Directed By: Miguel Sapochnik / Written By: Sara Hess

Original Airdate: September 25, 2022

Runtime: 67 minutes

Ten years after marrying Ser Laenor Velaryon, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen gives birth to a third child when Queen Alicent Hightower immediately summons the infant to her chambers. Alicent notes that the child, like his brothers bear no resemblance to Laenor, an allegation King Viserys Targaryen ignores. Alicent's son Prince Aegon pranks his younger brother Aemond, who has yet to bond with a dragon. Meanwhile, Prince Daemon Targaryen and his wife, Laena Velaryon, visit Pentos with their daughters Baela and Rhaena where Prince Reggio Haratis offers them lands in exchange for an alliance against the resurgent Triarchy.

main cast

KING’S LANDING

Ten years after Rhaenyra Targaryen's wedding to Laenor Velaryon, the princess gives birth to her third son in the capital of King's Landing. Just after the baby is delivered a handmaid brings the message that Queen Alicent Hightower has commanded that the child is to be brought to her "immediately". Determined not to let Alicent shame her, Rhaenyra rises and commands her handmaids to dress her, even though it's another minute until she expels the afterbirth from her body. Laenor then enthusiastically enters, only to find the exhausted Rhaenyra insisting that she will walk across the entire castle personally holding her baby in order to show the queen. Laenor at least manages to convince her to let him take her by the arm to steady her. After arduously making her way across the Red Keep and up a flight of stairs while still experiencing post-birth muscle spasms, Rhaenyra reaches Queen Alicent's private chambers. Rhaenyra and Laenor give cold, silent glances to Ser Criston Cole as he stands guard outside the door, clearly still holding resentment over the princess after so many years following his rejection. After entering her chambers, with false politeness, Alicent expresses concern that Rhaenyra shouldn't be walking in her condition. Rhaenyra's father King Viserys Targaryen, then arrives to proudly view his new grandchild. The king is in relatively good spirits, but his bodily decline has not stopped in the past decade, only slowed down: the infection that was eating away at his hand continued to spread, and after losing several fingers he has now had his left arm amputated up to the elbow. When Alicent asks what they intend to name the baby, Laenor interjects ahead of Rhaenyra that he will be named "Joffrey" (clearly named after his lost lover Joffrey Lonmouth who was killed at their wedding). Laenor then insists that Rhaenyra must rest, so she hugs her father goodbye. Meanwhile, Alicent leans over the infant and softly says to Laenor, "Do keep trying: soon or late, you may get one who looks like you." Afterwards, in her chambers, Rhaenyra and Laenor are greeted by their two elder sons: Jacaerys Velaryon and Lucerys Velaryon, along with Ser Harwin Strong. None of Rhaenyra's three sons have traditional Valyrian features: all of them have dark hair and light skin, and look nothing like Laenor. They do bear a strong resemblance, however, to Ser Harwin, who has deep affection for them. Jace and Luke reveal that they've already picked out a dragon egg to put in Joffrey's cradle, to help him bond with it, and Harwin ostensibly came to guard the egg as they transported it from the Dragonpit. Despite their odd parental relationship, Jace and Luke are amiable and reasonably well-behaved. Laenor insists that their mother must rest, and sends the two boys to continue their training at the Dragonpit.

The dragonkeepers instruct Jace and Luke, as well as Alicent's sons Aegon and Aemond Targaryen. The focus of their lesson this day is training Jace's young dragon Vermax, a juvenile the size of a small horse, to accept his verbal commands. Jace successfully commands the dragon to obey and halt, and then to breathe fire at a live sheep. They then leave Vermax to eat his roasted prey. Aemond is upset as he is the only one of the children who hasn't bonded with a dragon yet. However, Aegon insists that they have a surprise for his brother: a new dragon for him. Aemond is suspicious, then Luke returns from the lower level with a pig. The sow has brooms tied to her as makeshift wings, and the boys mockingly present Aemond with "the Pink Dread". The other boys dissolve into laughter and leave. Annoyed, Aemond descends into the lower levels of the dragonpit below the main area, into the caverns where the dragons nest. Hoping to find one of the unclaimed dragons, he presses on in the dark, until he is startled by Dreamfyre, who angrily breathes fire in his direction. Stumbling backward onto the floor, Aemond flees out of the dragonpit with only a face full of ash.

