Current:Home > MarketsScrew the monarchy: Why 'House of the Dragon' should take this revolutionary twist -ProfitSphere Academy
Screw the monarchy: Why 'House of the Dragon' should take this revolutionary twist
EchoSense View
Date:2025-04-07 05:16:01
Spoiler alert! The following contains details from the July 28 episode of "House of the Dragon."
A few new dragons are flying around the Westerosi block. But I'd argue they have a higher calling than fighting in the inane Targaryen war.
In last Sunday's penultimate episode of Season 2 of HBO's "House of the Dragon," three new dragons officially entered the playing field in the war between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her half-brothers Aegon and Aemond (Tom Glynn-Carney and Ewan Mitchell) and stepmother/ex-bestie Alicent (Olivia Cooke).
Seemingly no more Targayren descendants are available to ride dormant dragons Seasmoke, Vermithor and Silverwing, so Rhaenyra and her son Jacaerys get the bright idea to see if any more distant relatives had enough "blood of the dragon" to do it. Their first attempt goes horribly wrong, when a member of the Kingsguard with distant Targaryen ancestors is killed in the attempt to claim Seasmoke.
But Seasmoke had ideas of his own, seeking out a Targaryen bastard, Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), to be his new best friend, who immediately pledges himself and his lethal pet to Rhaenyra's cause. This leads the self-proclaimed queen to seek out more of her out-of-wedlock relations for Vermithor and Silverwing. She manages to lure 30 or so silver-haired bastards to Dragonstone, and they all try their hand at dragon-wrangling, but almost all of them die in the attempt. Blacksmith Hugh (Kieran Bew) and town drunk Ulf (Tom Bennet) claim dragons and join Rhaenyra's camp. They all make a pretty rousing image: Rhaenyra the warrior flanked by her new dragon riders and their intimidating beasts, ready to defeat Aemond and his massive dragon Vhagar.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
And that's all well and good for Rhaenyra, who now has the equivalent of the U.S. nuclear stockpile at her disposal in her war for the Iron Throne. But as the final image crossed my TV screen, I couldn't help but ask, "why?" Why would these three men, who have been disposed of and left to live in poverty and ruin, be so eager to take their newfound weapons of mass destruction and help the woman complicit in their subjugation? Why would the "smallfolk," required to bow down to kings and queens of Targaryen ancestry entirely because of their dragons, be so willing to become one more tool in their masters' arsenal?
Say you're Hugh, the honorable but impoverished blacksmith. We've visited his hovel a few times this season, and life is pretty bleak. He's owed wages from work for Aegon, there's no food in the city because of Rhaenyra's sea blockade and his daughter has just died. All of his problems stem from the Targaryen royals.
And yet, when handed the same power his so-called betters have, he chooses to put one Targaryen on the Iron Throne over the other. But he could burn down both tyrannical regimes! Dragon power to the people! You know, the people who have been starving, rioting and generally living miserable lives because of the game of thrones played by the people at the top of the serfdom pyramid.
You think I'm joking, but I'm not. Yes, yes, I know "Dragon" is a prequel series, so we already know how it ends. By the time of "Game of Thrones," Westeros is still an absolutist monarchy in which a whole new war of kings and nobles ensues that destroys the lives of working people. So it's more a thought experiment than anything else to wish these fictional oppressed people would overthrow their fictional oppressors.
But by the gods old and new would that be a better story. For most of its two seasons, there has been no one to root for in "Dragon" − it's a conflict between two camps of extremely unlikable characters. But Hugh? That's a man I can get behind. He's brave, loyal and just a little bit stupid. Drunk Ulf? My goodness, it was endearing when he flew his dragon over King's Landing as if it was the latest roller coaster at Six Flags. And Addam, well, he's got the right kind of community organizing energy ready to set up a brand new democracy.
I would much rather watch that version of "Dragon" than for these three men to become the disposable plot devices they seem destined to become in a story all about incestuous idiots wrestling over an uncomfortable chair.
Dracarys the rich, friends.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Police say use of racial slur clearly audible as they investigate racist incidents toward Utah team
- Why does the Facebook app look different? Meta rolling out new, fullscreen video player
- North Carolina State in the women's Final Four: Here's their national championship history
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Border Patrol must care for migrant children who wait in camps for processing, a judge says
- The Global Mining Boom Puts African Great Apes at Greater Risk Than Previously Known
- Kansas’ governor and GOP leaders have a deal on cuts after GOP drops ‘flat’ tax plan
- Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
- Disney shareholders back CEO Iger, rebuff activist shareholders who wanted to shake up the company
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Earthquake in Taiwan blamed for at least 9 deaths as buildings and roads seriously damaged
- Should you itemize or take a standard deduction on your tax return? Here’s what to know
- Two-time NBA champion point guard Rajon Rondo makes retirement official
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Is dry shampoo bad for your hair? Here’s what you need to know.
- How the 2024 solar eclipse could impact the end of Ramadan and start of Eid
- As more storms approach California, stretch of scenic Highway 1 that collapsed is closed again
Recommendation
Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
University of Kentucky Dance Team Honors Member Kate Kaufling After Her Death
The Best Tinted Sunscreens for All Skin Types, Get a Boost of Color & Protect Your Skin All at Once
Trump Media sues Truth Social founders Andrew Litinsky, Wes Moss for 'reckless' decisions
How to watch the 'Blue Bloods' Season 14 finale: Final episode premiere date, cast
Watch: Authorities rescue injured dog stuck on railroad tracks after it was hit by train
LSU star Angel Reese declares for WNBA draft via Vogue photo shoot, says ‘I didn’t want to be basic’
Hailey Bieber’s Photo of Justin Bieber in Bed Is Sweeter Than Peaches