House of the Dragon Episode 208, “The Queen Who Ever Was”: Easter eggs and secrets

As a historian poring over the annals of Westeros, I must confess that the latest season of House of Dragon has left me utterly spellbound. The intricate tapestry of power, betrayal, and duty woven through these episodes is a masterclass in storytelling, rivaling even the epic sagas of old.

Finally, the long-awaited season finale of “House of the Dragon” has arrived, titled “The Queen Who Ever Was.” This episode serves as a gradual buildup to an explosive season of television. Initially, our characters were engaged in power struggles while trying to comprehend the potential consequences of a civil war within House Targaryen. As we reach the end, armies are mobilizing and ominous battles seem imminent on the horizon. Although we might have to wait for the coming clash of swords, there is still much to savor in the interim, including the tantalizing secrets hidden within the season finale.

For each episode of season 2 of “House of the Dragon”, we’re meticulously searching for any hidden secrets and easter eggs. Beware, this discussion contains major spoilers for the finale titled “The Queen Who Ever Was,” as well as the book “Fire & Blood.”

House of the Dragon Episode 208, “The Queen Who Ever Was” Easter eggs

In this last episode of the season, it’s expected that the opening credits will undergo a final change. After showing glimpses of Prince Jaehaery’s murder and the Battle of Rook’s Rest, the screen transitions to visuals representing the Red Sowing – a scene we saw in Episode 207. To the left, a massive green dragon appears, identified as Vhagar, being challenged by Syrax at the forefront of an impressive dragon army. Six other dragons are positioned behind her, matching the six dragons who’ve pledged allegiance to Rhaenyra: Vermax, Caraxes, Vermithor, Silverwing, Seasmoke, and Moondancer. Behind these majestic beasts, the tapestry’s black border reveals Dragonstone’s shoreline, which blends seamlessly into the title card.

Moving forward, our journey takes us to Tyrosh, a place where Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) holds discussions with the Triarchy.

• In the first shot in the bay, you can see that the furled sail of Tyland’s ship is decorated with the green and gold dragon of Aegon II.
• The Triarchy lords that Tyland is meeting with represent Lys, Tyrosh, and Myr. They’re also arrayed in that order: the lord on the left has the notable pale hair of a Lyseni, the middle man has hair that has been dyed a light blue in the flamboyant fashion of the Tyroshi, and the Myrish lord on the right makes a point of talking about selling artisan goods, which his people are famous for producing.
• Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn) makes a habit of messing up Tyland’s name; in this very first scene, she calls him Tywin. A fun nod to Game of Thrones!

In the land of Westeros, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) is burning down Sharp Point City on his enormous dragon, Vhagar. Sharp Point stands at the very end of Massey’s Hook, a peninsula situated on the southern side of the Gullet. In the books, Sharp Point is governed by House Bar Emmon and holds allegiance to Dragonstone. However, in the show, Sharp Point is ruled by House Massey, who govern the entire peninsula. Lord Gormon Massey serves as one of Rhaenyra’s advisors, giving Aemond a reason for his attack on the city.

Larys Strong makes his move

As I stood amidst King’s Landing’s chaos, Larys Strong, with a cunning smile, managed to persuade King Aegon II that trusting him was the wise move. The city was abuzz with rumors of Aemond’s imminent return, and in his fury over being outmaneuvered by Rhaenyra, it seemed probable he might seek revenge. So, in a bid to survive, I found myself urging King Aegon II to flee the city before the storm hit.

• Larys is afraid Aemond wants to kill Aegon. But as we see at the end of the episode, the bigger danger is actually Aegon’s own mother Alicent, who agrees to give Rhaenyra his head.
• Larys reveals that he’s actually had most of the wealth of House Strong transferred to the Iron Bank of Braavos, which means he and Aegon can vanish across the Narrow Sea. In George R.R. Martin’s book Fire & Blood, Aegon disappears for quite a while after he flees King’s Landing, but we never actually find out where he went. I imagine the show will fill in some of the details in season 3.
• Aegon says that his dragon Sunfyre is dead. In the book, Sunfyre survives Rook’s Rest, slowly recovering in the forest outside the castle. So far, we haven’t actually had real confirmation that the dragon is dead; the only concrete information is that Criston left a garrison behind with the beast while it appeared to be slowly succumbing to its wounds. I highly doubt Sunfyre is actually dead.
• When Larys is suggesting nicknames that people will call Aegon after he returns to reclaim the throne, Aegon suggests “the Realm’s Delight.” That was a nickname that Rhaenyra had as a teenager because she was so beloved in the realm.

