest: “Grief’s hours are long, and cold is the chill of it.” Those words, in my opinion, typify what Rhaenyra went through in the episode. She suffered at the hands of the Stranger who visited death upon her. From her father to her children, the Black Queen lost three family members along with her birthright.

Dave Hill wrote in his Histories and Lore for Game of Thrones titled The Blackfyres, “A wheel with two hubs will not turn, and a kingdom with two kings will burn,” words that could efficiently serve as a mantra for the season finale and the events that will precipitate from it. At the end of the episode, the Seven Kingdoms will have parallel rulers, and the House of the Dragon will burn.

The Black Queen

Titled “The Black Queen,” the season finale kicks off at Dragonstone with Luke contemplating his status as heir to Driftmark by the painted table. Worried that the Sea Snake will die, Luke laments to his mother, Princess Rhaenyra, that he feels unworthy of the Driftwood Throne. “I can’t be Lord of the Tides. Grandsire was the greatest sailor who ever lived. I get greensick before the ship even leaves the harbor. I’ll just ruin everything. I don’t want Driftmark. It should’ve passed on to Ser Vaemond.” Rhaenyra calms her son down by telling him that destiny chose him as it did her when Viserys named her heir. Moreover, she tells him that she was scared at the time, just as he is now but that in time she understood, just as he will, that duty compelled her to earn her inheritance. “My father looked after me and helped me prepare for my duties. Your mother will do the same for you.” In hindsight, to me, the turbulence of unworthiness brewing in Luke was a foreshadowing of what was in store for him later in the episode.

The bonding session between mother and son is interrupted by news of the arrival of Princess Rhaenys, who had flown from the Dragonpit after Aegon’s coronation. On arrival, “The Queen Who Never Was” requests an audience with Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon, and upon meeting them, she delivers the news of Viserys’ death and the subsequent crowning of Prince Aegon as King after him. The news and the manner of Aegon’s crowning send a wave of shock and grief to Rhaenyra’s body, causing her to go into early labor, as depicted in Fire and Blood. Upon hearing this news, Daemon, now livid, reads malice on the Queen’s part; according to him, Alicent slew his brother. Moreover, he questioned why Princess Rhaenys let the Greens of the hook at the Dragonpit. “That whore of a Queen murdered my brother and stole his throne. And you could have burned them all for it,” Daemon lamented, and Rhaenys responded with a justifiable answer reminding us that she was born to sit on the Iron Throne had it not been for the ruling of the great council of 101 AC. Beaten by a barrage of bad news and in the early stages of premature labor, Rhaenyra has not heard all that Rhaenys has to say, “The Greens are coming for you, Rhaenyra. And for your children. You should leave Dragonstone at once.” That statement was the final straw that broke the camel’s back; upon hearing it, Rhaenyra begins to bleed, and another brutal birthing scene accustomed to the first season of House of the Dragon ensues.

As we shuttle between the birthing scene and Daemon’s war council, Rhaenyra delivers a stillborn child. Before delivery, she summoned Jace and Luke and brought them up to speed. She also instructed Jace to ensure that Daemon’s war council would not take action without her command. Refusing aid, Rhaenyra delivered and prepared the child for burial on her own, which was grueling to watch. Seeing the Princess wrap the baby as the Silent Sisters watched broke my heart. Her father was barely cold when the Greens stole her crown, and now this. Ramin Djwadi’s score for that scene tagged at my heartstrings, and I mourned with her, as did Daemon at the beach.

Transition to the burial ceremony, and we get the highlight of the episode, in my opinion. As the child’s body burns on the funeral mound, Ser Arryk walks through the crowd of mourners past the Queensguard, and on one knee, he takes out Viserys’ crown from his bag and hands it to Daemon even as he swears allegiance to Rhaenyra. “I swear to ward the Queen with all my strength and give my blood for hers. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall guard her secrets, obey her commands, ride at her side, and defend her name and honor.” Daemon crowns Rhaenyra and bends the knee as everyone follows suit except for Princess Rhaenys; he proclaims her his Queen. From grief to honor, this scene affords the episode its title; Rhaenyra is now “The Black Queen.”