Back in her private chambers, Alicent sits with her daughter Helaena Targaryen, now an eleven-year-old girl. Helaena is somewhat introverted and intently focused on details about her insect collection. A Kingsguard member then drags in Aemond, covered in ash and soot. Alicent scolds him for how dangerous it is to keep trying to claim an adult dragon on his own. Humiliated, Aemond explains that the other boys gave him a pig dressed up as a dragon and they all laughed at him. A sympathetic Alicent embraces her son and assures him that he will have a dragon some day. Helaena strangely asserts that he'll have to close an eye. Afterwards, when speaking to her husband, Viserys suspects the originator of the prank might have been Prince Aegon, confirming his belief that Rhaenyra’s boys did not initiate such cruelty. Alicent gets straight to the point: Rhaenyra's three sons look nothing like Laenor and are quite probably Harwin Strong's bastard sons, further stating that to have one child like that is a mistake, but to have three is an insult. Viserys in denial counters that the nature of inheritance can be a strange thing. Alicent then speaks with Ser Criston, outraged that Viserys is willfully blind to the obvious. The entire royal court already thinks Rhaenyra's three sons are bastards, but none of them dare openly say it. Criston curses Rhaenyra but then apologizes when Alicent is annoyed at his language. She believes that honor and decency will eventually prevail over Rhaenyra's continued offenses.

Queen Alicent then confronts Aegon about the pig incident, as he awkwardly tries to shift blame to Jace and Luke before admitting that it was just a funny prank. Alicent is more annoyed that he enjoyed a prank with Rhaenyra's sons against his own brother. As her own father Otto Hightower once impressed on her, Alicent exhorts Aegon that Rhaenyra will cut off anyone who challenges her inheritance. He innocently says that he won't challenge Rhaenyra, at which Alicent grabs his face and shouts that he is the challenge, “simply by living and breathing.” She finishes by imploring him that the entire realm knows in their bones that one day he will rule. Some time later, in the training yard, Criston Cole instructs Aegon, Aemond, Jace and Luke. King Viserys proudly watches alongside Lord Lyonel Strong. Criston pits the much older Aegon against Jace, even though Ser Harwin points out it isn't a fair match. Harwin eventually intervenes to pull Aegon off Jace, criticizing Criston for teaching the boys cruelty against a weaker opponent. Criston then goads Harwin by observing that he shows an unusual level of devotion in Rhaenyra's boys, the kind a man normally only shows to his own sons. Enraged at the insinuation, Harwin knocks Criston on his back and continues to pummel him. Criston doesn’t attempt to fight back, smiling because he made Harwin embarrass himself in front of the king.

After being informed of the incident in the yard, Rhaenyra uses the secret passageway in her chambers to eavesdrop on a heated conversation between Harwin and his father Lyonel. Harwin tries to defend himself but Lyonel shouts at him that he has drawn suspicion on himself and their family, asserting that everyone knows, including King Viserys himself: but because Viserys himself is willfully blind to it, no one dares say it in public. This deeply upsets Rhaenyra, who had been in something of a bubble at the royal court and didn't consciously admit just how widespread the suspicions were. Afterwards, a drunken Laenor stumbles into her chambers with his lover Qarl Correy. After dismissing Qarl, an increasingly upset Rhaenyra listens to Laenor’s excitement when reporting news that war is afoot again in the Stepstones, as a dragonrider and warrior Leanor admits that he wants to feel alive again going into battle. Rhaenyra scolds him for being unaware of the mounting threats against them, stating that while she doesn't begrudge Laenor for continuing his affairs with other men, she would like his support in the capital. Laenor says that a wise sailor leaves ahead of a gathering storm rather than try to defeat it. Exhausted, Rhaenyra commands him as his princess to stay in King's Landing.

