House of the Dragon: The Red Dragon and the Gold

We finally got to see a battle between dragons, and it did not disappoint. Rhaenys takes her dragon, Meleys, to Rook’s Rest in order to end the siege of Ser Criston Cole. The newly appointed Hand of the King has a trick up his sleeve, and we get to see our first dragon fight. 

-Criston leads his army away from Harrenhal and Daemon, instead attacking Rook’s Rest, which is allied to Rhaenyra, and the staging point for an inland invasion from Dragonstone. Cole knows what he is doing, and he has Aemond and Vhagar hiding in the forest in case Rhaenyra sends a dragon. 

-Aegon shows his impatience, and his idiocy by flying Sunfyre to the battle. I almost felt bad for him, especially when his mother tears him down, then Aemond makes him look like a fool (maybe it was a poor decision to mock his unstable brother in the brothel). No one takes Aegon seriously, and he wants to prove himself. Unfortunately, Meleys is the larger and more experienced dragon, and Sunfyre takes some serious damage, but as Rhaenys leads her mount for a second attack, Aemond sees his opportunity and attacks.

-Did he attack his brother intentionally? It definitely seems like it. I have a feeling the brush with death will make Aegon even more crazy and mistrusting of the people around him. 

-Speaking of crazy…Daemon is having a good time in Harrenhal. He meets with Grover Tully’s grandson, Oscar, and is not impressed (he wants the boy to smother Grover so he can rule and order bannermen to Daemon’s side). But he is having some messed up dreams, and possibly going a bit mad (sleeping on a bed made from a weirwood tree can do that to ya). 

-I am guessing Rhaenyra will want to take swift action against the Greens, and it seems like the show is setting up the Sowing of the Dragonseeds. After Jace stepped up during his mother’s absence and spoke so strongly against her inaction, I feel like he will play a much larger part in the war.