If you've been watching HBO's House of the Dragon as obsessively as I've been, you'll know that last night they did a thing. They did a few things, really. And while there may have been that massive shift in terms of the cast, (Emma D'Arcy replacing Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra, and Olivia Cooke replacing Emily Carey's Alicent) the same violence and misery remain as though ten minutes had passed rather than ten years.
The beginning of the sixth episode greets us with sweating, screaming, Rhaenyra, who - like her mother in the first episode - is being coached through the birthing process. It's just one of a few glimpses at the trials and tribulations of childbirth, yet another grim look at women as vessels rather than decision-makers. While Rhaenrya fared better than her mother in this instance, others didn't do quite so well – and judging by these tweets, people are not happy about it.
Our introduction to the daring and drop-dead gorgeous Laena took our breath away. The scene in which she and Daemon are soaring through the clouds atop their magnificent dragons is exactly why we continue to watch this crap in the first place. Sadly, our excitement is short-lived. Laena, like Aemma Arryn, is doomed to die in her birthing bed. At least the silver-haired Velaryon spiced things up by presenting herself to her dragon Vhagar, and ordering her to burn her to a crisp. Earlier in the episode, she expresses that she wants her family to die like dragons. It's a wish that was granted to her, albeit all too soon.
Other note and reaction-worthy moments and talking points include Viserys' dramatic deterioration, the collective boner that fans seem to have for Harwin Strong (another one gone too soon), Rhaenyra's sons' questionable parentage, and the conniving Larys Strong, brother to Harwin and son of Viserys' "Hand." We'll avoid spoiling any further details, but if last night was a taste of the intrigue to come, we can only imagine that the tweets will be getting much, much better.
