The season's pivotal event usually occurs in the second-to-last episode of Game of Thrones,
with the season finale serving as both an aftermath and a means of establishing stories
for the next season.
The Green Council, the penultimate episode of Season 1 of House of the Dragon, is jam-packed
to the gills with action, adventure, scheming, and intrigue—basically everything you could
want from this show—but lacks the major event you envision from previous Game of Thrones
seasons, such as Ned Stark's beheading or the infamous "Battle of the Bastards."
Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) and Daemon (Matt Smith), two of the show's most prominent and significant
characters from Season 1, don't even make an appearance.
This is undoubtedly a deliberate creative choice given that significant events are taking
place in the realm while they are both absent.
Even so, there is a lot going on.
Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) anchors the plot in a way that she hasn't yet this season
without Rhaenyra, the late Viserys (Paddy Considine, whose name appearing in the opening
credits probably shocked a lot of people—but it was only because his corpse briefly appears),
and Daemon in the episode, and she does an amazing job.
Cooke's expression of annoyance when she hears Larys Strong's (Matthew Needham) voice coming
from behind her deserves a medal, for real.
Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), her second child, is especially notable because he commands
your attention whenever he appears on screen with his arrogant, sinister appearance.
The most crucial moment in the episode comes from something that the White Worm (Sonoya
Mizuno) holds the key to, even if most of it is what our master manipulators Otto Hightower
(Rhys Ifans) and Larys had been waiting for.
She doesn't appear to have much time left in this world, but it's good to see someone
other than the patriarchy wielding power for a while.
And although while this episode is packed with content, we can only assume that the
conclusion will be much heavier.
It's hard to discuss everything that happens in House of the Dragon since there are so
many moving parts.
The three most important lessons from House of the Dragon's Season 1's penultimate episode,
"The Green Council," are explained here.
This Super Bowl belongs to Otto Hightower.
Everyone who has seen Season 1 of House of the Dragon and everyone in Westeros (with
the exception of the charming, impoverished, and innocent King Viserys) has witnessed how
Otto Hightower has been planning and plotting for the decades of action we have seen on
screen this season (and probably long before that, too).
And once Viserys was clever enough to remove him for a while, Larys Strong pulled off another
ruse to reinstate him as the Hand of the King, where he is still in charge today.
And that action is proving to be significant because Otto is moving with a spring in his
step that we haven't seen before as soon as word of the King's death starts to spread.
He had been anticipating this moment for a while.
He truly doesn't care that his pal Viserys is dead; instead, he is thrilled to be able
to pull more of his customary dishonest b.s. and finally secure his family's place on the
Iron Throne.
Ifans makes such a smug, uneasy turn and a faint smirk as Alicent tells Otto the quasi-lie
of what she believed Viserys to tell her in his final hours, "He told me he desired for
Aegon to be King."
It's a fantastic scene from a fantastic performer, and he should send the entire show to Emmy
voters if he can.
Criston Cole kills councilman Lyman Beesbury in this episode's plot, effectively on Otto's
behalf, for having the audacity to assert the plain truth that the kingdom is being
stolen in an openly traitorous act.
It is obvious that Otto is skilled in this.
And by the time the story is out, he essentially gets his way; Rhaenyra has been overthrown,
and his wicked grandson (more on him later) has been crowned king.
Not only did Rhaenyra not have a chance, but Otto also wants to murder her and Daemon before
they realise what they are missing.
Will Ferrell is being made by Old School King.
As news of Viserys' passing spreads, it also becomes apparent that the realm must find
Aegon to inform him of the situation and, you know, crown him (in a total illegal usurping
of the throne that Otto, Jason Lannister, and other douchebags were already planning
anyway).
Finding him, however, is more difficult than it seems since Aegon, who is now approximately
20 years old, spends his nights acting like a drunk, depraved piece of trash (he likes
watching children fight with long finger nails and sharpened teeth for sport and has several
bastard children scattered throughout the city).
Even the racing factions Aemond and Criston (searching for Alicent) and Ser Erryk and
Ser Arryk (seeking for Otto) are unable to locate him.
And only after contacting White Worm on his behalf are they able to locate him in a drunken
stupor (and agreeing to try to get that whole child-fighting ring shut down).
But could we just take a moment to consider the guy Otto and Alicent are working so hard
to install as king?
He constantly consumes alcohol, has little ambition (he declares his lack of desire to
reign and even offers to sail away), and appears to enjoy general sadism as one of his "hobbies"
It reminds me of Will Ferrell's "Frank the Tank" sipping beer and bullying fraternity
recruits in the 2003 comedy classic Old School.
(However, even Frank the Tank didn't abuse women and his position of authority the way
we already know Aegon does.)
Since his eye incident, Aemond has developed into a skilled warrior, a haughty jerk, and
someone who wants to control.
He wouldn't mind if his beloved brother left without a fight.
And it's sort of disturbing too, since that person looks like he has the word "VILLAIN"
tattooed across his forehead.
Time for the Dragon
Early on in the first season of House of the Dragon, Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) was frequently
referred to as "The Queen Who Never Was," which is a rather cruel moniker.
I'm relieved that they have stopped because she generally seems to be a lovely person.
She also appears to have a history of switching sides; after finally assisting Rhaenyra and
Viserys last week, she appeared to lean heavily toward the "indifferent" camp this week when
the Hightower side of the family basically held her prisoner in her own chamber.
Ser Arryk at least demonstrates his virtue by assisting her in leaving without further
delay.
But the moment she had at the very end of the episode—what that's we need to speak
about.
She is aware that everything going on with Aegon is a total farce.
And she blows it up, riding in on her dragon.
Had she only spoken the word "Dracarys," she might have eliminated everyone in one fell
swoop, including Alicent, Aegon, Aemond, Criston, Otto, and others.
Instead, she chose to simply state, "Yeah, I'm not doing this anymore," while simultaneously
sending the unmistakable message, "Do not fuck with me."
It's a little annoying because it's obvious that she could have terminated the conversation
there.
However, doing so would be giving the Ottos, Aegons, Cristons, and Aemonds a free pass;
we look forward to witnessing their ultimate downfall.
Because if you watch as I do, you can feel the animosity growing.
Thus, they are effectively doing their duties.