The Princess and the Queen (House of the Dragon)

Last updated

"The Princess and the Queen"
House of the Dragon episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 6
Directed by Miguel Sapochnik
Written by Sara Hess
Featured music Ramin Djawadi
Cinematography by Fabian Wagner
Editing byTim Porter
Original air dateSeptember 25, 2022 (2022-09-25)
Running time68 minutes
Episode chronology
← Previous
"We Light the Way"		Next →
"Driftmark"
List of episodes

"The Princess and the Queen" is the sixth episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon . The episode is named after George R. R. Martin's eponymous 2013 novella. Written by Sara Hess and directed by Miguel Sapochnik, it first aired on September 25, 2022.

Contents

The episode features a 10-year time jump after the previous episode and depicts the birth of Rhaenyra and Laenor's third son Joffrey; Daemon, Laena, and their daughters Baela and Rhaena's visit to Pentos; and the consequences of allegation surrounding Rhaenyra and Laenor's sons as bastards.

It received mostly positive reviews, with praise going towards the opening scene, Laena's death scene, the climactic sequence at Harrenhal, and the performances of Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, and Nanna Blondell, though some criticized the pacing, particularly for causing emotional scenes to fall short.

Plot

Ten years after marrying Ser Laenor Velaryon, Princess Rhaenyra gives birth to a third child. Queen Alicent immediately summons them to see the infant. A weakened Rhaenyra brings the newborn herself, assisted by Laenor, who names him Joffrey. Alicent notes the child, like brothers Jacaerys and Lucerys, bears no resemblance to Laenor. Alicent privately insists that Rhaenyra's children are bastards, an allegation King Viserys repeatedly ignores.

Alicent's eldest son Aegon, aided by Jacaerys and Lucerys, pranks his younger brother, Aemond, the only Targaryen heir to have no dragon of his own. Alicent scolds Aegon for misbehaving and stresses family unity, saying he will one day fight Rhaenyra for the throne.

Ser Criston, now a senior Kingsguard and Alicent's confidant, trains the young princes in swordsmanship and forces them to fight one another. He taunts City Watch commander Ser Harwin "Breakbones" Strong over his protecting Jacaerys like he was his own child, provoking Harwin into attacking him. Lord Lyonel Strong, the Hand of the King, chastises his son for such behavior, stressing it substantiates rumours about Rhaenyra's infidelity with Harwin and damages the children's legitimacy. Amidst the political turmoil, Rhaenyra prevents Leanor from accepting a military commission in the renewed war with the Triarchy. To ease family tensions, Rhaenyra proposes that Jacaerys marry Helaena, Alicent's daughter. Viserys approves, but Alicent is furious that her own husband will not defend her.

The rumours cause Lord Strong to offer his resignation, which Viserys rejects; instead, he permits the Hand to escort his disgraced son back to the family estate at Harrenhal. After Harwin bids an emotional farewell to Rhaenyra and her children, Jacaerys asks if Harwin is his biological father; Rhaenyra replies that it matters only that Jacaerys is a Targaryen (It is strongly implied that Harwin is in fact, Rhaenyra's children's biological father). Reading the political winds, Rhaenyra moves her household to Dragonstone and permits her husband's lover, Ser Qarl Correy, to enter into her service.

Alicent mentions to Harwin's brother, Larys Strong, that she wishes her father, Ser Otto, was still the king's Hand. Larys recruits three condemned criminals, has their tongues removed, disguises them as servants of House Strong, and tasks them to set a fire at Harrenhal, killing his father and brother. He states to a horrified Alicent that he expects her to reward him for this act, showing neither guilt nor regret over his actions.

Meanwhile, Prince Daemon and his wife, Laena Velaryon, visit the island of Pentos with their daughters Baela and Rhaena. Prince Reggio Haratis offers them a portion of his lands in exchange for military assistance in fending off the Triarchy. Daemon contemplates the offer, but Leana criticizes him for choosing an easy life over what she believes is his rightful place at Driftmark. The pregnant Laena suffers prolonged labor and is unable to deliver; she commands her dragon Vhagar to incinerate her so she may die a dragonrider's death.

Production

Writing

"The Princess and the Queen" was written by executive producer Sara Hess, marking her first time in the Game of Thrones franchise.

The title of the episode is named after George R. R. Martin's eponymous 2013 novella.

Filming

The episode was directed by showrunner and executive producer Miguel Sapochnik, making it his second directorial credit for the series, following the pilot episode "The Heirs of the Dragon", and eighth for the overall franchise.

La Calahorra, a municipality in eastern Granada, Spain, served as the location for the scenes in Pentos. [1]

Casting

Olivia Cooke by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
Emma D'Arcy.jpg
Olivia Cooke and Emma D'Arcy made their first appearances as the adult versions of Alicent Hightower and Rhaenyra Targaryen. Both performances in the episode garnered critical acclaim.