The Black Council

A stack of candles is lit and slid underneath the Conqueror’s painted table; as the table lights up from Winterfell to High Garden, Daemon proclaims Rhaenyra’s titles as she walks into the war room with her theme song playing in the background. It was glorious to see, even as goosebumps covered my arms. She approached the Conqueror’s table and bid Rhaena and Baela to join her. At the painted table, she asked what their standing was, and Daemon painted the picture for us, “We have thirty knights, a hundred crossbowmen, and three hundred men-at-arms. Dragonstone is relatively easy to defend, but as an instrument of conquest, our army leaves a lot to be desired. We have sent word to my loyal men in the City Watch. I’ll have some support there, but I cannot speak to the numbers.” In addition to these numbers, Maester Gerardys chimed in to declare support from Houses Celtigar, Staunton, Massey, Darklyn, and Bar Emmon. As the War Council took stock of expected allies, it became apparent that Queen Rhaenyra needed the support of the major Houses, especially Houses Baratheon, Arryn, Tully, and Stark, some of whom, apart from House Stark, could be turncloaks with fickle oaths. When Rhaenyra was named heir, all the major Houses and their vassals swore fealty to her, and now some will need reminding. At this gathering, we also learn that the Sea Snake’s fever has broken and that he is sailing for Dragonstone; the position of his House and fleet is to be known when he arrives.

Talking of reminding the Lords of Westeros of their oaths, Lord Bartimos Celtigar impresses upon the Black Council that talk of men is moot and that Rhaenyra’s cause owns a power never seen since the days of Old Valyria. That power is dragons. The Greens have three adult dragons compared to the thirteen that the Blacks have on their side. According to Daemon, Rhaenyra has at her disposal: Syrax, Caraxes, and Meleys, her son’s dragons, Vermax, Arrax, and Tyraxes, Baela’s Moondancer, unclaimed dragons including Seasmoke at Driftmark, Vermithor and Silverwing on Dragonmont, and three wild dragons which according to Fire and Blood, include Sheepstealer, Grey Ghost and Cannibal. Despite the odds being in their favor, Rhaenyra is wise enough to know that sheer numbers don’t matter when it comes to dragons; what matters is battle experience and fighting size, and the Greens have all that in one dragon, Vhagar. To counter the advantage the Greens have in Vhagar, the Blacks, in my opinion, must bring into play Vermithor or Cannibal. Later in the episode, we see Daemon toying with that idea when he goes into Dragonmont to sing to Vermithor.

With the parallel crowning of Aegon and Rhaenyra, it is inevitable; dragons will dance, and flames will blossom in the sky. And Daemon is chomping at the bit. With a keen military mind, he has all the plans formulated, and this time, he is justified in his cause to wage war despite Rhaenyra’s veiled restraint.

The Greens Offer Terms

A ship is sighted offshore of Dragonstone, a lone galleon flying a banner of a three-headed green dragon; the passenger manifest comprises mainly the members of the Green Council. Ser Otto and Grand Maester Orwyle lead the delegation to deliver Aegon’s terms to the Blacks, and the terms are “reasonable,” according to Alicent Hightower, now the dowager queen. “King Aegon Targaryen, Second of His Name, in his wisdom and desire for peace, is offering terms. Acknowledge Aegon as King and swear obeisance before the Iron Throne. In exchange, His Grace will confirm your possession of Dragonstone. It will pass to your trueborn son, Jacaerys, upon your death. Lucerys will be confirmed as the legitimate heir to Driftmark and all the lands and holdings of House Velaryon. Your sons by Prince Daemon will also be given places of high honor at court: Aegon the Younger as the King’s squire, Viserys as his cupbearer. Finally, the King, in his good grace, will pardon any knight or lord who conspired against his ascent.” Ser Otto delivered those terms to Queen Rhaenyra on the steps of Dragonstone, where she was flanked by her Queensguard and Prince Daemon, who was the first to respond to Aegon’s terms. “I would rather feed my sons to the dragons than have them carry shields and cups for your drunken, usurper cunt of a king.” Said Daemon, and Otto responded by affirming his grandson’s legitimacy as King; he stated that Aegon Targaryen was firmly on the Iron Throne with all the instruments of power and that a Septon of the faith anointed him before the eyes of thousands.

To further affirm the position of the Greens, Otto stated that, with Aegon’s leave, Great Houses of the realm, including Stark, Tully, and Baratheon, had received generous terms and were seriously considering them. Along with the King’s offer, Otto brought a token of good faith from the dowager queen; the page from the history book Rhaenyra ripped in the first episode of House of the Dragon when the girls were four-and-ten and the best of friends. Following counter-accusations from both parties, the encounter culminated in Daemon unsheathing his sword leading to a delicate standoff with the Cargyll twins on opposing sides. While drawing his sword, the prince had called for Otto’s head, causing Syrax, parked behind the Greens, to roar, having perceived that Queen Rhaenyra was in danger. The standoff and the meeting ended when Rhaenyra called off her swords as she told Otto that King’s Landing would have her answer on the morrow.

