House of the Dragon Episode 10 is titled ‘The Black Queen’ and has a runtime of about 1 hour long. The synopsis of the episode reads, “While mourning a tragic loss, Rhaenyra tries to hold the realm together, and Daemon prepares for war.” It is directed by Greg Yaitanes, and the teleplay is written by Ryan Condal.
Set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, this epic series tells the story of House Targaryen. Starring Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Olivia Cooke as Queen Alicent Hightower, Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, Harry Collett as Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, Tom Glynn-Carney as Prince Aegon Targaryen, Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen and Elliot Grihault as Prince Lucerys Velaryon.
-House of the Dragon Episode 10 Review Contains Some Spoilers-
In the last episode, with the exception of Lord Lyman Beesbury and the Lord Commander, the green council agrees to Aegon’s succession. Lord Beesbury is killed by Ser Cristan Cole, and the Lord Commander resigns. Green Council hides the news of Viserys’s death from Princess Rhaenyra, the true heir, keeping the king’s body in his room for several days, while they strengthen their Allies and prepare for Aegon’s coronation.
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After several days, the death of King Viserys I is finally announced and Aegon is declared king in front of all of King’s Landing present at the Dragonpit. Ser Erryk Cargyll, who’s had enough of Aegon and does not want to see him become king, smuggles Princess Rhaenys out of the castle.
She uses this distraction in the King’s Landing because of the sudden coronation to get Melys, her dragon and flies off. But not until she disrupts the coronation and for a brief moment, is tempted to torch them all but instead chooses to fly off, signalling the start of the civil war.
The season’s final episode picks off in Dragonstone, where Rhaenys informs Rhaenyra of Viserys’ death and Aegon’s coronation. Her sudden arrival made them think that she might have come bearing news of Lord Corlys’ demise since he has been battling for his life but the shocking news of her father, makes her enter premature labour and gives birth to a stillborn.
While Daemon believes Viserys was murdered and prepares for war. But this is where the differences between Rhaenyra and Daemon come face to face, as they hold very different ideologies. The crux of this argument here is the different way in which Daemon sees the world from other people in his family.
And here it is very clearly shown that Rhaenyra is her father’s daughter. She has learnt to defend and stand tall for herself from Daemon Targaryen, but the way she approaches her duty as sovereign is much more in line with Viserys. She makes the point that “I don’t want to rule over ash and bone.”
In many ways, the last episode resembles the first episode, how Viserys was hoping to finally get a son and claim him his heir but instead ends up losing both, the child as well as his wife. In episode 10, Rhaenyra ends up losing her father and even the baby that she was carrying.
The labour scene highly reminds her of her mother’s last words, that a woman’s battlefield is childbirth, while a real war is brewing without Rhaenyra’s presence or orders. She is fighting a war with herself and tearing herself apart in a literal sense, at the point where the most important conversations of her life are happening.
Summing Up: House of the Dragon Episode 10
For all of the season, Rhaenyra has been preparing for the moment when she will take over the throne, while she thought that over the years she had earned her spot on the Iron throne; she has to fight for it again. Starting from one tragic news to another, she essentially is at her lowest point but people finally see her as the Queen and look over her, so she steps up keeping everything aside.
While usurping the throne wasn’t enough to poke Rhaenyra, what Aemond ends up doing in the skies above Storm’s End ultimately starts the domino effect of the Dance of the Dragons. While she has grieved many deaths but the last blow will prove to her, she knows nothing about grief, and completely changes her outlook on the world going forward.
HoTD Episode 10 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
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