"Set aside your grievances, if not for the sake of the crown, then for the sake of this old man who loves you all so dearly."
— Viserys Targaryen
The episode opens with Rhaenys on the Driftwood Throne, as Corlys has been grievously wounded. His brother Vaemond intends to stake a claim to Driftmark on the basis of being Corlys's biological relative, unlike his implicit heir Lucerys, and knows that Alicent will back him.
In Dragonstone, Daemon retrieves a clutch of dragon eggs laid by Syrax while Jacaerys studies High Valyrian. Baela writes to her father of Vaemond's intentions, prompting Daemon and Rhaenyra (now pregnant with her sixth child and third by Daemon) to travel with their children to court to secure Driftmark. They are received with minimal fanfare at King's Landing, now run by the Hightowers, and whose Small Council intends to receive claimants. Rhaenyra and Daemon visit Viserys, now emaciated, bedridden, and addicted to milk of the poppy. They introduce him to his new grandsons, Aegon and Viserys, and try to convince him to back Luke.
Alicent is called away to deal with Dyana, a servant who was raped by Aegon. Alicent comforts Dyana but covers it up by Buying Her Off and and administering Fantasy Contraception. She then scolds Aegon before coldly greeting Daemon and Rhaenyra. Meanwhile, Jace and Luke observe a sparring match between Criston and Aemond, which is interrupted by the arrival of Vaemond and his retinue. Later, Rhaenyra meets with Rhaenys and confronts her about the succession. Rhaenyra offers a betrothal between their children in exchange for Rhaenys supporting Luke's claim, which her former mother-in-law declines. Later that night, Rhaenyra visits Viserys and asks for support.
The next day, Viserys interrupts the claimants to preside over the hearing himself and makes a laborious walk to the throne. He calls on Rhaenys, who publicly recognizes Luke as the legitimate heir and accepts Rhaenyra's proposal of a double betrothal that will maintain the Velaryon bloodline. Vaemond objects; he calls Rhaenyra a whore and her sons bastards, an insult for which Daemon slices off his head. Later, Rhaenys oversees the preparation of Vaemond's body for its return to Driftmark.
That night, the royal family dines with Viserys, who makes an emotional appeal for the family to set aside their grievances. The families toast each other and manage to have a cordial dinner until Aemond alludes to the paternity of Jace and Luke. Despite the ensuing fight between the princes, Alicent and Rhaenyra are friendly, and Rhaenyra promises to see her children back to Dragonstone before flying back to King's Landing.
Elswhere, Mysaria meets with the servant who had reported Dyana's rape, seemingly for intel on castle events.
Alicent tends to Viserys, who mistakes her for Rhaenyra. He rambles about Aegon saving the realm, which Alicent naturally thinks is referring to their son, and claims the Prince That Was Promised to be "you" before passing away.
Tropes in this episode:
- Absurdly Sharp Blade: Dark Sister gives the bottom of Vaemond's skull a Clean Cut. After Otto barks an order for Daemon to be disarmed, none of the Kingsguard are in any hurry to obey the order as Daemon wipes the blade off.
- Adapted Out: The five Velaryon cousins who get their tongues removed for protesting Vaemond's death are not present, with him apparently acting alone.
- Adaptational Heroism:
- In the book Rhaenyra dispatches Daemon to kill Vaemond, then feeds his corpse to Syrax.
- The book frames Viserys ruling in defense of Rhaenyra in a far more negative light, given that he severely injures himself on the Iron Throne (viewed as an omen of a ruler's unfitness) right after ordering mass tongue removal.
- In the book there's a scuffle between Alicent and Rhaenyra regarding maesters and Viserys's treatment. Here Rhaenyra initially accuses Alicent of mismanaging Viserys's treatment but then walks that accusation back, even thanking Alicent for her care after realizing that Viserys's health really is that bad and Alicent is handling it as best she can.
- Minisculely for Aegon, in the books he refuses to let Helaena dance with Jace accusing him of trying to cuckold him. Here the two dance with no comment from Aegon.