Queen Rhaenyra, the Peaceful

Aegon’s company sailed back to the capital, leaving the Blacks to mull over the King’s terms. Gathered around the painted table in the war room, Daemon reiterated that they had more dragons and that it was no easy feat for a man to slay a dragon though dragons could kill each other. While chiming in, a restraint Rhaenyra repudiated those sentiments, stating that she knew the Valyrian war histories from her late father, who spoke of them often. “When dragons flew to war, everything burned. I do not wish to rule over a kingdom of ash and bone.” Her perspective prompted Lord Bartimos to ask Rhaenyra whether she was considering the terms offered by the Hightowers and her response was a regal one; “As Queen, what is my true duty to the realm, Lord Bartimos? Ensuring peace and unity? Or that I sit on the Iron Throne, no matter the cost?” As you can imagine, Daemon, primed for war, as he should be, was irked by Rhaenyra’s point of view, pointing out that she was channeling her father, the late King. And Rhaenyra responded, “My father’s dead. And he chose me as his successor to defend the realm, not cast it headlong into war.” During the exchange, I was empathetic to the Queen because deep down, the Conqueror’s dream weighed heavily on her. Rhaenyra had promised to keep and guard that secret, and now more than ever, in her mind, the realm needed to remain united no matter the cost, and Daemon knew nothing about the prophecy hence their differing positions. For Daemon, the Greens have declared war, and Rhaenyra’s restraint reflects weakness on their part. “I promised my father to hold the realm strong and united. If war’s first stroke is to fall, it will not be by my hand. Taking caution does not mean standing fast. I wish to know who my allies are before I send them to war.” Rhaenyra would say those words to Lord Corlys later in the episode.

Witnessing the exchange between Rhaenyra and Daemon was “the queen who never was,” and she was impressed by Rhaenyra’s leadership qualities. Until then, princess Rhaenys had not bent her knee to Rhaenyra, and she has now seen enough to be convinced that Rhaenyra is worthy of the Iron Throne. When the Black Council dispersed, Rhaenys left to sit by the Sea Snake as his fever broke. And when Lord Corlys woke up, Rhaenys convinced him to back Rhaenyra’s claim because, in her eyes, she was worthy. And just like that, Driftmark’s armada and Rhaenys’ dragon are now firmly in Rhaenyra’s corner. With House Velaryon’s full support, the Blacks now control the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea, a strategic advantage that could choke the capital by placing total blockades in the shipping lanes bound for King’s Landing. With the blockades in place, it would be easy to surround and lay siege to the Red Keep and force the Greens to surrender. At least, that was the principal plan which could only be actionable if the Blacks had enough swords. To surround King’s Landing, Rhaenyra needs to secure the support of Winterfell, the Eyrie, and Storm’s End.

Dragons can fly faster than Ravens, and they are more convincing.

The Lords of Westeros need reminding of the oaths they swore to Rhaenyra and the cost of breaking them, and time is of the essence. To get to them faster, Jace proposed that rather than sending ravens, the Black Council should instead send him and Luke with their dragons to carry the Queen’s message to the different corners of the realm, and Rhaenyra acquiesced. Jace will fly north. First to the Eyrie to see Lady Jeyne Arryn, and then to Winterfell to treat with the Wolf of the North, Lord Cregan Stark, for the support of the North. Prince Lucerys will fly south to Storm’s End and treat with Lord Borros Baratheon.

Before the messengers left, Rhaenyra met with her sons to give them insight into the Lords they were to meet, and in that brief and emotional moment, she made them swear an oath, “It has been said that as Targaryens, we are closer to gods than to men. And the Iron Throne puts us a touch closer, perhaps. But, if we are to serve the Seven Kingdoms, we must answer to their gods. If you take this errand, you go as messengers, not warriors. You must take no part in any fighting. Swear it to me now under the eyes of the Seven.” And Luke swore first, sealing his fate at Storm’s End, where he found Vhagar parked in the distant courtyard and his uncle, Prince Aemond, waiting in Lord Borros’ Hall, having delivered Aegon’s offer first.

It was a short but turbulent ride in and out of the Stormlands for Luke. The Stormlands were true to their nature; it was rainy and windy, there were flashes of lightning and thunder roaring above, and Storm’s End was not as warm as Rhaenyra had anticipated. Luke was met with an arrogant and hostile host, “‘ Remind’ me of my father’s oath. King Aegon at least came with an offer: my swords and banners for a marriage pact. If I do as your mother bids which one of my daughters will you wed, boy?” Lord Borros alluded to the marriage pact between one of his daughters and Prince Aemond, who was looking on at the Baratheon Hall. In response to Lord Borros’ jibe, Luke reminded Borros that he was not free to marry due to his engagement with Rhaena. “So, you come with empty hands. Go home, pup. And tell your mother that the Lord of Storm’s End is not some dog that she can whistle up at need to set against her foes.”

