House of the Dragon Recap With Spoilers: “The Red Dragon and the Gold”

The third episode of ended with a face-to-face meeting between Rhaenyra and Alicent, as the former hoped for one last shot at peace between their two sides. Obviously, based on the fact that the series continues this week, there was no agreement between the two. The Targaryen civil war rages on in Sunday’s latest edition of House of the Dragon, as the battles continue to claim substantial losses. WARNING: This article contains MAJOR SPOILERS for House of the Dragon Season 2! Continue reading at your own risk…

A Harrenhal Update

Things are not going all that great for Daemon in Harrenhal. He continues to experience horrifying visions as he stays in the cursed castle. At the start of the episode, he sees a young Rhaenyra again, this time taunting him with her crown. He cuts off her head before waking up from the vision with blood on his hands. Later in the episode, he sees his late second wife, Laena, serving drinks to the council, as well as a version of himself wearing Aemond’s eyepatch.

Daemon’s also not exactly turning the tide of the war, as he thought he could by taking Harrenhal. The crumbling castle has no army and Lord Tully is incapacitated, unable to raise the banners of the houses in the Riverlands. A conversation with Tully’s young grandson doesn’t do Daemon much good either, so he eventually summons Willem Blackwood, who has grown up since we saw him in Season 1.

This Harrenhal storyline is also giving us perhaps the best new character of Season 2 in Alys Rivers. After telling Daemon he would die at the castle in Episode 3, Alys spends much of her time in this episode explaining to Daemon that he’s just slowly losing himself within the haunted walls.

While Daemon tries to get things together in the Riverlands, Ser Criston Cole has been doing a lot of work in the Crownlands on his way to Harrenhal. He has been victorious in multiple battles and essentially tripled his army as they march through Westeros.

Rhaenys & Corlys and Aegon & Aemond

For better and for worse, this is Rhaenys’ episode. Her first time appearing in “A Dance of Dragons” sees her meeting Alyn of Hull face to face, and then confronting her husband about it. This exchange all but confirms that Alyn and his brother Addam are the secret sons of Corlys. It also sees Rhaenys tell her husband that Alyn deserves to be given a more prominent position than he has, especially since he saved Corlys’ life. 

Rhaenys is also acting as the voice of reason in Rhaenyra’s small council until the queen returns from her secret trip to King’s Landing. There’s a lot done throughout the first 45 minutes of this episode to show just how important Rhaenys is to not only the Rhaenyra, but to the entire realm. She’s often called the Queen That Never Was, and that leadership is on full display here.

Speaking of queens, Alicent is taking a potion to try and prevent pregnancy. Just weeks after her husband’s death, it would not be good for her to be seen carrying a child. 

Aegon’s small council meeting shows just how unprepared he is for the throne. Everyone is operating around him and making decisions without asking him, especially Aemond. The King’s brother is working closely with Cole on a battle plan, and they never bothered talking to Aegon about any of it. Aemond is clearly an expert tactician and he doesn’t bother hiding it.

When Aegon finally starts to break, Alicent gives it to him straight. She tells him that he should do nothing and let the smarter, more confident men around him make the decisions they know how to make. Alicent knows that war is inevitable and knows that she will back her children no matter what, but she is also becoming more aware with each passing day that the Iron Throne should’ve been Rhaenyra’s.

Rook’s Rest

Instead of marching on to Harrenhal, Criston makes off for Rook’s Rest. It’s a much smaller castle but it’s important to Rhaenyra’s forces, as it is one of the only strongholds in the area controlled by one of her council members. Taking that could hurt her chances of gaining any momentum on the mainland. It’s also, as we’ll eventually learn, a trap to take out one of Rhaenyra’s dragons.

With Rhaenyra now confident there will be no peace between the two sides, she agrees to send a dragon to Rook’s Rest to stop Cole’s army. While she initially volunteers, Rhaenys convinces the queen to let her go instead. As Rhaenys leaves for battle, Rhaenyra explains to Jace why she chose not to send him, even though he also volunteered. She tells him the story of Aegon the Conqueror’s vision, the Song of Ice and Fire, just as Viserys had shared it with her. 

When Rhaenys comes to attack Cole’s forces at Rook’s Rest, he sounds a horn. This signals Aemond, who has been waiting in the forest with Vhaegar, the massive dragon covered in brush and moss as to not be seen from the skies. Aegon shows up to the battle unexpectedly, and Aemond allows him to try his hand before releasing his monstrous dragon. 

Rhaenys and Meleys are more opponent than Aegon and Sunfyre are ready for, quickly overpowering the young king. That’s when Aemond and Vhaegar show up, proving their might. Aegon and Sunfyre are downed in the battle, and Aemond ultimately kills Rhaenys and her beloved dragon, dropping them onto Rook’s Rest from the sky.

In the final moments of the episode, Cole finds the fallen Sunfyre, with Aemond standing in front of the beast with his sword drawn. He puts the sword away and Cole sees Aegon laying beside the dragon, burnt and potentially dead.