All The Interesting Details And Moments From "House Of The Dragon" Episode 6

    It's a whole new era.

    Jenna Guillaume
    by Jenna Guillaume

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Warning: This post contains spoilers for House of the Dragon Episode 6.

    HBO Max / Via media.giphy.com

    Acting as a second pilot, this episode saw a huge time jump and the introduction of a new cast to play some of the lead characters. Let's dive into the interesting details and moments along the way...

    1. First of all, it's been about 10 years since the end of the last episode.

    Alicent rests a hand on Helaena's shoulder as she sits next to her
    Ollie Upton / HBO

    In that time, Viserys's health declined, Viserys and Alicent's son Aegon became a teenager; their daughter, Helaena (the baby Alicent was holding in the last episode), became a tween; and their younger son, Aemond, was born and grew to about age 9 or 10. 

    Rhaenyra and Laenor (or, ahem, Harwin), meanwhile, had three sons: Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey (the last born literally at the beginning of this episode).

    Daemon has married Laenor's sister Laena — in a match that appears to contain genuine love on both sides — and the two have twins, Baela and Rhaena. When the episode opens, Laena is pregnant with a third child, but unfortunately, neither of them survives the birth. 

    2. The opening credits have been updated! We see Daemon's symbol (his helmet), with his bloodline splitting off into two different directions.

    Daemon's symbol in the opening credits
    HBO

    We follow one to where it joins with Laena's cog, then splits off again to lead us to the dragon-egg symbols for Daemon and Laena's twins, Baela and Rhaena.

    Laena, Baela, and Rhaena's symbols in the opening credits
    HBO

    Back to Rhaenyra's symbol, and we follow her bloodline into a different direction toward three new cogs — her sons: Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey.

    Jace, Luke, and Joffrey's symbols in the opening credits
    HBO

    The next generation is officially part of the lineup!

    3. Speaking of which, it feels significant to open the episode with a close focus on Rhaenyra in childbirth — her battlefield, as her mother called it, and the one that, considering her mother's death, she was particularly afraid of.

    Rhaenyra grimaces in pain during childbirth
    HBO

    As we see, she comes through it safely with a healthy baby — the third time she's done so.

    Later, there's a quiet but meaningful moment between Viserys and Rhaenyra when he tells her, "I do hope the labor was easy."  

    4. The battle isn't over for Rhaenyra with the birth — she then has the psychological battle with Alicent, which she fights in a very physical way by taking Joffrey to the queen herself, leaving a trail of blood behind her as she walks.

    Laenor holds Rhaenyra's arm as she holds her baby
    HBO

    In her walk, Rhaenyra is brave, stubborn, defiant — and loving. They're quick moments, but you can even see Rhaenyra, despite the pain and suffering she's going through, look down to smile at her baby several times, as though to reassure him that he's safe and loved. 

    5. When Lord Caswell greets Rhaenyra, Laenor, and the baby on the stairs and offers them "any service," Rhaenyra says, "The day may come yet, my lord," hinting at the alliances Rhaenyra needs in the brewing conflict.

    Nym @NymsShadow

    Caswell: If I may be of any service? 🥴 Nyra: That day may yet come, my lord. 😏 #HouseOfTheDragon

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    Twitter: @NymsShadow

    6. Many things have changed over the 10 years — including the decor in Alicent's chamber.

    Young Alicent in the old version of her bedchamber above an image of Rhaenyra, Laenor, and a baby in Alicent's newly decorated bedchamber
    Ollie Upton / HBORhaeny

    She's replaced the Targaryen dragon orgies with tasteful wallpaper, indicating the contrast in how she views herself and also the way she's asserted herself at court. 

    7. Joffrey is, of course, named after Laenor's lover who was murdered the day of his wedding to Rhaenyra — by Criston Cole, the very man who is watching as Rhaenyra and Laenor discuss the name.

    Rhaenyra, Laenor, and the baby walk away from Criston Cole in the background
    HBO

    Criston and Laenor share a glance afterward, but notably, Laenor does not return Criston's acknowledging nod.