The episode stars Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy, Fabien Frankel, Graham McTavish, Matthew Needham, and Jefferson Hall. Rhys Ifans is credited but does not appear.

It marks the first appearance of D'Arcy as adult Rhaenyra Targaryen, Cooke as adult Alicent Hightower, and John Macmillan as adult Laenor Velaryon, succeeding Milly Alcock, Emily Carey and Theo Nate who portrayed the young version of the three characters, respectively, following a plot jump of 10 years after the previous episode. D'Arcy was previously credited in the pilot episode as the narrator of the opening scene, therefore, this episode marks their first on-screen appearance. Cooke's casting was announced on December 11, 2020, alongside Smith and D'Arcy. [2]

Also introduced in the episode were Ty Tennant, Leo Ashton and Evie Allen as the young versions of Viserys and Alicent's children Aegon, Aemond and Helaena, respectively; Leo Hart and Harvey Sadler as the young versions of Rhaenyra and Laenor's first two sons Jacaerys and Lucerys, respectively; as well as Shani Smethurst and Eva Ossei-Gerning as the young versions of Daemon and Laena's daughters Baela and Rhaena. Additionally, it also marks the first and only appearance of Nanna Blondell as adult Laena Velaryon, succeeding Savannah Steyn who portrayed the teenage Laena in the previous episode; and the final appearance of Gavin Spokes as Lord Lyonel Strong and Ryan Corr as Ser Harwin Strong.

Reception

Ratings

An estimated 1.86 million viewers watched "The Princess and the Queen" during its first broadcast on HBO. [3] A total of 2.48 million viewers watched the episode across its four broadcasts on HBO during the premiere night. Its viewership on all platforms in the US meanwhile was 3% more than the previous episode. [4]

Critical response

The episode received mostly positive reviews. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 86% based on 103 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site's critical consensus said, "While the longest time-skip yet diminishes some of this installment's most shocking moments, the commanding introductions of Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke make clear that 'The Princess and the Queen' will remain compulsively watchable combatants." [5]

Writing for Den of Geek , Alec Bojalad gave it a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars and deemed it "by far the most entertaining and enriching dispatch from House of the Dragon yet." He highlighted the opening scene, calling it "the best thing the show has done yet" and praising the performances of D'Arcy, Cooke and Mcmillan. [6] Reviewing for IGN , Helen O'Hara gave it a "great" score of 8 out of 10 and wrote in her verdict: "Plotting, mutilation, murder, and dragons: it doesn't get much more Game Of Thrones than this. It's also a dramatically compelling episode, with lots of spiky moments to reassure us that Rhaenyra and Alicent are in good hands. If a few moments still feel shaky in the writing, there's no doubt that the cast are doing their utmost." [7] Molly Edwards of GamesRadar+ rated the episode with 3 out of 5 stars and summarized her review by saying, "The new Rhaenyra and Alicent are strong additions to the cast, but the episode flies through major events so quickly that emotional weight is lost." She then praised the visuals and Blondell's performance as Laena, calling it "powerful", but criticized the episode's pacing. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregor Clegane</span> Character in A Song of Ice and Fire

Gregor Clegane, nicknamed "The Mountain That Rides" or simply "The Mountain", is a fictional character in the A Song of Ice and Fire series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. In the books, the character is initially introduced in 1996's A Game of Thrones. He subsequently appeared in A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000) and in A Dance with Dragons (2011).

<i>Tales of Dunk and Egg</i> Series of novellas by George R. R. Martin

Tales of Dunk and Egg is a series of fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin, set in the world of his A Song of Ice and Fire novels. They follow the adventures of "Dunk" and "Egg", some 90 years before the events of the novels.

<i>The Princess and the Queen</i> 2013 fantasy novella by George R. R. Martin

The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens is an epic fantasy novella by American novelist George R. R. Martin, published in the 2013 Tor Books anthology Dangerous Women. The novella is presented in the form of writings by the fictional historian Archmaester Gyldayn, who is also the "author" of Martin's 2014 novella The Rogue Prince, a direct prequel to The Princess and the Queen. The plot of both The Princess and the Queen and The Rogue Prince is later expanded further in the 2018 novel Fire & Blood, which also spawned a television series in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daenerys Targaryen</span> Character in A Song of Ice and Fire

Daenerys Targaryen is a fictional character in the series of epic fantasy novels A Song of Ice and Fire by American author George R. R. Martin. She is a prominent point of view character, and is one of the series' most popular characters. The New York Times cites her as one of the author's finest creations.

