House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 6 Recap: Power, Betrayal, and Dragons

As we now enter the endgame of the second season of House of the Dragon (“HOTD”), episode six, ‘Smallfolk’, rewards audiences for their patience; tensions are rising, and the key players are showing their hands. So, time to dismount your dragons and follow us into the Chamber of the Painted Table. We have much to discuss! 

WARNING: Spoilers and heavy themes discussed below!

House of the Dragon: The Regent

We pick up with Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall) marching into the Tooth in preparation for an assault on Harrenhal and Daemon’s forces. Jason’s Twin brother Tyland sits on the Green Council as their Master of Ships. Jason provokes Aemond’s (Ewan Mitchell) anger by summoning him to the Tooth ‘with haste’ upon Vhagar to provide a defence against Daemon (Matt Smith) and Caraxes. Never one to be accused of cowardice, Aemond states he will join Criston (Fabien Frankel) for the attack on Harrenhal in his own time; ‘my uncle is a challenge I welcome, if he dares face me’. 

Besides the exciting action this foretells, this shake-up in the dynamic between him and the Greens, especially his mother Alicent (Olivia Cooke), who he promptly and coldly dismisses from his council, is a positive addition to the book’s events. Indeed, it proves vital for her character arc as she reflects on her failures as a mother; ‘have the indignities of your childhood not yet been sufficiently avenged?’

HOTD: Jace’s Plan and Daemon’s Redemption

Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and her council, still reeling from the loss of Rhaenys and unsure of Daemon’s motives, resolve to follow through on her and Jacaerys’ (“Jace” played by Harry Collett) idea of recruiting dragon riders from those nobles who descend from House Targaryen. Steffon Darklyn (Anthony Flanagan) is Rhaenyra’s first guinea pig, distantly descended from a Targaryen princess. Seizing the opportunity to elevate himself to an equal in the eyes of his Queen, he leaps pridefully at the opportunity despite the heavy risk to his own life.

Meanwhile, in Harrenhal, Daemon’s visions finally take a rather interesting and meaningful turn. Far from mere flashes of future conflict or shockingly violent/sexual interactions with his immediate family members, we instead get a powerfully written and directed scene, reimagining that formative moment in season one where Daemon is dismissed from court by his brother Viserys (Paddy Considine), and replaced as heir by Rhaenyra.

Focusing on this pivotal moment for Daemon’s character through the lens of the brothers’ relationship finally makes Daemon engaging and sympathetic in a way we just haven’t seen so far this season. Viserys’ vulnerability in this moment of grief for his wife and child tears down Daemon’s defences, and tears form in his eyes as he fills with regret at the missed opportunity he had to be there for his brother. 

HOTD: To Ride a Dragon

Back on Dragonstone, Steffon finally meets Seasmoke, the dragon of Rhaenyra’s first husband, Laenor. Aided by the Dragonkeepers, his attempt to woo and tame the beast initially appears successful; alas, this is short-lived. We are reminded that dragons are not only powerful but dangerous beasts that are not to be trifled with. Both Steffon and a Dragonkeeper lose their lives in this failed attempt, and Rhaenyra’s cause suffers a further setback.

HOTD: Back in King’s Landing

Murmurs of unrest continue to spread in King’s Landing as the unseen hand of Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) stokes the fires of rebellion at Rhaenyra’s command. The people of King’s Landing are still giving offerings to the Royal Family without being paid. At first, the price of food increased, but the situation worsened as time passed. Now, the food has run out entirely, and civil unrest is brewing.

A single intriguing scene in an inn reveals Mysaria’s agents working to convince the smallfolk that it is the Greens who are responsible for their suffering, and we are reminded that the quickest way to spur people into action is to give them someone to blame. 

Overseeing his council as Regent once again, Aemond chafes at the self-interested advice he receives from Larys (Matthew Needham), eradicating any hope Larys has of becoming ‘the Hand of the Regent’. Aemond then proceeds to visit Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), who has now regained consciousness. He quickly convinces Aemond that he doesn’t remember his brother’s betrayal, and he is now left helpless before Aemond’s destructive ambition. We are left to wonder: what is to become of this erstwhile king?

HOTD: The Fires of Revolution

In the Vale, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) encounters shocking evidence of a dragon’s presence; a whole field is scorched and blackened with ash, littered with the bones of sheep. Book readers like myself will immediately recognise the culprit. In any case, as young Aegon and Viserys play, and baby Stormcloud (aww!) curls up to sleep like a cat, she confronts Lady Jeyne (Amanda Collin), who reveals a ‘large and formidable’ dragon has indeed been sighted nearby. With Rhaena desperate to take on a more prominent role in this war, might we expect that this beast will not long remain ‘alas, wild’?

The efforts of Rhaenyra and Mysaria finally come to fruition as boats filled with food and supplies wash ashore below King’s Landing, fully winning the smallfolk over to Rhaenyra’s side. This is contrasted by their attitude towards Alicent. The Dowager Queen continues to feel remorse for Aegon’s suffering, both physical and psychological, in which she herself is not entirely innocent.

She is comforted by her brother Gwayne’s (Freddie Fox) encouraging character of her ‘kind’ third son Daeron, whom I, for one, am excited to hopefully meet soon. She takes Helaena to the Sept in a show of mourning for the dead, but tensions boil over in a truly terrifying scene. Both women become targets for an impassioned mob, who hound them down whilst hurling food and insults. Handled correctly, this plotline could prove one of the most important, fresh, and exciting in the show, as the royal family and their dragons become the object of the smallfolk’s hatred.

HOTD: To Be Claimed by a Dragon

Earlier in the episode, we learned Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) feels neglected by his father, Corlys (Steve Toussaint), compared to his brother Alyn (Abubakar Salim). Addam’s usual task of crab fishing was interrupted by the Seasmoke. At first, Seasmoke seemed to terrorise all the fishermen, but we quickly learned he had his eye on Addam. The powerful dragon chases Addam, cornering him against a rock, as we are left to infer that the lonely dragon has taken matters into his own hands.

We then join Rhaenyra and Mysaria in the former’s bed chamber for an intimate meeting. Rhaenyra confides in her advisor about her relationship with Daemon, unaware of his possible path to redemption, as Mysaria herself opens up about a troubled childhood, suffering abuse at the hands of her own father. The two women share a moment of intimacy and trust, which becomes something more.

At Emma D’Arcy’s suggestion, the scene evolves as the two embrace in a passionate kiss. Those who may find this scene controversial, or at the very least surprising, may be interested to know that the book Fire and Blood implies that Rhaenyra takes a romantic, even sexual interest in Daemon’s first wife, Laena, of whom she grew ‘fond and more than fond’ (in George R.R. Martin’s words). This is to say nothing of the possible romantic interpretation of her and Alicent’s relationship in the first season.

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6

Watching these characters falter as they navigated ever-changing circumstances in episodes one to five humanised them against the backdrop of an inhuman war. However, viewers can only remain engaged for so long watching Rhaenyra’s indecision or Daemon’s constant visions in Harrenhal, which are far removed from the other major plotlines. A balance must be struck, and we can only hope that now we will begin to see more direct and open conflict as each player finds a renewed sense of purpose.

Episode seven airs on Sunday, July 28th, in the US, and UK audiences must wait until the early hours of Monday, July 29th, to observe how this war unfolds.