    8. In case you didn't quite catch the dragon situation, Viserys and Alicent's eldest, Aegon, is fully bonded to a dragon called Sunfyre, while Rhaenyra's oldest son, Jacaerys, is working on his bond with his dragon, Vermax.

    Vermax breathes fire
    HBO

    Vermax is the little guy we see crisp the goat.

    As we see in the episode, Aemond doesn't have a dragon — the "Pink Dread" prank the other boys pull on him is a play on Balerion the Black Dread's nickname. Meanwhile, it's Dreamfyre who breathes fire at him in the Dragonpit.

    Dreamfyre breathes fire at Aemond
    HBO

    Dreamfyre, you may remember, was the dragon whose egg Daemon stole in Episode 2. Dreamfyre is Helaena's dragon, although that hasn't been confirmed within the show yet — nor have the names of Lucerys's and Baela's dragons. 


    We also see that Laena is now bonded with Vhagar — the dragon she was all excited about when she was a kid, back in Episode 2.

    Laena rides Vhagar
    HBO

    Vhagar is the oldest living dragon, having been originally bonded to Aegon the Conquerer's sister Visenya.

    9. When Alicent tells Aemond he'll have a dragon one day, Helaena says, "He'll have to lose an eye" for it, which is foreshadowing the eye patch we saw an adult Aemond wearing in the original show trailer.

    Helaena looks at a bug in her hands
    HBO

    It indicates that Helaena has the power of prophecy in some way. 

    10. Not only is Alicent still wearing green after her dramatic costume change last episode, but her sons wear green, too — highlighting her influence over them and the allegiance she's bringing them up with.

    Ollie Upton / HBO

    11. Rhaenyra's sons, meanwhile, wear the red and black of House Targaryen, reinforcing that, whoever their father is (*cough* Harwin *cough*), they are blood of the dragon.

    Jace and Luke wear black and red tunics under their armor
    HBO

    12. Alicent's talk with Aegon echoes the one Otto had with her last week — it was a huuuuge turning point for her character, so it will be interesting to see if her conversation has a similar effect on her son.

    Alicent talks to Aegon angrily
    HBO

    His fight with Jacaerys later in the episode — which starts off playful and gets quite serious — certainly suggests it has. 

    13. Laena says she wants to die a dragonrider's death, and she makes sure it happens — although she probably wasn't expecting it to be quite so soon.

    Laena grimaces in pain while clutching her belly
    HBO

    What's also interesting about her death is that Daemon is given the same choice Viserys was given when Aemma died — sacrifice his wife to try to save his child — and Daemon makes a different choice from Viserys, although Laena has already made her own choice by that stage.

    14. Laenor mentions a giant Tyroshi general who dyes his beard purple and wears women's clothes, which is a reference to Racallio Ryndoon, who is now leading the Triarchy's army after the Crabfeeder's death.

    Rhaenyra and Laenor talk in their chambers
    Ollie Upton / HBO

    15. The small council has seen some changes during the 10 years we've missed. Most notably, Alicent now has a seat at the table, and Grand Maester Mellos has been replaced by Grand Maester Orwyle.

    Alicent sits at the small council table
    HBO

    It's not stated in the episode, but Mellos is now dead. 

    16. The small council discusses a dispute between the Brackens and the Blackwoods — the same families whom we saw fight when Rhaenyra was searching for suitors earlier in the season.

    The Bracken and Blackwood boys from Episode 4
    HBO

    17. When Larys says, "I took the liberty of beginning without you, your grace" about his dinner with Alicent, he foreshadows how he acts later in the episode, having his brother and father killed in response to the "wish" he projects onto the queen.

    Larys sits in Alicent's chamber leaning on his walking stick
    Ollie Upton / HBO

    In doing so, he not only has increased his own power by making himself lord of Harrenhal but also has "served" the queen while simultaneously giving him something to hang over Alicent's head.

    The idea that Alicent is now his is underlined by Larys as he carefully and deliberately plucks and holds the flower that he compared her to in the previous episode.

    18. Finally, there's a brief shot of Viserys crying while kissing a ring — this is Aemma's, revealing that he still loves and mourns his first wife.

    Viserys cries while kissing a ring on his finger
    HBO

    Did you enjoy Episode 6? Let me know in the comments section below!