House Of The Dragon Episode 4 Was Definitely…Risque, But Still Another Great Addition

So that’s what a Westeros night out looks like. House of the Dragon: Episode 4-“King of the Narrow Sea” was by far the most Game of Thrones Season 1-esque with all of its…well, I call them risqué scenes…but it was still another great addition to the show.

Ah, just when people were starting to think that House of the Dragon was growing somewhat stale, HBO puts out this episode. For a moment, I forgot that I was watching House the Dragon as everything about “King of the Narrow Sea” felt as if I was watching Season 1 of Game of Thrones.

Or, more specifically, I was just watching all of the Petyr Baelish brothel scenes from Season 1.

I’m sure the critics of HOTD/GOT’s portrayal of woman will be up in arms about Ep. 4, but they really shouldn’t be. HOTD actually used the brothel workers and the intimate scenes in a meaningful, story-important way that really drove home the growth Rhaenyra has experience in the past four episodes we’ve seen her.

This really was Rhaenyra episode to shine. And, boy, did she live up to the occasion (and no, I don’t mean it like that).

Milly Alcock truly is one of the best young starlets in Hollywood today as her character work with Rhaenyra, in just this episode alone, was worthy of an Emmy.

Essentially, this whole episode was about Rhaenyra and her growth as not only the heir apparent to Viserys, but also as a young woman. The schemes of the Sea Snake and Otto Hightower were put on the backburner (for the most part) for this episode, as well as the fighting and death from the Stepstones.

Actually, I doubt we will ever see the Stepstones again as this episode began with Rhaenyra still contemplating what lord of the Seven Kingdoms to marry. There were some great moments from that opening scene, which I believe took place at Storm’s End (which is the first time we’ve ever see the ancient Baratheon stronghold), such as Rhaenyra’s snarky comments about Lord Dondarrion and the Brackens and Blackwoods fight.

Milly Alcock really does just play a young, snarky, and confident Rhaenyra so well. It’s too bad she only has a few more episodes left as the young princess before Emma D’Arcy takes over.

Nevertheless, Daemon’s conquest of the Steptones has finally been completed as he shocks the royal court by flying back to King’s Landing to give up his crown to Viserys and swear fealty to the brother again. Obviously, Viserys accepts Daemon’s oath of fealty and throws a mini-party (as Viserys always does) in his honor as the conqueror of the Stepstones.

Isn’t this just a wholesome visit?

Well, no, there really isn’t much about Daemon that is wholesome. Especially his attitude towards Rhaenyra.

What do I mean? Well, during the party, Daemon and Rhaenyra step away from the main crowd to talk alone in the Godswood. Rhaenyra easily figures out that Daemon has not just returned for the honor and adulation of Viserys, but for something else.

Something that Daemon cautiously guards as the two discuss political marriages, Rhaenyra’s task of finding a husband, the constraints a marriage place on woman, and her desire to live in solitude, without a husband.

Forebodingly, Daemon ends the conversation by telling Rhaenyra that “You cannot live your life in fear, or you will forsake the best parts of it.” Hmm, I wonder what this Targaryen Prince speaking to his Targaryen niece is talking about? I wonder what he thinks she will be forsaking if she doesn’t want to marry? HMMM?!?!

First, let me say that Matt Daemon and Milly Alcock’s scenes have been consistently some of the best ones from the show. The two just have a natural chemistry that makes their uncle-niece relationship (with the creepy chance it grows into something a little more intimate) feel believable.

I wished the show wouldn’t skip so much time in between episodes as it has already been four in-world years since Episode 1, to allow these two to grow a little more on-screen.

I know they are covering the span of 30 years in this season and need to move things along, but I think their relationship would have worked a little better without the jumps.

Maybe they could have just covered the last 15 or so years before the Dance, spent more time with Daemon, Rhaenyra, Viserys, Alicent, and the conflict in the Stepstones, and then changed the actors and actresses in Season 2.

Anyway, we learn what Daemon’s intentions were only a few minutes later when he takes Rhaenyra out of the Red Keep and into the streets of King’s Landing for a ‘night out’.