The bastards of Dragonstone

Our next scene worth discussing involves Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) stumbling across the Dragonseeds Hugh (Kieran Bew) and Ulf (Tom Bennett), who are slacking off on Dragonstone. The main missable detail in this scene is that it opens with Jace overhearing Hugh scolding Ulf over the fact that they’re skipping out on practicing their High Valyrian. They’re supposed to be learning dragon commands, and instead Ulf has his feet up on the Painted Table. Not a good look.

At Driftmark’s wharves, Rhaenyra consults Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint). Notably, their conversation revolves around Dreamfyre, a dragon with an intriguing history. You should know that this she-dragon was born during the rule of King Aegon the Conqueror. As it happens, she forged a connection with his granddaughter, Rhaena Targaryen instead. It’s speculated that Dreamfyre may have been the one to lay Daenerys Targaryen’s dragon eggs as described in the book. Interestingly, Dreamfyre is older than Vermithor, although she’s significantly smaller compared to the colossal Bronze Fury.

Another point worth mentioning is that Corlys changed the name of his ship from Sea Snake to Queen Who Never Was, in honor of his deceased wife, Rhaenys Targaryen.

Daemon musters his army at Harrenhal

Afterward, we swiftly move to Harrenhal, a place where Daemon Targaryen (played by Matt Smith) encounters an unexpected guest as he manages his troops.

• Ser Alfred Broome (Jamie Kenna) was sent to Harrenhal to encourage Daemon to help Rhaenyra, in case you forgot. Which is pretty much the opposite of what he does.
• Daemon says his army will be ready to march in two days. That aligns more or less with the end of the episode.
• He also tells Ser Alfred that “Lannister hesitates” and that he “intends to march on King’s Landing” before the western host can catch him. That’s referencing the fact that the Lannisters are still sitting at the Golden Tooth — at least for now. We do see them on the march by the episode’s end, so I guess they got tired of waiting for Aemond and Vhagar.
• When Daemon brings Ser Alfred to the Godswood, Alfred gets distracted by a whispered voice on the air. If you turn on the subtitles, you can see that the whisper is saying “traitor.”
• This scene gives us a very clear look at the crest for House Broome on Ser Alfred’s armor. It’s a helm with wings against a checkered field.

Get your hands off Helaena!

In King’s Landing, Aemond learns that Rhaenyra has been secretly helping illegitimate children leave the city. This revelation prompts him to demand a thorough search of all ships, causing delays in food distribution. Unfortunately for Aemond, his rule was not well-liked to begin with. (Paraphrased version)

• The room where Aemond issues this order is the very same room where Cersei Lannister will one day have her map of Westeros painted on the floor.
• The tea that Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) gives Helaena (Phia Saban) is most likely to help her sleep. It’s still light out, so that’s pretty fair.
• There’s a little ghost of a smile on Helaena’s lips when Alicent asks her if she’d like to leave King’s Landing, right before Aemond storms in and ruins it.
• Alicent is no longer wearing her Seven-Pointed Star pendant. That camping trip did wonders for her sense of independence.
• Right after the scene with Aemond, Alicent goes to Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) to ask him to help her get passage out of King’s Landing. The scene plays like she’s asking for help to smuggle Helaena out, but really she’s asking for passage to Dragonstone, which we see play out in the final moments of the season. So Alicent’s confrontation with Aemond is the thing that pushes her over the edge to reach out to Rhaenyra.

Criston marches toward his annihilation

In our upcoming scene, the standout moment from the episode unfolds as Ser Criston Cole (played by Fabien Frankel) engages in a heartfelt conversation with Gwayne Hightower (portrayed by Freddie Fox). They delve into his pledge and the bleak essence of the Dance of the Dragons, a pivotal event from history.