- Art Imitates Art: The behind the scenes video also confirmed that yes, they self-consciously based the visual setup of Viserys's final dinner with his entire family on Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Things between Viserys and Daemon have been rocky for a long time. But when a very decrepit Viserys is limping toward the throne, Daemon reaches out to help him. Although Viserys has already sent away one guard who tried to assist him, when he sees that it's Daemon helping him this time, he allows it.
- Berserk Button: Evidently, the pig prank remains one for Aemond after all these years, as seeing Lucerys chuckle at the sight of a roast pig infuriates him. He responds by deliberately pressing Lucerys' button, alluding to their illegitimate births.
- Big Brother Instinct:
- A younger brother, in this case. After Jacaerys tires of Aegon's taunts and stands up as if to fight him, Aegon remains seated but Aemond immediately stands up and stares at Jace challengingly until he backs down.
- Similar inversion also applies to the dying Viserys I and Daemon. Just as Viserys's crown falls amidst the blades of the Iron Throne, Daemon picks it up, gently guides Viserys to sit, and restores the crown on his head.
- Big Entrance: Viserys' entrance into the throne room. Just as the matter seems hopeless for Rhaenyra and her children, the doors are unexpectedly thrown open, and the King is announced. The fact that he's scarred, bent, and hobbling all the way to the throne only adds to the drama and anticipation. Triumphant and poignant music plays as he hobbles to the throne.
- Blaming the Victim: Discussed. Alicent knows good and well that Dyana was blameless in Aegon's attack of her and genuinely pities her, but she intimidates the girl into silence by noting that it would be a shame if people thought that her accusations against the future king were false, while she Buys Her Off and making her drink Fantasy Contraception to keep the secret. That said, we later see her going furious into her son's rooms to scold him harshly for what he did.
- Body Horror: Viserys is on his deathbed, with half his face covered in bandages or a mask (concealing an empty eye socket and a hole in his cheek) and the rest covered in scars and wounds. Similarly, the rest of his body is covered in ulcers from lying in bed for so long.
- Bond One-Liner: Courtesy of Daemon after cutting the upper part of Vaemond Velaryon's head off with his tongue (which Viserys wanted to remove after the insults to Rhaenyra and her sons) still attached to his body.Daemon: He can keep his tongue.
- Brutal Honesty:
- The entire court has learned to keep silent on the subject of the true father of Rhaenyra's children in accordance with the king's wishes, but in a rage at what he perceives as the imminent passing of Driftmark to a bastard child of Harwin Strong, Vaemond refuses to hold his tongue when the king decides against his claim. He loses his head for it, courtesy of Daemon.
- Helaena gives a toast about how marriage isn't so bad because your husband mostly ignores you unless he's drunk. She's got Neurodiversity Is Supernatural going on, and doesn't seem to get how socially inappropriate that is. However, everyone else seems to have some understanding for how Helaena is, and no one reacts too strongly to that.
- Call-Forward: After learning that Rhaenyra has named her youngest son after him, King Viserys jokes that Viserys is a good name for a king.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Subverted. Aegon responds to his mother's reprimands by accusing her of putting too much pressure on him and making him feel inadequate. Given that she's reprimanding him for raping a girl, his complaints seem more than a little out of place.Aegon: I did not ask for this. I've done everything you've asked me to, and I try so... I try so hard, but it will never be enough for you or father.
- Clean Cut: Daemon uses the Absurdly Sharp Blade Dark Sister to effortlessly slice through Vaemond's head.
- Cobweb of Disuse: Viserys's model Valyrian city, which is shown slaving over in every previous episode, is covered in dust when Rhaenyra and Daemon arrive at the palace. We see the model before we see Viserys himself, and this announces to the audience that his condition is really bad. Playing with his model city is a pretty low-energy activity, so if Viserys can't even do that, he must be absolutely decrepit. And he is.
- Determinator: Viserys may be on the brink of death, obviously in great pain, with half his body either decayed or missing, but he's not going to let that stop him from making his way to the Iron Throne to preside over the hearing. He even makes the trip entirely on his own until he reaches the steps, at which point he grudgingly accepts Daemon's help.
- Dead Guy Junior: Rhaenyra and Daemon's firstborn son, like Viserys and Alicent's, is named Aegon after Aegon the Conqueror. Their secondborn son is named after Viserys, who isn't dead yet when the episode starts but soon will be.
