House of the Dragon Episode 6 review: A paranoid Queen, a defiant Princess, and a game of thrones

3.5/5

Story: Set 10 years after Princess Rhaenyra’s eventful wedding, House Targaryen is a broken family. Queen Alicent has grown to hate her former friend and confidant Rhaenyra, whereas Rhaenyra has become weary of Alicent’s mistrust of her and is desperate not to show any weakness. As Rhaenyra gives birth to her third child, there are murmurs within the Red Keep questioning the parentage of her children.

Elsewhere in the Free City of Pentos, Prince Daemon and his wife Leana are offered an enticing proposition. They will be given gold, lands, and castles, and in return, they would have to stay in Pentos with their children and dragons as a show of strength against enemies from Dorme.

Review: The older versions of both Queen Alicent and Princess Rhaenyra have finally arrived with Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy taking over from Emily Carey and Milly Alcock. With the arrival of the older versions of these characters, the tone of the show has also shifted significantly. Alicent is no longer submissive and soft-spoken, instead, she is assertive and has become comfortable in her own skin as the Queen — wielding her power and influence in a manner that would remind one of Cersei Lannister. Of course, Alicent is neither conniving nor evil like Cersei, at least not yet. Whereas Rhaenyra has become weary of the growing resentment between the pair and is even willing to offer an olive branch — a courtesy she once refused when the roles were reversed. The shift in dynamics between them is hard to miss.

The episode’s primary focus is on birth and death, and it is tied into the overarching theme surrounding the line of succession. A paranoid Alicent is even willing to create discord between her children and Rhaenyra’s, as she believes that Rhaenyra will try to eliminate any challengers to the throne when and if she succeeds Viserys. She appears to have taken her father’s advice to heart and has certainly built a wall around her. And the only person she trusts is Larys Strong, a man who is very much becoming the Petyr Baelish of House of the Dragon — ambitious, unempathetic, intelligent, and devoid of a moral compass.

Daemon Targaryen, on the other hand, continues to be an enigma, in one episode he is a misunderstood anti-hero and he is the devil incarnate in another. He is another character who is struggling with contradictions within himself, and considering how the episode panned out with respect to his story it is more than likely an unhinged version of himself would make an appearance in episode seven. His wife Leana and her bond with her dragon Vhagar is explored in this episode. It is unfortunate that the showrunners did not delve into how the largest and oldest dragon in Westeros bonded with Leana.

House of the Dragon has finally embraced the wickedness of Game of Thrones, with shocking deaths and new rivalries. Ser Criston Cole being petty about Rheanyra’s rejection would make even Lord Walder Frey proud. As the series enters its second half the rivalry between the two Targaryen women and their children is trodding down a dark and dangerous path.

Verdict: House of the Dragon has delivered yet another spectacular episode with great storylines and shocking scenes in true Game of Thrones fashion.