"The Queen Who Ever Was" | |
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House of the Dragon episode | |
Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 8 |
Directed by | Geeta Vasant Patel |
Written by | Sara Hess |
Featured music | Ramin Djawadi |
Cinematography by | Catherine Goldschmidt |
Editing by | Crispin Green |
Original air date | August 4, 2024 |
Running time | 70 minutes |
"The Queen Who Ever Was" is the eighth and final episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon , a prequel to Game of Thrones . The episode was written by Sara Hess and directed by Geeta Vasant Patel. It first aired on HBO and Max on August 4, 2024. Several days before its release, scenes from the episode were leaked online and quickly shared among fans on TikTok, X, and Reddit.
In the United States, "The Queen Who Ever Was" garnered a viewership of 8.9 million during its premiere night, with nearly 1.5 million viewers on linear television alone. The episode was met with mixed reviews from critics, receiving a rating of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the lowest-rated episode of the series to date. The musical score, cinematography, and cast performances (particularly of Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Abubakar Salim, Harry Collett, and Fabien Frankel) were highly praised. However, the episode was criticized as a weak season finale, with its cliffhanger failing to provide a satisfying conclusion to the season, though the set-up for the next season was appreciated.
![]() | This section's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed.(August 2024) |
Tyland Lannister negotiates with the Triarchy's High Council for their fleet to help break the Velaryon shipping blockade. They agree but demand control over the Stepstones. Additionally, Admiral Sharako Lohar, challenges Tyland to a mud-wrestling match before agreeing to sail with him. Tyland wins, earning Lohar's respect, and they set sail for Westeros with the Triarchy's fleet.
Enraged over Rhaenyra's new dragonriders, Aemond flies Vhagar to the Black-allied port city, Sharp Point, and burns it to the ground.
During the march toward Harrenhal, Gwayne sees Criston with Alicent's handkerchief and accuses him of breaking his Kingsguard vows. Despondent, Criston expresses regret over past choices, telling Gwayne he believes they are headed towards annihilation by Rhaenyra's dragons.
Larys Strong tells Aegon about Rhaenyra's new dragonriders and Aemond's decimating Sharp Point. He also warns that Aemond's rage is an even greater threat to Aegon's life. Aegon wants Aemond imprisoned, but Larys argues Aemond and Vhagar are essential assets to fighting the war. Having moved the bulk of Harrenhal's gold to Braavos' Iron Bank, Larys proposes that he and Aegon hide in Essos and return and reclaim the throne after Aemond and Rhaenyra have destroyed each other.
Aemond demands that Helaena ride her dragon, Dreamfyre, into battle. When she refuses, Aemond reacts roughly, but Alicent intervenes, berating Aemond for being reckless and destructive. Later, Aemond tries gently persuading Helaena, but she again declines, revealing she knows he burnt Aegon and Sunfyre at Rook's Rest. She also says she has foreseen his death in the war and Aegon retaking the throne.
Later, Aegon and Larys secretly depart the city in a covered wagon.
Rhaenyra visits Corlys, who advises she quickly utilize her new-found military advantage of more dragonriders. Corlys tries to bond with Alyn, who rebuffs his paternal attempts. Alyn rebukes Corlys for never showing interest in him and Addam when his legitimate children were alive, leaving the brothers to suffer as bastards. Corlys and Alyn set sail aboard Corlys' flagship, the "Queen Who Never Was", to join the Velaryon blockade.
Ser Alfred Broome arrives as Rhaenyra's emissary and, surveying Daemon's large Riverman army, pledges to follow Daemon if he proclaims himself king. Overhearing them, Ser Simon Strong sends a raven to Rhaenyra.
At night, Alys Rivers leads Daemon to the weirwood tree, saying he is ready to see his fate, if he wishes. Daemon touches the tree and sees visions of the future: Brynden Rivers becoming the Three-Eyed Raven, a White Walker leading an army of wights, a landscape of dead dragons, Daenerys Targaryen with her three dragon hatchlings, and Rhaenyra sitting on the Iron Throne. Helaena then appears to him, stating that Daemon now knows the full story and his role in it.
Rhaenyra and Addam arrive at Harrenhal on dragonback. Daemon reveals to Rhaenyra that he knows of the Song of Ice and Fire, and reaffirms his loyalty to her, bending the knee to her alongside the Riverman army, while Broome retreats into the crowd.
Exhausted from scouting the Vale without sustenance, Rhaena finds the wild dragon as it devours sheep.
Jacaerys finds Ulf and Hugh in the war room. Angered by Ulf's insolence, Jace threatens to hang him if he displays disloyalty or incompetence. Baela later empathizes with Jace, and expresses her concerns about civilian casualties, as does Rhaenyra, whom Mysaria counsels to remain strong since she has a major tactical advantage. During supper, Rhaenyra promises Addam, Hugh, and Ulf knighthood if they serve her well, and announces they leave for battle in two days to attack Green strongholds, Lannisport and Oldtown.