- Deathly Unmasking: At some point, Viserys removes his golden half-mask to reveal the half of his face that rotted away (and his empty eye socket). He passes away at the end of the episode.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance: One of Helaena's servant girls was raped by Prince Aegon. While rape is illegal on paper (we see Daemon have a man gelded for the crime in the first episode), in their world there isn't any precedent for powerful men being brought to task for their sexual misconduct against commoners. If Aegon were arrogant or stupid enough to rape a noblewoman, her kin could petition the King to mete out the proper punishment upon the Prince for such an insult. An angered noble house is a liability, so the crown would have a vested interest in addressing it. None of that is true for commoners. While Alicent is sympathetic to Dyana's plight, and clearly furious with Aegon, her primary priority is to ensure it gets covered up (by Buying Her Off and making her drink Fantasy Contraception) to protect her son's reputation. Being a prince, Aegon's sole punishment is being reprimanded by his mother.
- Doting Grandparent: Downplayed to just a Funny Background Event, but Otto Hightower, of all people, seems surprisingly sweet with his autistic granddaughter Helaena. He says "good" and smiles approvingly after she gives a very socially inappropriate toast. He claps proudly for her as she dances with Jace.
- Downer Ending: The episode ends with King Viserys dying and his life goal of leaving a legacy of concord and unity undone, as Alicent interprets that his Deathbed Confession designates their woefully mediocre and callous son Aegon as The Chosen One. For what it's worth though, he dies thinking he made things right.
- Dying Alone: Viserys dies at the end of the episode alone in his bed after Alicent leaves him to his rest. Though he is so exhausted and delirious at that point, it's unclear if he even notices or not.
- Everyone Has Standards: Alicent is outraged when she hears that Aegon raped one of Helaena's servant girls, and she lets him know it when she storms into his chambers.
- Exact Words: Rhaenyra emphatically tells Rhaenys that she neither ordered nor was complicit in Laenor's death — which is true, since he's actually still alive, but she leaves that part out.Rhaenyra: I loved your son. You may not believe it to be true, but I did. I did not order his death, nor was I complicit in it. I swear this to you.
- Face-Revealing Turn: We see the back of a Targaryen sparring with Cristen Cole and meeting him blow for blow. You might think this is the noted warrior Daemon, but when the man turns around, it's our first look at the eyepatched, adult Aemond instead. He's Taken A Level In Badass.
- Facial Dialogue:
- Facial Horror: Viserys' leprosy has consumed the right side of his face, eye included, which he covers in a golden mask when in public.
- Final Speech: At the family dinner, Viserys once again emotionally expresses his sincere wish that his family should be united. He notes that he will not be around for much longer. Moved by the speech, both sides make complimentary toasts to each other. Viserys collapses soon after and dies that very night.
- Fisticuff-Provoking Comment: A fight nearly breaks out between Jace and Aemond after the latter pointedly refers to his nephews as "strong."
- Foil: Jacaerys and Aegon are set up as such: both teenage princes of the Targaryen dynasty that get their looks from their respective biological parents but their similarities end there. Jacaerys is The Dutiful Son, devoted to learning High Valyrian and already thinking about his duties as heir and future king, whereas Aegon is a hedonist and sexual predator with no desire for the throne. Jacaerys is delighted at the prospect of marrying Baela whereas Aegon ignores Helaena and shuns her in favor of seeking pleasure in forcing himself on servant girls. Jacaerys feels bad about the way Aegon treats Helaena and dances with her at the family dinner. Aegon makes inappropriate innuendos towards Baela.
- Foreshadowing:
- A sickly Viserys briefly mistakes Rhaenyra for Alicent and she gently corrects him. Near the end of the episode, he makes the reverse mistake, except this time Alicent doesn't realize it and Viserys refers to a conversation she previously wasn't privy to, and the consequences are far more severe.
- Helaena warns her family to "beware the beast beneath the boards," foreshadowing Rhaenys' actions during the next episode.
- Funny Background Event: Helaena claps for Aemond's "Strong boys" toast.