• The handkerchief Criston is sniffing is of course Alicent’s favor, which she gave him before Rook’s Rest. He held on to it, despite everything he’s been through.
• Criston tells Gwayne that Alicent saved him twice: “Once from the headsman, once from myself.” That’s referencing the time he beat Laenor Velaryon’s lover Joffrey Lonmouth to death in the fifth episode of season 1. Alicent Hightower (played at the time by Emily Carey) stopped Criston from killing himself in the Godswood right after he committed the murder. Presumably, she also would have had to speak on his behalf to prevent King Viserys or Corlys Velaryon from having Criston executed for his act of violence, since Joffrey was a knight in Corlys’ service.
• Criston tells Gwayne that Alicent has been the “beacon” he follows since she saved his life. That’s some very specific Hightower-coded language; their sigil is the Hightower of Oldtown, a famously massive structure which has a beacon at the top that’s lit for various reasons.
• All of the soldiers around Criston and Gwayne stop what they’re doing to watch the confrontation, but as soon as Gwayne lowers his sword they go back to their business.
• Criston’s whole speech, where he says that they’re marching toward their own annihilation and death would be a kind of relif is some very ominous foreshadowing. And indeed, if the show sticks to the source material, Criston Cole will never again return to King’s Landing. There’s no guarantee House of the Dragon will honor that plotline, but it still lends Criston’s speech a lot more weight when you realize how literal it is in the larger context of his story.

Next up, Tyland squares off against Sharako Lohar in a mud wrestling match. While the mud may obscure some details, this encounter provides an ideal platform to delve into Lohar’s character. She is essentially a blend of two characters from ‘Fire & Blood’: Sharako Lohar, the daring Lysene ship captain who leads the assault on the Gullet, and Racallio Ryndoon, a cunning Tyroshi pirate known for cross-dressing and using mud wrestling to test individuals’ worth. Interestingly, while Ryndoon appears much later in the book following the Dance, Lohar remains undescribed in terms of their physical appearance.

After the mud-fight, Tyland is compelled to perform a song for the pirates, a tune not found in George R.R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire,” but instead an original composition from the series. In this episode, Lohar addresses Tyland as “Tyrod” and “Tyman” during the wrestling match, only using his correct name, Tyland, when she propositions him to share her wives.

Dinner with the Dragonseeds

Our next scene worth touching on is Rhaenyra’s dinner with the Dragonseeds. It’s a tense one!

• Ulf says that he and Silverwing aren’t afraid of anything. That’s a pretty big shift from last episode, where Ulf was trying to wheedle his way out of going to Dragonstone.
• After Ulf says Rhaenyra had best make him a knight, Ser Lorent Marbrand puts his hand on the hilt of his sword behind her.
• Throughout the dinner, Ulf is demanding more of those “little birds.” Presumably that’s quail or some other kind of bird smaller than a chicken, which a commoner would never have eaten. But it’s kind of funny that after Ulf is so rude to Rhaenyra, he makes a point of thanking the serving girl at the end of the scene.

Daemon’s vision at Harrenhal

Following along, I can’t help but get excited about one of the most enchanting Easter Egg-laden scenes from the entire episode – my personal favorite being Daemon Targaryen’s vision at Harrenhal. Here are some captivating highlights to look out for:

• As Daemon and Alys walk up to the weirwood, there’s a quick shot of a figure with antlers near the tree. That’s a green man, a seer of the Children of the Forest. Old Nan referenced them in A Song of Ice and Fire, saying sometimes they had antlers and rode on elk. Its feet even sound like hooves when it walks up to the weirwood!
• When Daemon places his hand on the weirwood, it gives us our best look yet at the face on the tree, which is modeled after author George R.R. Martin.
• In several interviews, director Geeta Vasant Patel has said that the bleeding roots of the weirwood which appear at the start of the vision are meant to look like umbilical cords, connecting Daemon to the events he sees.
• The first image Daemon sees is a young Targaryen man with a distinctive birthmark, enclosed in the branches of a weirwood throne. That’s Bloodraven, the Three Eyed Raven from Game of Thrones. Before taking up that mantle, he was a Targaryen bastard named Brynden Rivers who lived during the time of Dunk and Egg, around 100 years after the events of House of the Dragon.
• Next, we see a white walker leading an army of wights through a snowy forest.
• The following shot shows the caracasses of dragons; in the background, you can see the shadow of an extra set of wings, so it’s more than just one. According to Vasant Patel, this is meant to symbolize the end of the dragons. By the time of Thrones, they’ve been extinct for more than a century.
• Daemon then walks through a field of corpses, before falling into a pool of dragon’s blood.
• He sinks down into the depths. We won’t spoil the meaning of this here, but if you know about Daemon’s ultimate fate from Fire & Blood, this is most likely meant to allude to it.
• Next he sees the red comet, which crosses the sky during Game of Thrones season 2. It’s seen as an omen that Azor Ahai, the Prince Who Was Promised, is setting the events of the prophecy in motion that will dictate the fate of the world against the coming of the White Walkers.
• That bleeds into a shot of Daenerys’ three dragon eggs, being consumed in the fire of Khal Drogo’s pyre.
• And then, a stunning shot of Daenerys Targaryen, sitting naked and cross-legged on the ground as her three dragon hatchlings crawl out of her silhouette. This isn’t actually actor Emilia Clarke in this scene, but it’s still a pretty cool reference.
• From Daenerys, we go to the Iron Throne room, where Daemon sees Rhaenyra sitting the throne while wearing the crown of Jaehaerys the Conciliator. Dany comes from Daemon and Rhaenyra’s bloodline, so this all ties together.
• The final shot of Daemon’s vision puts him face-to-face with Helaena Targaryen, who tells him that “It’s all a story, and you are but one part in it. You know your part.”