Rhaenyra and Alicent attend a meeting of the small council with Viserys. In the past decade Mellos died of old age, and has been replaced as Grand Maester by the younger Orwyle, whose treatment of Viserys has been more effective than Mellos's leechings. Jasper Wylde has also been appointed as the new Master of Laws to fill the spot vacated by Lyonel Strong when he became Hand. Lyman Beesbury is still Master of Coin, though he has grown somewhat slow in his old age. Rhaenyra and Alicent disagree on every issue: Rhaenyra has a more hands-on and interventionist approach to rule, while Alicent is more diplomatic and wants to delegate issues to regional rulers, worried about repercussions. After discussing matters in the Stepstones, the council rises to leave, however, Princess Rhaenyra asks them all to stay as she has another issue to propose. Rhaenyra politely says that she is aware of the recent tension between her family and Alicent's but they are all part of the royal house, and were friends before that. As a peace offering, she proposes a betrothal between her eldest son and heir Jace and Alicent's daughter Helaena. Additionally, when her dragon Syrax produces a new clutch of eggs she will gift one to Aemond. Viserys says this is quite a judicious proposal, but Alicent is incredulous. She embarrasses Rhaenyra by indicating that she is leaking breat milk through her dress, and flatly says she will consider it. After leaving the council, Alicent argues with Viserys that this offer is an insult. Viserys tries to urge her that this will bring peace to the royal family and as king he should be able to make this choice, but Alicent sharply says that he can do what he wants when she's cold in her grave. They then arrive at the king's private chambers where they are soon joined by Lyonel Strong, who has come to offer his resignation as Hand. He asserts that recent rumors have compromised his ability to give the king impartial counsel. Viserys is hesitant to lose his trusted advisor, and asks him to say aloud what these rumors are, but Lyonel cannot. Viserys insists that if he can't bring himself to speak these rumors aloud he can't resign due to them. Lyonel agrees, but asks that he take his son Harwin back to Harrenhal, who has been dismissed as Commander of the City Watch, as his heir it is time Harwin prepares to rule their family seat. Later, Alicent meets for a meal in her private chambers with Lyonel's youngest son, Larys Strong, who in the past few years has taken a position as a royal interrogator in the dungeons. Alicent has come to rely on him as an informant, though this time it is her turn to inform him of events at the small council. The queen laments her lack of allies at court, and says if her father was there she could rely on him to be impartial. Larys points out that her own father wouldn't exactly be "impartial", to which Alicent sharply says in frustration that he would be partial to her. Alicent openly wonders if in all of King's Landing there is no one to take her side.

Seizing on this as a pretext, Larys goes down to the castle dungeons and picks out three men condemned to death. He offers that if they become his agents he will spare their lives, though they will need to have their tongues cut out so they can't repeat his secrets. Meanwhile, Ser Harwin makes an emotional but silent goodbye to Rhaenyra and her three sons. After he leaves, Rhaenyra tells Jace they can still write to him. Jace then bluntly asks if Harwin Strong is really his father and if he is a bastard. Taken aback, Rhaenyra cannot bring herself to give him a straight answer aloud: instead she says that as her son he is a Targaryen, and that's all that matters. Both of them aware of what her indirect answer truly implies, Jace is left stunned. Afterwards, Rhaenyra finds Laenor practicing in the yard with Qarl. After her attempts at peace with Alicent have failed, she has agreed with his advice and wants to leave before the gathering storm. She will relocate with her sons to her seat at Dragonstone where they will be free of wagging tongues and Alicent's plotting. She asks him to come with her, and invites him to bring his compaion Qarl as well: she now realizes they will need every sword they can for the eventual conflict with Alicent and her children.