- Good Stepmother:
- Good stepfather. Two possibilities that have been discussed for the succession of Driftmark are Daemon's own daughter Baela and his stepson Luke, who he knows really isn't the legitimate heir by blood. Instead of backing Baela's fully justified claim, he kills his father-in-law's brother for daring to question Luke's legitimacy. Also helps that they already worked out a simple solution to just betroth his daughters to his stepsons, which all of them were fully on board with.
- In general, Daemon doesn't seem to have any problems getting along with his stepsons Jace, Luke, and Joffrey, nor Rhaenyra with her stepdaughters Baela and Rhaena.
- Hope Spot: Viserys' heartwrenching speech seems to genuinely resonate with both sides of the family. Rhaenyra and Alicent give each other gracious toasts, Jace and Helaena share a dance, and some good-hearted laughs are exchanged by both sides. Even a fight nearly breaking out between Jace and Aemond seems like only a minor bump, and being exasperated by their sons who can't hold their tempers and behave gives Alicent and Rhaenyra something to momentarily commiserate over. The two women promise to meet again for some private time after the latter returns her family to Dragonstone. All seems like it will work out... until a delirious Viserys mistakes Alicent for Rhaenyra on his deathbed.
- Hypocrite: Vaemond Velaryon says that King Viserys cannot dictate how succession will go on within House Velaryon, all while he himself is ignoring the wishes of the head of House Velaryon, his brother Corlys, by proclaiming himself heir to Driftmark over Luke. He also says that proclaiming Luke heir will end the Velaryon line even after Rhaenys's announcement that Luke will marry his great-niece Rhaena, who is unquestionably Corlys's trueborn granddaughter and thus part of the line of House Velaryon's firstborn son.
- I Have Just One Thing to Say: Rhaenyra raises her glass, begins to talk about Alicent... and thanks her earnestly for taking care of her father. Caring for a decrepit Viserys at the end of his life is in some ways peak Alicent; it's taxing and unpleasant, and she is dutifully bears it with haunted eyes and not a word of complaint. For Rhaenyra to acknowledge this and thank her for it clearly means a lot to Alicent. It's enough to begin what becomes a Hope Spot moment for them.Rhaenyra: I wish to raise my cup to Her Grace the Queen. I love my father, but I must admit that no one has stood more loyally by his side than his good wife. She has tended to him with unfailing devotion, love, and honor. And for that she has my gratitude, and my apology.
- I Have No Son!: In a rage at Aegon's rape of a servant girl, and the casualness with which he treats it, Alicent tells Aegon that he is no son of hers.
- Identical Twin Mistake: Ser Erryk Cargyll of the Kingsguard is mistaken by Alicent for his twin brother Ser Arryk, also a Kingsguard.
- Implied Rape:
- Aegon's assault on the servant girl occurs offscreen and everyone, including the victim, avoids using the word "rape" but the crime is strongly implied in dialogue.
- In a more subtle example, in her toast, Helaena implies that Aegon ignores her "except sometimes when he's drunk". Given what we know of Aegon, it's not hard to guess what kind of attention he pays her.
- Inadequate Inheritor: Although not his designated heir, Alicent is grooming Aegon to take the crown when Viserys dies, and is deeply frustrated that Aegon repeatedly proves himself to be a Royal Brat completely unsuited for the role. For his part, Aegon feels like he's constantly disappointing his parents, leading to his acting out.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While he's harsh about it, Vaemond does have some right to be cross about the obvious bastards inheriting his family's seat. He and Otto also correctly point out that Lucerys has never learnt to command a fleet that will be needed in case of war.
- Kangaroo Court: The matter of the Velaryon succession is secretly settled between Otto, Alicent, and Vaemond (who was even escorted into the Red Keep by a pair of Hightower guardsmen) — with Vaemond offering the Velaryon navy to the Greens when the Succession Crisis blows into open conflict. The petitions at court are little more than a mummer's farce to question Luke and Jace's legitimacy before the entire court and thus ruin Rhaenyra's claim to the throne. It is only the unexpected appearance of Viserys that foils the Greens' plot. Lampshaded by Rhaenyra before Viserys' sudden entrance:Rhaenyra: If I am to grace this farce with some answer, I will start by reminding the Court that nearly twenty years ago in this very...