Returning to Daemon in the Godswood, Helaena delivers her last message: “You are aware of what you need to accomplish.” Now for something intriguing. Immediately after uttering those words, the scene switches to Helaena standing on the ramparts of King’s Landing. If you pay attention, you can notice her lips closing as if speaking the very same line aloud. This suggests that the Helaena Daemon encounters in his vision is indeed the real Helaena, addressing him directly. Throughout House of the Dragon, she has shown signs of foresight, but this might be the most overt demonstration yet of her powers.

Later on, Aemond emerges and moves toward her, which sets the stage for another instance of prophecy. We’ve delved deeply into the prophecy given to Helaena by Aemond in other parts, as it contains major spoilers for the future of House of the Dragon. If you’re interested, you can find a detailed explanation there. However, I must highlight that it’s fascinating how Aemond is attempting to persuade Helaena to assist him in slaying Daemon, oblivious to the fact that she had just communicated with him through her prophetic abilities moments earlier.

Daemon pledges his allegiance to the queen

In the following sequence, we quickly return to Harrenhal, where Rhaenyra and Addam of Hull arrive at the castle on their dragons in the next instance. Here are some additional points:

• The opening shot of the scene sees Seasmoke and Syrax fly over the lake known as the God’s Eye, which Helaena just referenced in her prophecy to Aemond. It also allows for an aerial view of the immense army surrounding the castle.
• While Rhaenyra goes in to treat with Daemon, Addam circles the castle on Seasmoke to keep watch.
• As Daemon walks through the crowd, you can see a few sigils of the houses which are part of the host, like the Tully trout and horse of House Bracken.
• Daemon says the House Stark words to Rhaenyra: winter is coming.
• This turn for Daemon is even more interesting when you realize that there was a deleted scene from season 1 where King Viserys tried to share the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy with him, and then decided not to because he didn’t think Daemon would take it seriously. It’s been a long journey for Daemon to reach a point where he would believe it.

The upcoming Easter egg to notice is a few scenes ahead, where Rhaenyra and Mysaria converse about the kingdom’s future on Dragonstone’s walls. It’s challenging to say with absolute certainty, but based on their similar size and distinctive coloring, those flying dragons in the distance are likely Moondancer and Vermax – the mounts of Baela and Jace respectively. They seem to be dancing, which subtly reflects the bond between Baela and Jace. Additionally, after Rhaenyra questions who will bear the cost of the war for the throne, the scene briefly shifts to those dragons; it’s the young ones who are most likely to pay the price for this conflict.

Alicent and Rhaenyra, reunited

Our last conversation in the episode takes place between Rhaenyra and Alicent on Dragonstone. This scene offers a wealth of topics for analysis:

• Alicent says her sworn protector came with her to Dragonstone, and laid down his sword at the gate. That’s probably Ser Rickard Thorne.
• Like when she was in the forest in Episode 207, Alicent is wearing a light shade of blue here rather than her trademark green, and also isn’t wearing her Seven-Pointed Star. It’s a visual representation of her breaking with the Greens.
• Alicent chews on her fingernail right before taking the leap and offering Rhaenyra King’s Landing. That’s a nervous tick she developed as a teenager, but we haven’t seen her do it much since she’s been an adult.
• Rhaenyra saying that Alicent wants to have it all without paying a price is an interesting reversal of their roles in childhood, where Rhaenyra got to do as she pleased and Alicent was forced to endure the difficulty of marrying a much older man for duty.
• Rhaenyra declaring she must kill Aegon, “a son for a son,” is another big moment. She began the season as a more compassionate person, and has now arrived at a point where she has a worldview almost closer to Daemon, who first uttered those words.
• Rhaenyra tells Alicent that history will paint her a villain, a cold queen grasping for power and then defeated. And that pretty much is the way that Alicent is represented in Fire & Blood.
• Alicent asking Rhaenyra to come with her is reminiscent of Criston, asking Rhaenyra that very same thing during season 1. And once again, Rhaenyra is bound by duty and refuses.

