Written by Sara Hess
Directed by Clare Kilner
Alicent: "There is in you a door that must shut. You will do things that your heart will recoil from before you came to the throne."
Rhaenyra: "I acknowledge the struggle but I dispute that I must become what I am not."
Alicent: "Time will tell."
After last week's "victory", the reality of actually having the one thing she's wanted now hit Rhaenyra like a tonne of bricks. She really must prove herself and she's got too many offering opinions but not enough long term solutions.
Let's talk about the small folk first. Robbing the food supply from her Lords and Ladies and distributing it to her citizens might have seemed like a benevolent act on Rhaenyra's part but Torrhen Manderly (Dan Fogler) wasn't wrong in pointing out Rhaenyra's role in the small folk being hungry.
The biggest problem - there's no freaking gold and Alicent was almost a bit too happy to point that Otto knew where it was. Alicent was a little too happy to point out a lot of things. Anyone else would've had Alicent killed on the spot. This show will not allow Rhaenyra put her childhood friend to death, even if it would make more sense to do.
Alicent will continue to fascinate and frustrated in equal measures. For someone who'll chastise Rhaenyra for their entitlement, Alicent refuses to acknowledge her own. She's damn lucky that Rhaenyra hasn't had her, Helaena and Jaehaera killed. Daemon certainly would've. Saying that, Alicent did give Rhaenyra some sound advice the latter should take on board.
Keeping with Alicent, she should've been more gracious about Daeron being sent to the Wall than being killed, the fate that will befall both Aegon II and Aemond if they're caught. Saying that, I loved that the fake Daeron plot got so quickly revealed here.
Ormund really thought he was going to get one up on the Blacks and in a way he did. He managed to capture Tumbleton and a young dragon but I'm sure he didn't expect Fake Daeron would be outed so quickly. I also loved that Rhaenyra just burned all Greens memorabilia in an act of pure pettiness.
As for the rest of the episode, Corlys was right to call Rhaenyra out on her hypocrisy when she refused to acknowledge Addam and Alyn but at the same time, he probably should've raised the issue privately as well. I do get his frustration but there's a time and a place, Corlys.
- Mysaria proved to give Rhaenyra a solution by encouraging her to appoint a new Master of Coin. Daemon clearly views her as a threat. Daemon also wanted to sack other cities.
- While Jason is definitely dead, Tyland might not be. Can't imagine he's that much of a threat either way.
- Alicent was pretty scathing about Viserys this episode. Helaena also got in that jab about Jace to Rhaenyra.
- Rhaenyra served rats to the Lords and Ladies, was refused by the Septon when she wanted to declare Aegon II dead, had bad cramps/bleeding and hallucinated a serving boy as Jace.
- Hugh Hammer, Ulf White and Addam of Hull became proper knights.
- Chronology: Not long from where the previous episode left off.
Rhaenyra Triumphant kept the pace of the previous two episodes and arguably, it's the true season opener here. I like that Rhaenyra's a bit out of her depth here with only Mysaria and Alicent giving her practical advice so far. Ormund also is shaping up to be an interesting threat too.
Rating: 8 out of 10
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