WHAT HAPPENS WHEN you cross the rubicon? House of the Dragon is now wholly defined by before and after Rook’s Rest. Throughout Westeros’s history, there have been dragons, but not quite like this. Dragon-on-dragon warfare is a whole new kind of terror, and the residual effects feel likely to turn the realm upside down.

As such, the fifth episode, helmed by Clare Kilner from a script by Ti Mikkel, is all about the fallout. With the death of Rhaenys and the incapacitation of Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), both sides struggle with losses and how to move forward now that yet another line has been crossed.

How do you move forward with ill omens looming? How do you corral people who are terrified of what’s to come? These questions linger like thick smoke in the air. Not all of them will have answers, but there’s enough directionality that it’s safe to say it’s all downhill from here. It will get much worse before it gets better.

Let’s dive into this week’s episode.

The Game of Thrones in the Aftermath of Rook’s Rest

Congrats to Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) on his promotion! With Aegon off the board for now—and possibly forever—the small council quickly turns to appointing a successor. While Alicent (Olivia Cooke) positions herself as a worthwhile candidate, she’s quickly undercut by members of the council who look to play up their own agendas (cough, Larys). But the deciding factor comes down to Cole (Fabien Frankel) who takes a decidedly unique approach. The idea that to fight a monster, you must become a monster yourself is a rich thematic text in media, and it takes hold here. With Cole now understanding what it truly takes to win in this war, Aemond’s (and Vhagar’s) power are virtually unmatched. Or, as he says, “We have given the war to the dragons. A dragon rider should lead us.”

The idea that the war is now in the hands of the dragons fits really well with the shorthand I like to use when communicating their power. Each dragon is, essentially, a walking nuclear weapon with a mind of its own. Unleashing that power is so terrifying that it crosses a point of no return; it’s an unbelievably painful and awful death that’s worse than war—because they’re war incarnate. Stopping them is a nigh-impossible task, and it feels like the realm is about to learn that firsthand.

Will Aemond be a good ruler? Alicent doesn’t seem to think so. What’s so great about how Kilner frames that moment is that it initially feels like she’s mad about being passed over before it moves into outright terror and fears about what he might do. If he’s willing to burn his own brother, imagine what he’ll do to someone he doesn’t even care about. The power of that moment, juxtaposed later with how Aemond looks at the Iron Throne later on, is chilling. In an episode full of “black omens,” Aemond’s ascendency is the most chilling of them all.

Jace and Baela Take the Reigns

While Rhaenyra’s children feel much more defined than they did at the end of last season, we still haven’t spent as much time with them as we have with the likes of Aegon and Aemond. But that changes this week. It’s important to see Baela’s (Bethany Antonia) reaction to the death of Rhaenys, given the relationship there, and it’s good that the show uses this to give better context to Baela’s character. It’d be easy to just paint Baela as a little one dimensional, but I like how the show uses Rhaenys’s death not to motivate Baela further but rather to carry on her memory. Out of the kids, the two are the most similar; we’ve seen Baela have shrewd instincts on the battlefield and have a wisdom afforded to her that many of the characters don’t even have. It feels like she’s rounding into a much better form, which is fitting, given Rhaenyra’s need for allies.

Speaking of, you have to commend Jace’s (Harry Collett) ability for diplomacy in his dealing with the Tullies. Not unlike Aegon, he flies off on his own to act out, but the difference here is the understanding of what the game is. See, Jace has enough knowledge to know how to leverage his role. He’s the son of the queen and, therefore, can at least pretend well enough to make promises as long as he’s getting what he wants—bent knees —in the larger picture. It’s a super shrewd understanding of strategy and ensuring he can execute. But what’s also great is that he’s proving his worth as an ally for Rhaenyra when she has so few people she can count on.

Daemon’s Folly

Which brings us to Daemon (Matt Smith). You know, it’s funny that Rhaenyra already has an understanding that Daemon might be working against her but she’s got no idea the extent of how bad he’s really messed it up. The situation with the Brackens and the Blackwoods continues to spiral out of control, and attempts to make it better only end up getting worse. It’s as if people don’t love being put into positions where they’re forced to comply.

The longer Daemon spends at Harrenhal, trippin’ balls, the more it seems like he’s incapable of handling the situation accordingly. I will say, as thrilling as it is to watch Matt Smith play up these insane visions, the Harrenhal plot is getting close to feeling as difficult to manage as the famed castle itself. That’s to say, we’re kind of seeing the same story play out, albeit in different shades. Daemon’s desire to take the throne for himself, however, does color this plot with a little intrigue—especially if he’s going to be on a more direct collision course with Rhaenyra in the next few weeks.

Odds & Ends

• Steve Toussaint’s reaction to the death of Rhaenys is so good and I’m glad that the show is finding more of an active role for him by promoting him to Rhaenyra’s hand.
• I posted this on Twitter the other day, but it really is worth repeating here: Clare Kilner is absolutely on another level—and should absolutely be in the conversation as one of the best Thrones-related directors alongside Mark Mylod or Miguel Sapochnik. Her handling of the smallfolk plots, in particular, feels so humanistic, and that attention to micro-level storytelling is so welcome in a tale this grand. Plus, the way she shoots the dining conversations in Harrenhal adds this great touch of intimacy to the proceedings. I also love the little behind-the-back tracking shots she does to give movement from room-to-room a little more propulsion. Would love to see her take on a big battle sequence.
• So we’re all in alignment… Alys is definitely messing with Daemon, right?
• The choice of “mad” when it comes to the Targaryens always feels a little loaded. Let’s keep an eye on how beneficial this next generation of dragonriders ultimately turns out to be, shall we?
• The idea of Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) suggesting a grassroots PR campaign in King’s Landing really made me chuckle. Of course, it’s the smart play, but it’s just funny when a fantasy show takes on a political approach that feels like our modern era.