House of the Dragon Recap Episode 7: The Red Sowing (Patreon)

“The Red Sowing”

Directed by Loni Peristere

Written by David Hancock

Cinematography by Vanja Cernjul

Editing by Katie Weiland

Unleash the Dragon

The main crux of this episode is that once Rhaenyra meets Addam of Hull and realizes that the potential to find dragonriders does not lie within noble families, but the stained bedsheets of Dragonstone’s 25 mile radius she decides it is time to start recruiting from outside of the family. Using the most loyal ladies maid ever (I hope she gets dental), Rhaenyra sends out the message that she will take anyone with some kind of Targaryen blood to attempt to claim a dragon.

Among the dragonseeds as they are dubbed in the book are Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White. I promised my boyfriend that these characters would be relevant eventually and here we are. Ulf has already talked about being a secret Targaryen via Baelon, but now we find out Hugh is also a bastard Targaryen. Saera Targaryen, the exiled daughter who worked in a pleasure house after she was thrown out and denied claiming a dragon. She eventually ended up across the Narrow Sea.

The dragon handlers are unionizing because they don’t believe in this democracy of just allowing randos to potentially have dragons. Jace is also reluctant to allow this because while he uses the racist and classist term of “mongrel,” the point he is trying to make is that if white hair and dragon means people have a claim to the “glory” and exceptionalism of the Targaryen dynasty then what is the point of their family? What is the point of succession? Monarchy?

It’s like a monologue from The Crown but with dragons.

In many ways, because we have so little context for the highs and lows of the Targaryen era it is sometimes hard to understand the context in which Jace and other character’s anxieties exist. We have heard Maegor the Cruel brought up several times and yet we have been given very little context for what he did, or the environment that propagated him. There is also the personal issue that with Jace’s dark hair and dark eyes, he doesn’t look like a Targaryen. Since the show has removed other dark-haired Targs, it must impact Jace even more.

There are also just the uncomfortable racial implications that I don’t think the narrative meant, but come across due to just the implication of that word. It is a messiness worth discussing at the end of the season.

Rhaenyra summons the Bronze Fury, Vermithor, the dragon of her great-grandfather. Then she goes to watch from the box seats as Vermithor makes a buffet of all these blonds. Guards keep them from escaping and I know there have been readings of this that say Rhaenyra did it to kill any people who witnessed her sending the people to their death. However, I kinda think it was just to make sure Vermithor didn’t try and follow anyone out of the palace and hurt you know … the important people.

That doesn’t make it better, they are using these folks as human sacrifices anyway, but I think that if you come to tame a dragon–death is on the menu. Everyone scatters and Hugh and another dragonseed end up taking shelter behind a rock. When they try to flee while the dragon is distracted, Vermithor turns and is about to blast the Red Shirt. Hugh steps in to take the shot, but Vermithor decides he likes the cut of this guy's gib. Smells Targy.

Ulf white boy swaggers himself into the den of the dragon Silverwing, dragon of Rhaenyra’s great-grandmother, and despite stepping on one of her eggs, she accepts him as her rider. Ulf then decides to go apeshit and fly around King’s Landing.

Aemond seeing the threat hops on his horse, Legolas style, and ride to granny Vhagar, but upon seeing for once that he can’t sneak attack behind a cloud or castle–being confronted by three grown dragons he actually backs away.

Rhaenyra stands triumphant as the dragons roar all around her. Many have died to allow her to get to this point–what comes next? We shall see.

Alicent’s Eat Pray Love

I wish I could say I cared about this part of the story, but honestly I want Alicent to be a rude cunt again. I am just not sure what all of this is leading up to. She’s not going to try and stop the war or help Rhaenyra’s cause. It is just a lot of screentime for very little payoff. Hopefully when she returns to the Capital we can see what this new post-baptism era will be for the character.

At least her hair always looks amazing.

Corlys finally gets his heir

In typical BIPOC fashion w2hen Corlys hears that one of his bastards claimed a dragon he gives the lad a respectful Black nod. He then goes to Alyn to see if his bald son might want to train a dragon. Alyn says he is salt and sea. Well that is one win for Corlys.

Sesame Street

Oscar Tully is serving. He pulls up to Daemon with the swagger of a fish going upstream. Unlike the timid seeming lad we saw before, now that he has become the head of his house, he speaks with the confidence and security of someone who has been groomed to rule. He is able (while dragging Daemon) to convince the Riverlords that while Daemon is an asshole, they owe their strength and vows to Rhaenyra.

That being said, the Blackwoods are not going to be able to get away with their war crimes. Daemon is pushed by the young Tully to take Lord Blackwood’s head. Daemon is a little conflicted by this and we are forced to endure another (hopefully final) scene of near death Viserys asking Daemon if he really wants the Crown knowing what it has done to him.

Please, gods above, let this be the end of this.

Wild Dragon

Rhaena decides that instead of going with her younger half-brothers to Pentos, she is going to attempt to claim the wild dragon she saw last episode. I … have a lot of feelings about this storyline, but hopefully in the next episode, we will see what all comes together.

Alright, this was the episode before the finale.

This season has been a mixed bag for me. I genuinely enjoy a lot of it, but I am still wondering if the changes they have made will lead to a better story or just a more disappointing one. It is hard with House of the Dragon because there is a conclusion to the events that is known and written. There is no wonder there. But the changes have restructured things in a way that I am genuinely guessing what is going to happen and what emotional impact it will have.

It is exciting and stressful.