- King on His Deathbed: Viserys is clearly dying, spending most of the day in bed dulled with milk of the poppy. In his place, Ser Otto and Alicent rule the realm. He finally passes away at the end of the episode.
- Kissing Cousins: Rhaenys agrees to a betrothal between her granddaughters Baela and Rhaena and Rhaenyra's sons Jace and Luke. They're referred to by their consanguineal relationship (cousins) rather than their affinal one (stepsiblings).note
- Know When to Fold 'Em: Aemond stealthily insults Jace and Luke, which starts a fight between the princes. He then backs down when his uncle Daemon steps in front of them, deciding it's not worth picking a fight with someone who earlier in the day had decapitated a man for speaking out against them.
- The Last Dance: Viserys gathers all his remaining waned strength to exert and command his royal authority one last time to try to settle another family conflict during the crisis of the Velaryon succession.
- Lousy Lovers Are Losers: Discussed. When Aegon propositions Baela, he alludes to the idea that her betrothed Jace is bad in bed because he's a loser. He pairs this with Virgin-Shaming of Jace.Aegon: I regret the disappointment you are soon to suffer. But if you ever wish to know what it is to be well satisfied, all you have to do is ask.
- Mundane Made Awesome: A crippled old man enters a room in the middle of a debate and limps his way to the iron chair. Doesn't exactly sound like Homerian epic. But the moment becomes an incredibly powerful scene as the king makes a last political statement just by walking, gathering his remaining strength to reach the throne and command his power one last time, refusing the help of his guards but accepting his brother's support, in a display moment of paternal love. It's jaw-dropping for courtiers and viewers alike.
- Murder, Arson, and Jaywalking: Daemon accuses Alicent of drugging his brother and… redecorating her own living space in a style she prefers.
- "Near and Dear" Baby Naming: Rhaenyra has named her youngest son after her father, to Viserys' delight when she introduces the child to him.Viserys: A name fit for a king.
- "Not So Different" Remark: During the dinner, Alicent tells Rhaenyra that the two have more in common that they would like to admit.Alicent: We are both mothers and we love our children. We have more in common than we sometimes allow.
- Off with His Head!: Daemon slices the upper half of Vaemond's head after he goaded him into calling Rhaenyra's children bastards, saving Viserys the trouble of having to remove his tongue.
- Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Baela, Rhaena, Jace, and Luke are all very happy about being engaged to marry their cousins/stepsiblings and long-time friends.
- Petty Childhood Grudge: Luke giggles as the roast pig is served, clearly recalling the prank he helped play on Aemond as a young child. Aemond is enraged by this, and responds by making an insulting toast. It should be noted that Luke literally cut Aemond's eye out as a child, but he's not trigged by — say — the sight of Luke using a knife to cut his food. It's the memory of the Pink Dread prank that triggers him.
- Plot Parallel:
- Viserys is on his last legs and a Succession Crisis looms. Meanwhile, a Velaryon Succession Crisis is playing out right now, giving a taste of what's to come.
- Syrax has just laid 3 new eggs, while Rhaenyra and Daemon have likewise conceived 3 children: Aegon, Viserys, and one on the way.
- Aemond baiting Jace and Luke by commenting on their paternity with Plausible Deniability words and then letting them prove it true by responding aggressively is the exact same thing Criston did with Harwin back in episode 6.
- Puppet King: With Viserys incapacitated, Alicent and Otto have been effectively ruling the kingdom in his place. Daemon and Rhaenyra initially think this is an Invoked Trope, but after spending more time with Viserys and getting a clearer picture of his condition, Rhaenyra realizes it's at most an Exploited Trope — Viserys's condition really is that bad and this is actually a fairly appropriate course of treatment. And Viserys himself Defies it with his painfully dignified limp to the Iron Throne to rule on the succession crisis in person.
- Reaction Shot: As it becomes clear Viserys will settle the succession of Driftmark in favour of Lucerys, we see various disappointed reactions from members of the Greens. Aegon, however, is smiling. He doesn't want to be king, and is delighted that his mother and grandfather's scheme to call into question the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's sons, and by extension, Rhaenyra's claim to the throne, is failing.
- Reestablishing Character Moment: The epsiode begins after a 6-year Time Skip, and the kids of last episode are now young adults with Time-Shifted Actors.
- Jacaerys: We meet him while he's practicing his High Valyrian. He regards this skill as important for him as prince and heir, showing he has a sense of duty. But he's not fluent, despite spending the last 6 years being raised by a couple who speaks Valyrian. This suggests he's underprepared and the adults in his life aren't doing as much as they could to ready him.
- Aegon: He was a Hormone-Addled Teenager last episode. He's reintroduced being berated for having recently raped a serving girl.
- Aemond: Last we saw Aemond, he had just been maimed. We first see him again sparing with his trainer and winning, demonstrating that he's grown into a Handicapped Badass.
- Ship Tease: Between Lucerys and Rhaena, now that they are betrothed, with Rhaena assuring Luke that he will be a great ruler when he inherits Driftmark.
- Shout-Out:
- Viserys I's half-mask (which hides his Facial Horror) is similar to the full-face mask worn by King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem (who was similarly a morally good king suffering from debilitating leprosy) in Kingdom of Heaven.
- The organic tissue sack that Daemon retrieves dragon eggs from was directly inspired by Alien, as confirmed in the behind the scenes video by the the production team.
- Significant Name Overlap:
- Rhaenyra names her fourth son Aegon, which is also the name of her younger half-brother. Both are named for their Famous Ancestor Aegon the Conqueror.
- Played for drama when a delirious Viserys mistakes Alicent for Rhaenyra and tries to affirm his belief that she is destined to fulfill Aegon the Conqueror's dream, which Alicent takes as a sign to put her son Aegon on the throne.
- Single Tear: As Viserys drew his final breaths, the camera focuses on a teardrop flowing down the side of his face.
- Slipping a Mickey: Upon arriving and seeing that Viserys is being given milk of the poppy, Rhaenyra and Daemon accuse Alicent and Otto of drugging him to get him out of the way so they can rule in his stead. After spending some more time with him and seeing his unmedicated state, Rhaenyra gets a clearer picture of how bad Viserys's health is. She later walks back her accusation, even thanking Alicent for taking care of him.
- Spanner in the Works: Ser Otto planned to name Corlys' brother Vaemond as heir to Driftmark over his putative grandson Lucerys while holding court to hear Vaemond's petition. However, Viserys unexpectedly showed up at court to hear the petition himself and ruled in favour of his grandson's claim. Then Daemon kills Vaemond.
- Stealth Insult: In his toast to his nephews, Aemond calls them "strong" among other positive traits. It's painfully clear to everyone what he means, but just barely subtle enough that he still has Plausible Deniability.Aemond: Final tribute. To the health of my nephews: Jace, Luke, and Joffrey. Each of them handsome, wise... Strong. Come, let us drain our cups to these three... Strong boys.
- Succession Crisis:
- Lord Corlys Velaryon has been mortally wounded, and the court needs to decide if the next head of the house will be his grandson Lucerys (the official heir whom everyone knows is the product of an affair and not biologically a Velaryon, and a teenager raised outside Driftmark besides) or his experienced younger brother Vaemond. The fix is clearly in when Viserys (who notoriously refuses to admit Lucerys' true parentage) presides at the hearing, Corlys' wife Rhaenys puts the matter to bed when she backs Luke, but it's definitely settled when Daemon chops off Vaemond's head for his objection.
- The matter of Corlys's succession is clearly a prelude to the inevitable crisis over Viserys' succession, which has been looming (at least for Team Hightower) since Alicent bore a son. It involves many of the same people, centers around one of the same central issues (the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's children), and Viserys is already at death's door when he decides the Velaryon succession.
- Suicide by Cop: Implied. Vaemond had to have known that openly calling Luke a bastard and Rhaenyra a whore would cost him his head, but realizing he has lost his case and will lose his family's seat to his cousin-in-law's illegitimate offspring, he decides to be Defiant to the End. The behind the scenes video actually confirms this: he knew he was a dead man at this point and decided to die with his honor intact by not backing down.