The Rogue Prince, or, a King's Brother is a novelette by George R. R. Martin, published in the 2014 Bantam Spectra anthology Rogues. It is set on the continent of Westeros of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, hundreds of years before the events of A Game of Thrones (1996) during the reign of King Viserys I Targaryen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Glynn-Carney</span> English actor

Tom Glynn-Carney is an English actor and singer. He has appeared in Christopher Nolan's war film Dunkirk (2017), Tolkien, The King, and Rialto (2019), and as Aegon II Targaryen in House of the Dragon (2022).

House of the Dragon is an American fantasy drama television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to Game of Thrones (2011–2019), it is the second television series in the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise. Condal and Miguel Sapochnik served as the showrunners for the first season. Based on parts of Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood, the series begins about 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen conquest, nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. Featuring an ensemble cast, the show portrays the events leading up to the decline of House Targaryen, a devastating war of succession known as the "Dance of the Dragons".

"The Heirs of the Dragon" is the series premiere of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, an adaptation of the second half of George R. R. Martin's book Fire & Blood. The first episode of the first season was written by series co-creator Ryan Condal and directed by co-showrunner and executive producer Miguel Sapochnik. In the United States, the episode aired on August 21, 2022, on HBO.

"The Rogue Prince" is the second episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, named after George R. R. Martin's 2014 novelette. The episode first aired on August 28, 2022, and was written by series creator Ryan Condal and directed by Greg Yaitanes.

"Second of His Name" is the third episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon. It first aired on September 4, 2022. It was written by series creator Ryan Condal and writer Gabe Fonseca, and directed by Greg Yaitanes.

"King of the Narrow Sea" is the fourth episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon. It first aired on September 11, 2022. It was written by Ira Parker, and directed by Clare Kilner.

"We Light the Way" is the fifth episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon. Its title is the motto of House Hightower, one of the fictional noble families featured in the series. It was written by Charmaine DeGraté, and directed by Clare Kilner, and was first aired on September 18, 2022.

"Driftmark" is the seventh episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon. It first aired on October 2, 2022. It was written by Kevin Lau, and directed by Miguel Sapochnik.

"The Lord of the Tides" is the eighth episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon. It first aired on October 9, 2022. It was written by Eileen Shim, and directed by Geeta Vasant Patel.

"The Green Council" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon. It first aired on October 16, 2022. It was written by Sara Hess, and directed by Clare Kilner.

"The Black Queen" is the tenth and final episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon. Written by Ryan Condal and directed by Greg Yaitanes, it first aired on October 23, 2022. Two days before it aired, the episode leaked online and was shared among many fans on illegal torrent websites.

<i>House of the Dragon: Season 1</i> (soundtrack) 2022 soundtrack album by Ramin Djawadi

House of the Dragon: Season 1 is the soundtrack album for the first season of the HBO television series House of the Dragon, an independent prequel to Game of Thrones (2011–2019). Ramin Djawadi, who composed for Game of Thrones, returned to score for the series. Djawadi wanted the score to "keep the DNA alive from the original show", hence he created some cues based on the themes from the original show, but included new themes for the characters involved. He also experimented with instrumentation to create a minor difference from the original show. The album was led by four singles — "The Prince That Was Promised", "Protector of the Realm", "Lament" and "Fate of the Kingdoms" — released on August 18, October 9 and 16, 2022. The 44-track score album was released by WaterTower Music on October 24, 2022, a day after the season finale premiered.

Sophia Alison M. Boreham Saban is an English actress. She is known for her roles in fifth series of the Netflix medieval drama The Last Kingdom (2022) and the HBO fantasy series House of the Dragon (2022–).

References

  1. ↑ Daniel, Christopher A. (September 16, 2022). "7 House of the Dragon Filming Locations You'll Want to Visit". Architectural Digest . Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  2. ↑ Low, Elaine (December 11, 2020). "'Game of Thrones' Prequel 'House of the Dragon' Adds Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Emma D'Arcy". Variety. Retrieved April 28, 2023.
  3. ↑ Salem, Mitch (September 27, 2022). "ShowBuzzDaily's Sunday 9.25.2022 Top 150 Cable Originals & Network Finals". ShowBuzzDaily. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  4. ↑ Hailu, Selome (September 27, 2022). "'House of the Dragon' Viewership Rises Another 3% After Time Jump in Episode 6 (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  5. ↑ "House of the Dragon: Season 1, Episode 6". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  6. ↑ Bojalad, Alec (September 25, 2022). "House of the Dragon Episode 6 Review: The Princess and The Queen". Den of Geek . Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  7. ↑ O'Hara, Helen (September 26, 2022). "House Of The Dragon - Episode 6 Review". IGN . Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ Edwards, Molly (September 26, 2022). "House of the Dragon episode 6 review: "Impatiently devours its source material"". GamesRadar+ . Retrieved September 26, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.