They see fights, stabbings, robbery, drunken partying, magic acts, and puppet plays that detailed their very own lives.

What was really poignant from this montage was that puppet show that showed the people of King’s Landing profess their admiration for Rhaenyra as their princess, but vehemently express their dislike for the idea that she is to become their queen.

When Rhaenyra tried jeering up the crowd in her favor (as an undercover street urchin, that is), it really showed that, despite Rhaenyra’s confident demeanor, she is very unsure of herself internally. She desperately wants people to accept her as herself, mostly likely because her father has just treated her like a political pawn all her life.

Plus, she obviously is very naïve to the struggles of being a ruler as she brushes off their opinions as “unimportant” when Daemon brings the play up later. This is definitely a heavy dose of foreshadowing as for what is to come for Rhaenyra when she gets her chance to rule.

Okay, the next few scenes of the episode were easily the most important to the character growth of Rhaenyra, Daemon, and Alicent (who I haven’t talked about much yet) in the show to date.

In essence, Daemon takes Rhaenyra into a brothel, takes her into a backroom with dozens of other naked people going at it (which had to be awkward to film around) and seduces her, revealing his plan all along for coming back to King’s Landing.

Meanwhile, Alicent, who earlier complained to Rhaenyra that she was growing ever more isolated by becoming queen, was summoned by Viserys to do her ‘wifely duties’.

The perspectives switch between one another as Rhaenyra willingly and excitedly falls into Daemon’s seductive web only to then get rejected by Daemon as his conscience got the better of him before they were intimate, while Alicent obediently performed said duties with Viserys.

After getting rejected by Daemon, Rhaenyra leaves the brothel, heads back to Red Keep, and then seduces and does have sex with Ser Cristion Cole, her Kingsguard protector (even though he’s sworn to chastity).

I’m not sure if this was intended, but the director and showrunners did a great job portraying that, despite his flaws and rogue nature, Daemon Targaryen really does have a good within him.

Sure, he may not be as kind or honorable as Jaime Lannister secretly was, but he’s also not as bad as he would like people to believe he is.

And, as for Ser Cristion, he clearly isn’t the ‘White Knight’ that he was made out to be either. Given what we know he does later on, this was a necessary step to show that there is much more to Ser Criston than meets the eye.

More importantly, these scenes masterfully showed the difference between Alicent and Rhaenyra. Alicent grew into an obedient, duty-bound wife her father forced her to be, even when she was lonely and miserably while doing it.

Rhaenyra, on the other hand, rebelled against the wishes of her ‘superiors’ by not only allowing herself to be seduced by her rogue uncle, but also then used her body and appearance to seduce her Kingsguard.

In the end, Alicent remained loyal to what her father and husband wanted, while Rhaenyra rebelled against her father’s wishes and took what she desired.

Like I said, this is fantastic character growth from these two childhood friends and will define the rift that will eventually split them apart. Emily Carey (Alicent Hightower) and Milly Alcock (Rhaenyra Targaryen) should be proud of their work and the believable characters they forged.

Nevertheless, to cap off this review, Otto Hightower’s spies see Rhaenyra and Daemon enter the brothel and inform the Hand. He then goes to Viserys to tell him about his daughter’s amourous adventures, but Viserys can’t believe it and dismisses him.

There is a battle of “he said/she said” between Daemon, Rhaenyra, Otto, and Alicent that eventually ends up with Daemon getting banished to the Vale, Rhaenyra forced into a marriage with Laenor Velayron, Otto Hightower fired as Hand of the King, and Viserys getting even sicker and weaker.

Even though this episode only focused on Alicent, Rhaenyra, and Daemon, and stayed in King’s Landing, it was definitely the best one yet. I’ve have said this a hundred times, but I’ll say it again. GOT/HOTD is at its best when it focused on the characters, their motivations, and their resolve to get said motivations achieved. In my opinion, Episode 4-“The King of the Narrow Sea” is a 9.5/10.

 

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