House of the Dragon bucks Game of Thrones tradition with The Red Sowing. Customarily, the penultimate episodes are full of consequential moments leaving the season finale to pick up the pieces.
The Red Sowing is a compelling bookend to events in the last episode. In the previous episode, the tides of war seemed to turn towards Team Green. Daemon took command of King’s Landing and confidently established his ruling style. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra’s plan to find dragon riders from common folk went up in flames, and the prospects of a land army comprised of those in the Riverlands are uncertain. Rhaeynra races off to meet an unknown dragon rider to cap that episode off.
In The Red Sowing, momentum swings back towards Rhaenyra and Dragontone. While not without loss of life, Rhaenyra’s gambit pays off, and she finds dragon riders from the common folk. Addam of Hull, Hugh and Ulf claim dragons. Despite Daemon’s mistakes, he finally secures an army for Rhaenyra. In a nice twist from the last episode, Aemond spots a wayward dragon. He races after it only to stop and turn back at the sight of Rhaenyra backed by a trio of dragons.
Meanwhile, Alicent tries to find her purpose. Mysaria provides wise counsel to Rhaenyra. Jace worries over Rhaenyra’s plan and how her decision to turn toward bastard riders could impact his claim. In King’s Landing, Larys Strong encourages Aegon during his recovery.
House of the Dragon continues to soar on its strong writing and brilliant performances. Emma D’Arcy is incredible. Their scene where Rhaenyra calms the dragon is one of the series’s most emotionally charged and powerful scenes. Archie Barnes also makes quite an impression as Oscar Tully and more than holds his own opposite Matt Smith.
After the overview and ranking of The Red Sowing 8.5 out of 10 (Great), let’s dive deeper into Rhaenyra’s mindset, rise of bastards, and Daemon’s chickens coming home to roost. House of the Dragon is streaming on Max.
Rise of the Dragon Queen in The Red Sowing
The episode begins with Rhaenyra racing off to confront the mysterious dragon rider. Addam denies being part of a noble house, which leads Rhaenyra to continue down her risky path looking for non-Targaryen riders.
Rhaenyra pours over records looking for bastards that may belong to a powerful house. Mysaria points out these births won’t be found in the annals of history. Rhaenyra uses Mysaria’s agents to recruit bastards to come to Dragonstone.
Jace is apprehensive about Rhaenyra’s plan. His objections revolve around these Dragonriders potentially usurping his place as her heir as his claim is as illegitimate as these bastards.
Uncommon Dragonriders
Addam, Hugh, and Ulf each claim dragons by the end of The Red Sowing. However, their journeys are slightly different.
In the opening minutes, Addam meets with Rhaenyra. He reveals that the dragon came to him and offered his allegiance to Rhaenyra without hesitation. Corlys also meets with Addam. He doesn’t claim Addam as his son but supports his son’s decision to resign as a sailor. There’s even a hint of pride in Corlys’ eyes.
Hugh and Ulf go through a more harrowing process. Vermithor torches numerous prospects until Hugh steps forward and claims him. Ulf ends up in a cave, Silverwing’s home. Silverwing claims Ulf as his rider.
House of the Dragon has done a terrific job fleshing out Hugh’s family situation. His rags-to-riches journey demonstrates the merits of Rhaenya and Mysaria’s plan to support the common folk.
Leader of the Riverlands
Daemon is still haunted by his late brother Viserys (Paddy Considine). However, this vision seems to create some conflict for Daemon. Viserys questions whether Daemon wants the crown. Adding fuel to the fire is the arrival of a young leader Oscar Tully.
Oscar doesn’t respect Daemon but supports Rhaenyra’s claim. He uses Daemon’s tactless methods against him. Oscar is a young ruler who doesn’t command respect from his subjects. He denounces Daemon in front of his men and forces Daemon to execute Willem Blackwood for slaughtering the Brackens.
The Red Sowing Final Thoughts
The penultimate House of the Dragon season 2 episode is an excellent counterpoint to the last episode. Similarly, The Red Sowing‘s lone action sequence is dragon fire engulfing unworthy Dragonriders. The difference in this episode is that Rhaenyra doesn’t falter after the initial failure. She pushes forward and a trio of commoners gives Rhaenyra the firepower she needs.
The only story that doesn’t work is Alicent seemingly pondering suicide. It’s the appearance of Ulf on Siverwing that stirs her from complacency. In The Red Sowing, Alicent’s role comes off as something for Olivia Cooke to do while the story moves elsewhere.
Despite some uneven story focus, House of the Dragon seems poised to deliver a satisfying finale.
The Review
The Red Sowing
PROS
- Emma D'Arcy continues to deliver the best performance on television.
- Daemon receiving his comeuppance from Oliver Tully was satisfying.
- Shining a light on various commonfolk throughout the season pays off.
- The final image of Rhaenyra flanked by three dragons is striking.
CONS
- Alicent's story is dead in the water.
- The events in King's Landing aren't as interesting as Dragonstone.