As Luke turned to leave to deliver Borros’ response to his mother, Aemond taunted him, telling him to wait even as he referred to Luke as Lord Strong. “Did you really think that you could just fly about the realm trying to steal my brother’s throne at no cost?” To those remarks, Luke responded, stating that he had come to Storm’s End as a messenger and would not involve himself in a fight. “A fight would be little challenge.” Aemond said, “No. I want you to put out your eye. As payment for mine.” As Aemond spoke those words, he removed his eye patch, revealing a blue sapphire in place of the eye that Luke had taken in a fight when they were younger. To help Luke fulfill his demand, Aemond unsheathed a dagger and threw it at Luke’s feet. The row between uncle and nephew escalated quickly, prompting Lord Borros to end it, “Not in my hall! The boy came as an envoy. I’ll not have bloodshed beneath my roof.” Soldiers of House Baratheon escorted Luke back to his dragon, and Arrax ran to him because the dragon had sensed danger; such is the bond between dragon and rider. “Focus! Pay attention, Arrax! Be calm! Listen! Obey!” Luke’s dragon was nervous because Luke was nervous. He mounted him amidst the heavy storm, and they flew away in haste.

While the storm raged, a swift beating of wings above Luke and Arrax shielded them for a moment from the rain; such is the size of Vhagar. Aemond had flown his dragon in pursuit, and a dogfight ensued between the dragons. Vhagar chased Arrax between the storm clouds, and Arrax evaded the huge she-dragon. With the chase, Arrax’s nervousness increased, and the young dragon, despite commands from Luke, shot flames in Vhagar’s face, and the she-dragon went out of control. Both riders tried to bring their mounts to heel with little to no success. Just as I thought Luke and his dragon were in the clear, Vhagar appeared from nowhere, caught Arrax between her jaws along with Luke, and snapped them into oblivion. As the shards of the young dragon plummeted, the camera panned to Aemond’s face, and all I could see was regret; the ramifications of his actions had dawned on him. He had “inadvertently” started a war that would bring the House of the Dragon to its knees.

As both dragons went rogue, I couldn’t help but recall the fourth episode in the third season of Game of Thrones when Daenerys Targaryen was in Astapor surrendering Drogon to master Kraznys in exchange for the Unsullied. Chained and resisting Kraznys’ control, Drogon was shrieking and beating his wings, and when Kraznys sought to know why the dragon would not come to heel, Daenerys said to him in high Valyrian, “Zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor.” Which translates, “A dragon is not a slave.”

From the dogfight, we transition to the last scene of the episode where Daemon breaks the news of Luke’s death to Rhaenyra; he takes the Queen’s hand, leads her from the painted table, and whispers words that no mother would like to hear, and she almost collapses. All I could see on her face as she turned was righteous anger akin to Daenerys Stormborn when she witnessed Rhaegal fall from the sky shrieking with scorpion bolts lodged in his neck.

The Bronze Fury

As Jace and Luke carried out their errands, Daemon sang to Vermithor in Dragonmont. Called the Bronze Fury, Vermithor is a male dragon once ridden by Daemon’s grandfather, King Jaehaerys I. A fearsome beast, in 48 AC, only Balerion and Vhagar were larger, and Daemon knows that they need him if the scales are to balance where Vhagar is concerned, at least, that is what the showrunners want us to think. As Daemon locks eyes with Vermithor, there is a subtle hint of “warging;” the camera pans back and forth from the dragon’s eye to Daemon’s eye, and we are left to wonder whether there is a bond established between man and beast or not. Whether that scene was a foreshadowing or not, only time will tell.

Theories And Speculation

The Dance of Dragons has begun, and the House of the Dragon will descend into madness. There will be major deaths on both sides. Brace yourselves for Fire and Blood in the second season.

Rating

To me, the tenth episode of House of the Dragon was about grief and loss of control, and we saw all that from Rhaenyra’s point of view, and it was heartbreaking. I grieved and celebrated with her, and I was an emotional wreck at the end of the episode, which left me baying for blood. Without a doubt, I know we will get our pound of flesh in the second season, which can’t come soon enough. When writing this review, Rotten Tomatoes had the episode at 92% and IMDB at 9.3/10. I will give it a 9.5/10.

For more content on House of the Dragon, head to our in-depth article on Everything You Need to Know Before Watching House of the Dragon and my review of episode 9. You can also check out works by George R. R. Martin in case you want to learn more about the source material that influenced House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones.