Movies News Talk
With a brutal and startling chapter in the Dance of the Dragons, the penultimate episode of House of the Dragon season 2, "Driftmark," meets the name of the show. This episode is not for the weak of heart since it throws viewers headfirst into a bloody struggle for the Iron Throne, so affecting no character from its terrible repercussions.
The episode opens with Lucerys Velaryon's unfortunate trip to Storm's End, a task assigned by his mother Rhaenyra Targaryen to guarantee the Baratheons' allegiance. Tragic events follow, though, as Aegon II Targaryen sets off a dragonback hunt driven by his own ambition for the throne and the sneaky influence of his advisers. This sets up a sad confrontation between the two young princes that ends in the death of Lucerys and his dragon, Arrax, under the hands of Aemond and his dragon, Vhagar.
Rhaenyra's son Lucerys dies throws Westeros into anarchy. The word gets to Rhaenyra in King's Landing, breaking her already precarious peace and confirming her will to recover her birthright. Unlike the cold calculation and ruthlessness Rhaenyra has shown in the past, the episode powerfully captures the emotional turmoil and loss she experiences. Her thirst for retribution from this loss drives her toward war against Aegon II.
The Dragonpit of King's Landing marks the height of the Iron Throne struggle. Confident in their strength, Aegon II and his allies—including Aemond—get ready for the last clash. But Rhaenyra's arrival bearing her dragon, Syrax, and her devoted allies—including Corlys Velaryon and his surviving fleet—changes the tide. The Dragonpit turns into a bloody battlefield on which dragons engage in a show of fire and wrath.
The last turn of events in the episode questions the result of the war. Rhaenyra seems to be in the upper hand, but driven by his own wrath and ambition, Aemond acts drastically. He attacks Rhaenyra using his dragon Vhagar, so casting doubt on her future. With a terrible picture of Aemond, driven by his need for retribution, the episode ends leaving viewers on a cliffhanger wondering about the fate of the Targaryen dynasty and the Iron Throne.
"Driftmark" has a long effect. It's a struggle for the very soul of Westeros as much as the Iron Throne. The episode emphasizes the terrible cost of power conflicts, whereby lines between right and wrong blur and innocent lives are lost. The sad deaths of Lucerys and Arrax remind us sharply of the effects of war and the precarious nature of peace. The episode presents a dismal picture of the future, which leaves viewers wondering who will survive the Dance of the Dragons and what Westeros will become in the wake-through.