- Symbolic Distance: Alicent and Rhaenyra are positioned next to each other at the dinner table, but with a large, conspicuous space between them. Viserys, who is both Alicent's husband and Rhaenyra's father, later sits down in that space, representing how his decisions throughout the first season have led to the estrangement of the two former childhood friends.
- Take a Third Option: Rather than choose between naming Baela (Laena's daughter) or Luke (Rhaenyra's alleged son with Laenor) the heir to Driftmark, Rhaenyra and Rhaenys agree to simply betroth Laena and Rhaenyra's children to each other: Baela to Luke's older brother Jace (heir to the Iron Throne) and Luke to Baela's younger sister Rhaena. As a married couple, they can inherit jointly, be a Ruling Couple, and ensure the survival of the Velaryon bloodline since there's no doubt that Rhaena is Corlys's biological granddaughter. Despite this, Vaemond still insists on pressing his own claim over his brother's stated wishes and the king's judgement, leading to his demise.
- Thin-Skinned Bully: Aegon rapes serving girls and mercilessly taunts his nephews, but when Jace stands up to him, Aegon lets his brother rise to his defense. Later, Jace turns the tables by playfully punching Aegon in the arm, which obviously annoys Aegon, but he just tolerates it.
- Thoroughly Mistaken Identity: On his deathbed, a sickly and delirious Viserys mistakes Alicent for Rhaenyra and begins talking about a conversation they had earlier. Alicent doesn't realize this, and gets something very different out of the conversation as a result.
- Time Skip: At least six years have passed since the previous episode.
- Together in Death: Viserys' final words imply he expects to be reunited with Aemma in the afterlife.Viserys: My love...
- Tongue Trauma: Viserys orders Vaemond's tongue to be removed after he openly accuses Rhaenyra's older sons of being bastards at court. However, Daemon decapitates him with Dark Sister before anyone can do anything. Daemon, being his usual ironic self, cuts Vaemond just above the jaw, leaving the tongue exposed.Daemon: He can keep his tongue.
- Too Broken to Break: Rhaenys, who at this point has lost her parents, both her children (to her knowledge) and with her husband and cousin both currently on death's door, is very non-plussed to look at her brother-in-law's decapitated corpse.Orwyle: It is ill luck to look upon the face of death.
Rhaenys: The Stranger has visited me more times then I can count, Grand Maester. I assure you... he cares little whether my eyes are open or closed. - Took a Level in Badass: It's established early in the episode that, in the last six years, Aemond has become a certified badass with a sword. While his nephews joke around about a prior sparring mishap, Aemond is soundly defeating Criston Cole.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Aegon has gone from a messy, Hormone-Addled Teenager whose behaviour could be excused with puberty to an outright serial rapist. Alicent's slick handling of the situation indicates this wasn't the first time (as does her remark that he can't keep "carrying on" like this). He later makes a pass at Baela in front of Jacaerys, only hours after the two have been officially betrothed. He's clearly a sexual predator at this point.
- Triumphant Reprise: "Protector of the Realm", the theme that plays as Viserys makes his walk to the Iron Throne, is a triumphant version of "An Impossible Choice", the very somber theme in the first episode that played during the royal tournament and Aemma's death.
- The Worf Effect: Aemond bests Criston Cole in a sparring match to show that he's now become quite a bit more dangerous since the last time we saw him in a fight.
- Two-Faced: Half of Viserys's face is rotting. During the feast, he's seated such that the normal half faces toward the Blacks and the rotting half faces toward the Greens. Symbolically, he gives the best of himself to the Blacks and the worst of himself to the Greens.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom:
- By confusing Alicent for Rhaenyra and partially revealing Aegon’s prophecy, Viserys may have torpedoed any chance for a reconciliation between the two sides of House Targaryen.
- Whoever was responsible for having a roast pig served in front of Aemond turned an otherwise pleasant evening into a literal brawl.
- Virgin-Shaming: Aegon assumes that Jace is a virgin, and that as such he'd be bad in bed and Lousy Lovers Are Losers.Aegon: Well done, Jace. You'll finally get to lie with a woman. You do know how the act is done, I assume? At least in principle? Where to put your cock and all that?