PENTOS

Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea in the Free City of Pentos, Daemon Targaryen is now married to Leanor’s sister Laena Velaryon, who he was last seen flirting with at the wedding. Laena has claimed the great dragon Vhagar as her mount, the last of the original three dragons from the Targaryen Conquest. Laena rides Vhagar alongside Daemon on Caraxes, as they entertain Pentoshi aristocrats and magisters by racing along the coast. Daemon and Laena are being hosted by the Prince of Pentos, Reggio Haratis, and for the past decade have been living as honored guests in his mansion. In the past decade of their marriage, Laena has produced two daughters for Daemon: Baela Targaryen and her younger sister Rhaena Targaryen, and is pregnant with a third child. Unlike Laenor's children, both girls have Valyrian silver hair, as well as the darker skin of their Velaryon mother. Haratis holds lavish feasts for Daemon's family and showers them with wealth and treasures, because their presence in the city acts as a deterrent against their common enemy: the Triarchy to the south. He reveals that the Triarchy has launched a new campaign into the Stepstones, allying with Qoren Martell of Dorne to attack from the west as well. Haratis offers Daemon large permanent landholdings in Pentos if he will join them in a renewed offensive against the Triarchy: Laena is hesitant, but Daemon says he will consider it. That evening, Laena urges him not to take the offer. They have been glorified guests for the past decade, but she wants the life of a dragonrider, and for her daughters to grow up where she did on Driftmark. Daemon declares that he knows their situation in Pentos is transactional - their dragons scare off the Triarchy and in return the Pentoshi shower them with wealth - but he finds this straightforward arrangement a relief, having grown weary of the political scheming in Westeros. Laena then visits her younger daughter Rhaena, who is warming her dragon egg in a brazier. She laments that she is the only one of them without a dragon, as her older sister Baela's egg already produced a young hatchling. Rhaena's egg was put in her cradle as a baby to help her bond with it, but after eight years it still hasn't hatched. Laena consoles her daughter that half of the dragon eggs never hatch and she herself didn't claim a dragon until she was fifteen years old, but then she bonded with mighty Vhagar. Later that evening, Daemon looks out over the city's night skyline from the roof of the mansion. Laena arrives and tells him that her brother Laenor wrote a letter saying Rhaenyra had a third son. Daemon sarcastically asks if he mentioned that this child also has a coincidental resemblance to the commander of the City Watch, Ser Harwin. Laena states that she can tell Daemon is dissatisfied with his life in Pentos even if he won't admit it. She then states that she knows she wasn't his first choice as wife, which he tries to wave aside, but she gently embraces him, insisting that the man she married was meant for more than this life in Pentos.

Some time later, Laena has gone into labor but it takes a bad turn. The Pentoshi physician informs Daemon that the baby has breeched, presenting him with a similar choice to the one his brother, King Viserys, faced when Queen Aemma Arryn died in childbirth. The physician isn't even sure if the child is alive, but says he could try to cut it out of her. While Viserys in this situation asked if the child could be saved, Daemon asks if there is any way to save the mother's life. The physician regretfully confirms that this is not the case. Overhearing them, Laena manages to flee the room and the mansion and rushes out to her dragon on the beach. Preferring a dragonrider's death, and a quick one instead of continued agony, she commands Vhagar to burn her. After some hesitation, an anguished Vhagar eventually complies and immolates Laena just in time for Daemon to witness in shock.

HARRENHAL / DRAGONSTONE

In the Riverlands, Lord Lyonel escorts his son Harwin back to Harrenhal, the massive castle left half-ruined a century before during the Targaryen Conquest, and later gifted to House Strong. However, Larys' tongueless agents follow them to the castle. Lyonel is awakened in the night by a fire they set in the castle. Harwin rushes to the door of his father's chamber but the heat has sealed the lock shut. The ceiling collapses on them and they both burn to death. Meanwhile, Princess Rhaenyra, alongside Laenor and her children, arrive on the island of Dragonstone. Back in the capital of King’s Landing, Larys Strong then meets with Alicent in her private chambers and cheerfully reveals to her that he had his own father and brother burned to death, an act of kinslaying that will elevate him as the new Lord of Harrenhal, and which will clear the post of Hand for Alicent's father Otto to return. Alicent, however, is horrified at his crime, and says she never wished for this. Larys assures her that she will reward him when the time is right.

*Episode descriptions from GOT Wiki