Episode 6 is the beginning of a new era of the Targaryens. We are steadily moving towards a full-blown civil war with the grown-up cast. The older characters shine in their new roles while we say farewell to other major characters. Here are the top moments from the latest episode of House of the Dragon featuring new royal children, new dragons, and new locations.
New Dragons appear
By episode 6, all the princes in the Red Keep, except Aemond Targaryen, have bonded with a dragon. We see Jacaerys’ young dragon, Vermax, follow his Dracarys command. Aemond is later seen running into the dragon pit, where he narrowly misses Dreamfyre’s fire. It will be Helaena who claims and bonds with Dreamfyre.
The showstopper Vhagar is seen in her glory, even making Daemon’s Caraxes look small in comparison. Vhagar’s massive size makes her too big to be contained in a dragon pit or anything of that sort. So we do not know how Laena found Vhagar since she was supposedly missing. But their bond was strong, having been together for about ten years by this episode.
Read More: Here are all the 17 Dragons from House Of The Dragon
Rhaenyra and Harwin’s forbidden love
The show confirms what the book, Fire & Blood, strongly hinted at. Harwin and Rhaenyra did not have to utter a single word. Their shared glances and Harwin’s behavior towards his sons told us everything we needed to know. The Princess and Commander of the City Watch have been involved with each other for a decade now.
Their separation was marked by pain on their faces, but Rhaenyra soldiered on. By the end of the episode, she makes the decision to move to Dragonstone to protect her family. It is doubtful we’ll see how Rhaenyra will react to her paramour’s death since the show made it clear that it’s not really a love story.
Read next: Who is Ryan Corr, and what role does Harwin Strong play in House of the Dragon?
The Fire At Harrenhal
The show solves another mystery from the book. Since Fire & Blood is documentation of the Targaryen Civil War from various narrators, the person behind Lyonel and Harwin Strong’s death was only a matter of speculation. The suspects were Daemon Targaryen, who wanted to clear Harwin out of his way as Rhaenyra’s lover; Otto Hightower who would have an easier time becoming the Hand Again.
The show went down the third route where Larys Strong, Ser Harwin’s younger brother, arranged for both his father and his older brother to die in a fire. This way, he becomes the sole heir to Harrenhal and makes Alicent indebted to him by leaving a wide berth open for her father to once again become Hand of the King.
Larys, Alicent, and Criston team up
Larys’ scheming is clear. He is thirsty for power and he will do whatever it takes to get it, including killing his family. While Alicent thinks he is a confidant, Larys sees her as the means to an end. Alicent realizes how far he is willing to go, just to get ahead. Larys Strong can be dubbed the Littlefinger of House of the Dragon. By joining hands with such a person, Alicent will only become more cold-blooded.
The paranoia her father fed her, she is now teaching her son, Aegon. While we see Aegon be on somewhat friendly terms with Rhaenyra’s sons, Alicent brainwashed him to see them and his half-sister as enemies. Add Criston Cole, a skilled warrior who despises Rhaenyra, to the mix, and you got the most ruthless trifecta.
Read More: Who Is Ser Larys Strong In House Of The Dragon?
A Dragonrider’s Death
Something perhaps no one saw coming was the way Laena Velaryon died. Laena expresses how she wants to return to Driftmark and when she dies, she wants to die a dragonrider’s death. After overhearing that she might die in childbirth, she willingly goes down to her dragon Vhagar and commands ‘Dracarys’. It’s phenomenal how you could feel what the dragon was thinking and feeling.
After being dragon and dragon rider for a decade or so, it’s clear how strong their bond is. For a dragon to hesitate on the dracarys command by its rider, is a rare sight. She dies due to complications after childbirth in the books, but even then, her final wish was to ride Vhagar one last time. The show makes sure she goes out in a blaze of glory, asserting command over the only thing she had control over.
Read More: Fans react to Laena Velaryon’s death in House of The Dragon episode 6
Remembering Aemma
The birthing scenes were callbacks to Aemma Targaryen’s from episode 1. The showrunners wanted to show how giving birth is like going to battle, and the women are warriors. Apart from that, towards the end of the episode, Viserys puts on his wedding ring from his marriage to Aemma and kisses it repeatedly as he sheds a few tears.
Viserys was known for wanting peace in his reign, but he can’t seem to find peace in his own family. Aemma was his true love, and the conflict between his new wife and his heir must remind him even more of her. The way Viserys protects Rhaenyra can be seen as a way to protect what he has left of Aemma, thus turning a blind eye to her matters.
Read Next: Helaena Targaryen foreshadows Aemond’s fate in House of the Dragon Episode 6
