We’re past the halfway point in House of the Dragon and the infamous party scene in episode 5. Before you can take a breath, though, episode 6, “The Princess and the Queen,” changes things significantly as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) exits the show, and Emma D’Arcy takes over! The story shifts ahead in time, which is a bold move given how we were all on the edge of our seats with every moment in the first half, but things only get better with today’s episode.
If you’re wondering if there’s a wait to see D’Arcy, fear not, as she appears in the very first frame of this episode. She’s doing what queens and princesses are made for, sadly, giving birth. Quickly after pushing the baby out, she’s told the baby must be brought to the queen, and Princess Rhaenyra demands she go with the baby. Given the stress and tension of Princess Rhaenyra giving birth and her immediate change in mood from happiness to unease, one can imagine showing the queen the baby will not go well.
Many will enjoy how this episode jumping forward in time shows how much many of the key characters have changed. Princess Rhaenyra’s husband, Ser Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan), is older and seemingly quite kind and happy. King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) has to be the worst off, with nearly no hair on his head and a pale complexion that suggests he’s not long for this world. Given the outburst of the last episode, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel ) is quickly shown to be back in his usual role, indeed something to unpack and uncover as the episode unfolds. Your head will be spinning as you ponder how the world is different and how we got here.
Daemon kind of got his happy ending, but it was dashed.
Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO
Fans of dragons will delight knowing we get a different kind of flame-thrower in episode 6. The dragon is just a baby, and it’s neat to see the kind of training it and Targaryen kiddos go through. Special effects are strong here, especially in the close-ups of the dragon’s face. It’s like a puppy, only capable of killing you very quickly. This scene, while enlightening, also allows for a bit of humor which is sorely lacking in the show.
Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) takes the center stage in this episode. Less frail and uncertain than when we last saw her, she’s clearly been changed by the rigors of being queen and looking out for her children. As usual, for shows about royalty, we see the children born from unideal relationships aren’t the strongest of candidates to become king. She’s struggling to ensure her legacy continues with her boys, who are clearly going to get their heads lopped off eventually.
On the flip side, Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) lives an entirely different life. It’s cool how this show set him up as a toxic bastard, but we see he seems content with a new wife and many children. You’ll be shocked to see who his wife is, given he killed his last one in an earlier episode and wanted only Princess Rhaenyra. It’s a lot to unpack and fun to figure out what he’s truly up to. Things unfurl in a way that further gives the show direction. Prince Daemon may be the antagonist, but he’s undoubtedly driving the show towards its most dramatic moments.
Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) is gonna create a little chaos.
Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO
The way these shows play out, one can imagine it sucks living in a medieval era, no matter if you’re a slave or a princess. The only ones with any ability to relax are the dragons. It makes for a slightly miserable experience watching episode 6. It lacks sex, characters enjoying a bit of violence, and any joy whatsoever. Likely this is the effect they are going for, but it can make for a somewhat miserable experience as it all unfolds.
Outside of humor, the show has been missing a grand manipulator, which it appears to have found. Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) begins to show how he’s influencing the queen and may have spies elsewhere. As most of the characters in this show are relaxed and waiting for death or some action, characters like Strong flourish. Word to the wise, if you’re not already fighting, get your guard up.
House of the Dragon episode 6, “The Princess and the Queen,” shows us that maybe peace and lack of conflict may be the very cause of war and cheating spouses. These characters are all terribly miserable as the narrative jumps ahead, but their lack of action feels as though it’s ready to burst, which sets up quite a seventh episode.
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