House of Dragons episode 8 recap and when does episode 9 come out?
We share the summary and explanation of episode 8 of the House of the Dragon series, ‘The Lord of the Tides’, and give a taster for episode 9.
On Sunday 9 October, the eighth episode of the first season of House of the Dragon, the spin-off and prequel to Game of Thrones, was broadcast. Let’s reflect on what we saw, with a summary and explanation of the most recent instalment, entitled The Lord of the Tides, as well as what is expected for next week.
**Be very aware, what follows contains spoilers**
House of the Dragon: episode 8 - The Lord of the Tides
With only two episodes remaining, everything seems to indicate that fans will have to wait for the epic Dance with Dragons to unfold next season.
It’s been six years since the last episode, with number eight opening up with Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) learning that her husband Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) had suffered a serious battle wound and was missing. He was expected to survive.
It was Corlys’ wish that his grandson, Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault), be the heir to House Velaryon. Corlys’s younger brother, Ser Vaemond Velaryon (Wil Johnson), told Rhaenys that he would petition the crown to supplant Lucerys as he, like so many others, suspected he was Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’ Arcy) and his nephew, Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan).
Having had two children together and with another on the way, Rhaenyra and Daemon (Matt Smith) planned to travel to King’s Landing from Dragonstone, where they would argue that Lucerys should be the heir. They knew it would be a difficult battle, as King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) was essentially allowing Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) to rule.
In addition to ruling in place of her husband, Alicent had another major issue to deal with: her eldest son, Prince Aegon II Targaryen (now played by Tom Glynn-Carney), sexually assaulted a servant girl, who may or may not have been poisoned by Alicent to keep the matter secret.
Knowing that Lucerys had little chance of winning House Velaryon's petition, Rhaenyra paid a late-night visit to her barely conscious father, where she again begged for his help. She also asked him if he really believed the story of the dream of Aegon the Conqueror, which, as father and daughter saw it, meant that she was the rightful heir. He did not answer.
The petition hearing took place in the great hall the next day. As Rhaenyra began to make her argument, the great doors to the hall swung open to reveal King Viserys making his way to the throne. Viserys ruled that Lucerys would be the heir.
An enraged Vaemond told the king and everyone in the hall that he would never allow it. Daemon decapitated him. Afterwards, the family had dinner together. During dinner, the king gave an emotional and moving speech about how much he loved them all and how much he wanted everyone to get along, which they did at that moment. However, once the king left the room, disputes erupted as Aemond confronted Rhaenyra’s two eldest sons.
As Alicent put Viserys to bed, Viserys answered the question Rhaenyra had asked earlier: whether he truly believed in Aegon the Conqueror’s dream. He told his wife that he did and that a prince “would unite the kingdom against the cold.” He stressed that she should “do this.” Alicent took this to mean that the desire was for her eldest son Aegon to be king, which will set off the Targaryen civil war, also known as the Dance with Dragons.
In the final moments of the episode, as he lay alone in his bed, Viserys shed a single tear as he approached something or someone and said: “My love” .
What will happen in episode 9 of House of the Dragon?
Episode 9 of ‘House of the Dragon’, titled The Green Council, will premiere on October 16 at 9:00 pm ET. Here is a little insight as to what we can expect thanks to a nice teaser from HBO.