Late at night, Alicent secretly arrives on Dragonstone to meet with Rhaenyra. She admits her own faults that helped cause the conflict and offers to allow Rhaenyra to peacefully take King's Landing and the throne after Aemond leaves for the Riverlands. In exchange, she pleads that her children's lives be spared. Rhaenyra argues, however, that she must take Aegon's life to end the war. Alicent seemingly acknowledges that and departs the castle, promising that King's Landing's gates will be open in three days time.
In the Reach, the Hightower host marches north accompanied by Prince Daeron Targaryen on his dragon Tessarion. At the Twins, House Stark's army crosses south. In the Westerlands, Jason Lannister and Humfrey Lefford lead their host east. Somewhere unknown, Otto Hightower is held captive.
"The Queen Who Ever Was" was written by executive producer Sara Hess and directed by co-executive producer Geeta Vasant Patel. [1] It marks Hess' fourth time as writer for the series, following "The Princess and the Queen", "The Green Council" and "Rhaenyra the Cruel", and Patel's third directorial credit after "The Lord of the Tides" and "The Burning Mill".
The episode stars Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Emma D'Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower, Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, Matthew Needham as Lord Larys "Clubfoot" Strong, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen, Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen, Phia Saban as Queen Helaena Targaryen, Harry Collett as Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, Bethany Antonia as Lady Baela Targaryen, Phoebe Campbell as Lady Rhaena Targaryen, Jefferson Hall as Ser Tyland Lannister and Lord Jason Lannister, Freddie Fox as Ser Gwayne Hightower, Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers, Kurt Egyiawan as Grand Maester Orwyle, Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, Clinton Liberty as Addam of Hull, Kieran Bew as Hugh Hammer, Tom Bennett as Ulf White, and Simon Russell Beale as Ser Simon Strong.
It marks the first appearance of Abigail Thorn as Admiral Sharako Lohar. [2]
"The Queen Who Ever Was" premiered on August 4, 2024, on HBO and Max.
On July 30, 2024, several scenes from the episode were leaked and uploaded to a TikTok account, attracting between 50,000 to 100,000 viewers before the account was banned about three hours later. The leaked scenes quickly spread to other platforms like X and Reddit. In response, HBO issued a statement the following day, acknowledging the leak: "We are aware that clips from the House of the Dragon season finale have surfaced across social media platforms. [ sic ] The clips were posted after an unintentional release from an international third-party distributor. HBO is aggressively monitoring and removing clips from the internet, and fans can watch the episode in its entirety this Sunday night on HBO and Max." [3] [4]
In the United States, "The Queen Who Ever Was" was watched by a total of 8.9 million viewers, which included linear viewers during its premiere night on August 4, 2024, both on HBO and Max. [5] While on HBO alone, it was watched by nearly 1.5 million viewers during its first broadcast. This was an increase of 20.5% from the previous episode. [6]
The episode was met with mixed critical reviews. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 50% based on 26 reviews, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The site's critical consensus says, "Ending on a snarl when viewers expected a roar, 'The Queen Who Ever Was' is a bitterly anti-climactic finale that leaves the season feeling more like a tease than a treat." [7] It is the series' lowest-rated episode on the website to date.
Helen O'Hara of IGN and Carly Lane of Collider gave the episode a score of 8 out of 10. O'Hara described it as an episode that "has laboured to move pieces into place and establish character dynamics and deliver some beautifully written dialogue and failed utterly to deliver the hoped-for action alongside it." She added, "In terms of story and drama, this eighth episode was a triumph – or would have been had it arrived two or three episodes ago. But for a season finale to be all cliffhanger and no spectacle is close to unforgivable." [8] Similarly, Lane felt the episode "feels more like a penultimate episode than one designed to wrap up the entire second season, especially given where it leaves off." Despite this, she praised the performances of D'Arcy, Cooke, Frankel, and Salim. [9] Kayleigh Dray of The A.V. Club graded it with a "B+", commending the set-up for the third season and D'Arcy's performance. [10]
Alec Bojalad of Den of Geek , Fay Watson of GamesRadar+ Amanda Whiting of Vulture , and Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut all rated the episode 3 out of 5 stars. Bojalad appreciated the conclusion to Daemon's storyline in the season, and also wrote, "While still ostensibly an enjoyable watch, [the season finale] is the weakest episode of the series thus far. [...] [Mostly due] to the fact that there's no real conclusion here." Nevertheless, Bojalad still called it a good episode of television in general. [11] Watson praised the introduction of new characters in Essos, Daemon bending his knee to Rhaenyra, and the performances of D'Arcy and Cooke, concluding her review by saying, "Despite some excellent sequences, [the episode] is plagued by the same issues as the rest of the season, focusing on looking ahead rather than offering a satisfying conclusion." [12] Additionally, Whiting called it "a terrible, evasive and deflating" season finale, [13] while Wilson noted "It's a high-quality finale in many respects, but it remains a tease for bigger, more dramatic stuff to come" and praised the performances of D'Arcy, Cooke, and Salim. [14]
