So the end is near and the writers are trying to set up the story for the climax of the first season. After the death of Daemon's wife, things get even more complicated, and it's up to the queen, the future queen, and other people to end their story on a respectful note.
Already a veteran director of Game of Thrones, Miguel Sapochnik, who has made some of the best episodes, hasn't gone for action sequences this time around, but psychological drama within a royal house. We follow each character in turn through the camera as they frown, smile… We watch the thoughts form in their heads to understand their thought process.
Daemon, Rhaenyra and Alicent are the most important characters in the entire kingdom. The king is old and dragging his entire decision on the succession to the throne behind him. He is trying to keep order in his family, which he is not at all successful at because he loves his daughter and his wife at the same time. The other characters are already serving only to be the scrub that is only there to drive the plot.
The driving force of the plot in this episode is the feud between the children, Alicent and Rhaenyra, who do big things after the death of Daemon's wife. As we know, Lady Laena Velaryon had a dragon, and that's what's at stake this time. As the saying goes, an eye for an eye goes for a dragon this time, so the distribution of dragons within the Valerion and Tangarien families will change a lot.
As you can see, the first season of Dragonborn will focus on the battle for the throne, so we're going to see a big fight between Rhaenyra and Alicent because the heir's husband has been "murdered."
I'm glad for an episode like this, where nothing happens at first glance, but there's a lot going on for a second, rather deeper exploration. Sapochnik doesn't pay attention to the physical battlefield this time, but it's a psychological battlefield where every look signifies a psychological state.
The story of the current and future queens, their sons, and the power struggle was very well done in the seventh episode of Dragonborn.
Photo © Home Box Office (HBO)
Original release of this article October 3, 2022 – Kritiky.cz
