It sure takes a certain level of caliber to carry the title, The Queen That Never Was. We finally get to see Rhaenys shine in House of the Dragon Ep 8—in her confrontation with Alicent as well as at the Dragon Pit.
Admit it, the moment Rhaenys broke through the floor with Meleys and had a staring showdown with the Greens, you wanted her to utter the command, “Dracarys.”
So why didn’t she?
House of the Dragon producer Ryan Condal explains that Rhaenys understood that by killing the Greens, she could potentially end the war before it even started. But she did not want to put another mother (Alicent) through the grief of losing her children.
The producers also wanted the scene to highlight Rhaenys’ spunk and strength. She has been quite sidelined all this while, so appearing with her dragon, clad in her armor, does make her look powerful.
Here’s the full featurette that dissects the episode and includes Condal’s full statement about Rhaenys:
Also, if you’re looking for any justification for why Rhaenys wasn’t bothered about killing the common folk, that’s because, well, they don’t matter! The producer’s words, not mine.
There are plenty of fans for whom this scene was an inch short of being perfect. They did not buy the whole explanation that Rhaenys did not attack simply because she felt sympathy for Alicent. To be quite honest, I don’t believe that point, either.
What is believable is that Rhaenys does not want to be an unprovoked kinslayer or kingslayer by killing Aegon II during his coronation. (Although being locked in one’s room with the threat of getting killed at any moment does warrant murderous sentiments.)
No matter how good or bad the cause, neither of those titles is worth having—just ask Jaime Lannister.
There were also a few fans who criticized the logic behind the scene. Sure, even if the exits to the Dragon Pit were locked, Meleys could’ve easily broken through those barriers as she did the floors.
To me, it is clear. After saying her piece, Alicent tells Rhaenys to think the matter over and ring the bell when she has an answer. When Rhaenys breaks open the Dragon Pit, she locks eyes with Alicent, indicating this is her answer.
Rhaenys doesn’t want to be the one kickstarting the war, but she is willing to ride into battle with Rhaenyra. She will now fly to Dragonstone to inform her niece that the throne has once again been taken away from a female heir. (Fingers crossed, we get an inspiring speech here!)
All said and done, it was glorious to see Rhaenys ride Meleys. You will see both of them valiantly face Vhagar and Sunfyre during the Dance of the Dragons.
About House Of The Dragon
House of the Dragon is the prequel series to HBO’s blockbuster Game of Thrones based on George R. R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood.
Set three hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon will show Westeros under the Targaryen family’s rule before the dragons went extinct. It will follow the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war between siblings Aegon II and Rhaenyra, who fought for the throne after the death of their father, Viserys I.
Directed by Ryan Condall and Miguel Sapochnik, the show stars Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen, Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen, Tom Glynn-Craney as Aegon II Targaryen, Rhys Ifans as Otto Hightower, Steve Toussaint as Corlys Velaryon, Eve Best as Rhaenys Velaryon, Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Fabien Frankel as Criston Cole, and Graham McTavish.
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