Katie Doll of CBR scored it 5 out of 10, stating, "By the end of the well-shot Season 2 finale, the HBO series can no longer hide that its flashy dragon sequences and rich dialogue are just covers for a story lacking substance." She then criticized the callback to Game of Thrones with a brief appearance of Daenerys Targaryen, which she considered the scene "undercuts the purpose of the series." However, she praised Djawadi's score, Collett's performance, and the parallel shots of Alicent and Rhaenyra. [15] Grading it with a "C-", Proma Khosla of IndieWire praised D'Arcy and Salim's performances as well as the final montage but found it lacking as a conclusion to the season. [16]
TVLine named D'Arcy and Cooke the "Performers of the Week" for the week of August 10, 2024, for their performances in the episode. The site wrote, "Cooke's tentative hopefulness as Alicent lays out her plan. D'Arcy’s stiff refusal, tinged with mocking. The way both actors shed layers of formality, emotional scar tissue and self-preserving distance to tap into what their characters actually thought of the other. And don’t get us started on how what’s playing out on D'Arcy's and Cooke’s faces throughout the scene is a master class unto itself... Alicent/Rhaeynra is House of the Dragon's truly tragic, heartbreaking love story. What a treat to watch the latest chapter play out via D'Arcy and Cooke's excellent interpretation." [17]
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.
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.
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 Martin's 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 fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, an adaptation of the second half of George R. R. Martin's book Fire & Blood and a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Condal and directed by co-showrunner and executive producer Miguel Sapochnik. It first aired on HBO and HBO Max on August 21, 2022.
"The Rogue Prince" is the second episode of the first season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Condal and directed by Greg Yaitanes. It first aired on HBO and HBO Max on August 28, 2022. The title of the episode is named after George R. R. Martin's 2014 novelette.
"The Princess and the Queen" is the sixth episode of the first season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. Its title is named after George R. R. Martin's eponymous 2013 novella. The episode was written by Sara Hess and directed by showrunner and executive producer Miguel Sapochnik. It first aired on HBO and HBO Max on September 25, 2022.
"Second of His Name" is the third episode of the first season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Condal and Gabe Fonseca, and directed by Greg Yaitanes. It first aired on HBO and HBO Max on September 4, 2022.
"We Light the Way" is the fifth episode of the first season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. Its title is the motto of House Hightower, one of the fictional noble families featured in the series. The episode was written by Charmaine DeGraté, and directed by Clare Kilner. It first aired on HBO and HBO Max on September 18, 2022.
"Driftmark" is the seventh episode of the first season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by Kevin Lau and directed by showrunner and executive producer Miguel Sapochnik. It first aired on HBO and HBO Max on October 2, 2022.
"The Lord of the Tides" is the eighth episode of the first season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by Eileen Shim and directed by Geeta Vasant Patel. It first aired on HBO and HBO Max on October 9, 2022.
"The Green Council" is the ninth and penultimate episode of the first season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by Sara Hess and directed by Clare Kilner. It first aired on HBO and HBO Max on October 16, 2022.
"The Black Queen" is the tenth and final episode of the first season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by series co-creator and co-showrunner Ryan Condal and directed by Greg Yaitanes. It first aired on HBO and HBO Max on October 23, 2022. Two days before it aired, the episode leaked online and was shared among many fans on illegal torrent websites.
"A Son for a Son" is the second-season premiere episode of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by series co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal and directed by executive producer Alan Taylor. It first aired on HBO and Max on June 16, 2024.
"Rhaenyra the Cruel" is the second episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by executive producer Sara Hess and directed by Clare Kilner. It first aired on HBO and Max on June 23, 2024.
"The Burning Mill" is the third episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by David Hancock and directed by Geeta Vasant Patel. It first aired on HBO and Max on June 30, 2024.
"The Red Dragon and the Gold" is the fourth episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. Its title refers to Meleys and Sunfyre, the dragons of Rhaenys and Aegon, respectively. The episode was written by series co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal and directed by executive producer Alan Taylor. It first aired on HBO and Max on July 7, 2024.
"Regent" is the fifth episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by Ti Mikkel and directed by Clare Kilner. It first aired on HBO and Max on July 14, 2024.
"Smallfolk" is the sixth episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by Eileen Shim and directed by Andrij Parekh. It first aired on HBO and Max on July 21, 2024.
"The Red Sowing" is the seventh and penultimate episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The title refers to the bloody fate of many Targaryen bastards, who are called "dragon seeds", trying to claim dragons. The episode was written by David Hancock and directed by Loni Peristere. It first aired on HBO and Max on July 28, 2024.