House of the Dragon – Season 2 Episode 8 Recap, Ending & Review

The Queen Who Ever Was

Episode 8 of House of the Dragon season 2 starts with Tyland Lannister asking for help from the soldiers over in Essos. In exchange for the Stepstones, the Myrish captain will send a fleet of warships to break the blockade. The navy commander, Lohar, will need to travel with them though.

The Admiral refuses to go with Tyland until he proves himself and that comes from besting them in a mud wrestling contest. He also has to wed the wives of his fighter too.

The Grand Maestar continues to work on Aegon, who comments how he’s a good man. Larys shows up and tells him he needs to leave Kings Landing.

With Rhaenyra having found 3 dragons, and Aemond on the warpath, destroying Sharp Point in anger, there’s never been a better time to get out of there. Aemond’s fury could turn to Aegon so Larys believes that they should high-tail it out while they can.

Harrenhal’s gold reserves are actually in a bank in Braavos and they could head out and live well. Aegon laughs incredulously but he does like the sound of Larys calling him various names, which goes back to the whole “Aegon the Magnaminous” we heard earlier in the season. He just wants to be revered and Larys knows exactly how to get him where it’ll stir him the most.

Over in Dragonstone, Jace is not happy as Ulf taunts the Prince over them both being dragonriders. Jace s in no mood for games, after hearing about Sharp Point, and he eventually leaves.

Rhaenyra  is in more positive moods but Corlys reminds her that she needs to be smart here. The dragons are technically matched given both Halaena and an old brother from Oldtown with an untested dragon could join the ranks.

Naturally, Aemond shows up and immediately demands Halaena fight, even if she doesn’t want to. Alicent steps up and challenges his rule, telling him he needs to find another way and not be so malicious. Aemond leaves for the time being but it makes Alicent’s mind up. She approaches the Grand Maester and urges him to help get her passage out of Kings Landing.

War is upon us though and with a naval army and six dragons, there’s still a wildcard to deal with. And that is, of course, Daemon.

Over in Harrenhal, Daemon intends to march on Kings Landing with his new army. Ser Alfred takes Daemon aside and encourages him to usurp the throne and rise up as a lone King, charting his own way forward. He believes they need a King in times like this, but listening to the coup from afar is Ser Simon.

Gwayne challenges Criston Cole over his love for Alicent. They discuss the weakness of men and how dragons are superior to them. He’s clearly rattled after what he’s seen and knows they march toward annihilation. He’s at peace over their destiny, and it takes Gwayne aback at hearing him so peaceful.

There’s a really symbolic moment here, where Cole uses the cloth that Alicent gave him to wipe his sword, a sort of admission that what was once pure and full of love, has now turned to death and despair.

That night, Rhaenyra gathers all the dragon-riders and promises that they’ll be knights of the realm if they’re victorious. They’re going to fight in two days time and hit Oldtown and Lannisport.

Aemond’s armies need to be subdued but this will involve killing numerous people. Rhaenyra shrugs off Vhagar’s threat, while she’s also taken aback by Ulf’s demeanour at the table. Simon sends a message over to Rhaenyra, warning that Daemon could be conspiring against her. She calls on Addam – not Jace – to help her with this.

At Harrenhall, Daemon heads out to the tree and placing his hand on it, sees visions of the future, including the White Walkers, dragon eggs, Daenarys and the disastrous ending to Game of Thrones (ie. everything going up in flames). He also sees Rhaenyra on the throne too. Apparently he now knows “what he must do”.

After a chilling chat nestled in the middle of this, with Halaena challenging Aemond and knowing he’s responsible for trying to kill Aegon, Rhaenyra and Addam both ride to Harrenhal. She heads in alone before everyone and sees Harrenhal is a bustling commune. Her dragon overlooks everything, as Daemon steps out.

In front of everyone, Rhaenyra demands to know who he’s sworn to. Speaking in High Valryian he’s seen the future and knows that this wr is only the beginning as Winter is Coming. He’s conceded with what he’s doing and lowers down on one knee before her, believing she’s the true Queen.

Mysaria believes the Gods favour Rhaenyra but she’s conflicted over the deaths that are about to take place across the realm. The White Worm tells her she needs to prevail and work hard to make this a reality…but she also knows that Viserys would not have wanted all this bloodshed to befall them. Still, there’s no chance now of that changing.

Downstairs, Rhaenyra is taken aback by Alicent showing up. She’s here without anyone else’s knowledge and she apologizes for the mistakes she’s made. Being free from the endless plotting and scheming has changed something inside her and she wants to be free and leave.

However, cities burned and armies on the march, Rhaenyra is incredulous over her old friend. After all, they had a chance to end all of this earlier in the season but she didn’t take it.

Rhaenyra and Alicent discuss Viserys’ last words and she tries to organize a coup. Specifically, when Aemond flies out to the Riverlands to fight with Cole, she should come to Kings Landing. Halaena would be ruling at that point and she’d be allowed to take the throne as a conqueror, and they’d allow that to happen.

When she brings up Aegon and trying to make him bend the knee…  Rhaenyra refuses. She knows that they’re too far gone and the only solution is for her to have Aegon’s head and also kill Aemond  too – all schemers should die. “A son for a son”.

With an impossible choice before her, Alicent begins crying and her silence seems to show she agrees to this. Rhaenyra will know that history will paint her as a cold queen and one who failed to cling to power. Alicent though just wants to be free. Rhaenyra lets her go back to King’s Landing, but also points out that she’s not leaving. War has come, whether they like it or not.

All the armies on all sides are ready to fight, and as everyone prepares for their part to play in this, Aegon and Larys leave King’s Landing together, presumably for Braavos, while we’re basically at the same point as season 1, albeit with larger armies and the promise of all-out war on the horizon.

The Episode Review

So the ending for House of the Dragon season 2 brings everything round full circle as we prepare for the final fight upon us. The glimpses of Game of Thrones are, unfortunately, a reminder of what’s to come and it’s unfortunate that we’re levied with this in the future given House of the Dragon has been a decent prequel.

The second season has definitely been a lot weaker compared to the first, and it’s not even for the lack of action either. A lot of the drama here has been moving chess pieces around, sorting out alliances and then preparing to fight, with season 3 in particular promising to have a lot more action.

However, it’s worth remembering that House of the Dragon and the earlier Game of Thrones series were never really about the action, it’s very much a political drama with sprinklings of action thrown in.

The show ultimately ends with everything moving roward a common goal and quite who will come out of this in one piece, remains to be seen. But for now, we’ll have to wait for the next season to find out how all of this plays out.