The final montage

Once Alicent consents to give up her son Aegon to Rhaenyra when she becomes queen, it’s time for our concluding sequence. Let’s wrap up this season with some key points!

• The dragon which flies over the Hightower host is Tessarion, also known as the Blue Queen, the dragon of Alicent’s youngest son Daeron Targaryen. It doesn’t look like there’s a rider in Tessarion’s saddle, so as of right now, because as of right now Daeron hasn’t actually ridden his young dragon.
• The Hightower army is marching beside a river. Most likely that’s the Honeywine, a river in the Reach where they face their first battle during the Dance of the Dragons. Look for the Battle of the Honeywine in season 3.
• The Winter Wolves march across the bridge between the Twins. Those are the old warriors that Cregan Stark promised Jacaerys Velaryon, so named because they march south to war partially so that it will be easier on their families to survive the winter without needing to feed an extra mouth.
• I’d guess that the big bearded guy with the warhammer at the front of the Winter Wolves is supposed to be Roderick Dustin, also called Roddy the Ruin. He leads the Winter Wolves during the Dance of the Dragons until Cregan Stark makes his way south.
• House of the Dragon filmed a version of the Winter Wolves scene with Cregan marching at the head of the army, but opted not to use it. This is actually more accurate to the book, since Cregan doesn’t join the fray until later in the war.
• Jason Lannister and Lord Lefford lead their army up to another river; that one’s the Red Fork, a tributary of the Trident which marks the border between the Riverlands and the Westerlands. As with the Honeywine, that’s the site of a battle that will almost certainly take place in season 3.
• This is as good a time as any to mention the insanely cool score by Ramin Djawadi that accompanies this montage. As we see houses like the Starks and Lannisters, Djawadi’s music reprises parts of their respective themes from Game of Thrones.
• Daemon Targaryen’s armor has very light etchings of dragons on the front of the breastplate. Also, I find it hilarious that the Riverlords actually have nice tents for their army, unlike Criston’s troops who were in little shoddy lean-tos.
• Tyland Lannister is sailing on Sharako Lohar’s flagship alongside her. But that does make me wonder: what actually happened to Tyland’s ship? It’s nowhere to be seen in this final shot! Guess he left his people on vacation in Tyrosh.
• Corlys Velaryon has his Hand of the Queen pin fastened to his armor, just above the seashorse of House Velaryon. That’s a subtle but cool difference from Criston Cole’s chain of golden hands he wears with his armor.
• Rhaena Targaryen comes face-to-face with the wild dragon in the Vale. This dragon hasn’t been named, but all the clues point to it being Sheepstealer, a dragon from the book with a penchant for munching the local bovine herds.
• After being absent for most of the season, we finally see Otto Hightower in a cage during this montage. Where is he, exactly? So far it hasn’t been confirmed, but we have our theories.
• We also see Aegon and Larys riding away from King’s Landing in the back of a carriage with a bunch of peasants and animals. Larys told Aegon he wanted to take him to Braavos, but we’ll have to see if they actually make it there. Eventually, Aegon comes back into the picture for the war, but the book never discusses where he went during his absence so the show has a lot of room to explore.
• The final pair of shots of the episode juxtapose the difference between Alicent and Rhaenyra. The last shot of Rhaenyra in House of the Dragon season 2 frames her like one of the scrolls of history in the Dragonstone library, showing how the weight of responsibility presses down on her as she’s slotted into the legacy of House Targaryen. Alicent, meanwhile, stands before an open sky, which lines up with her giving up how history will perceive her in favor of finding her own freedom through her deal with Rhaenyra. Say what you will of House of the Dragon, it knows how to make a good, visually layered image.

We’ve reached the conclusion of House of the Dragon season 2! What a ride it’s been, and now we’re left with the challenging task of waiting for season 3. As confirmed by showrunner Ryan Condal, filming for House of the Dragon season 3 is set to start in early 2025, which implies we might see it air as late as 2026. For now, the series is planned to wrap up with season 4.

In addition to that, another “Game of Thrones” prequel titled “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” is set to release next year. This series is based on George R.R. Martin’s “Dunk & Egg” novellas. There’s a lot of buzz around Westeros these days, and we’ll be here, keeping you updated every step of the way. Our vigil remains constant.

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2024-08-07 19:42