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House of the Dragon Episode 6 Recap: Every Storyline, Character and Easter Egg

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Lauren Rouse
House of the Dragon Episode 6 Recap: Every Storyline, Character and Easter Egg
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It’s only been a week since House of the Dragon’s last episode aired but 10 years have passed in Westeros and Episode 6 gives off the feeling of a high school reunion as we try to keep track of who is married, who has kids and who still holds a grudge. Here’s what you missed in House of the Dragon Episode 6 ‘The Princess and the Queen’.

This article contains full spoilers for House of the Dragon. If you haven’t seen it yet, you can watch Episodes 1-6 over on Binge now.

House of the Dragon Episode 6: Plot Recap

house of the dragon targaryen family tree
Image: HBO

A decade has passed and Rhaenyra Targaryen (now played by Emma D’Arcy) is living her worst nightmare. As a teen she resented the idea of being pent up in a kingdom to “pop out heirs”, but here we see her laboriously give birth to a son. The umbilical cord isn’t even cut before she is summoned by the queen.

Laenor Velaryon accompanies his wife whose pride insists on taking the baby to the Queen herself in her post-labour state. When Rhaenyra does appear in front of Alicent (played by Olivia Cooke), the queen gives her a surprised “you should be resting”, knowing full well she is the reason the princess isn’t.

Miraculously, King Viserys is still alive although he is certainly showing his age these days. He’s delighted to meet his new grandson, who Laenor dubs Joffrey. Alicent is quick to take note of the baby’s appearance and remarks quietly to Laenor “sooner or later you may get one who looks like you”.

Rhaenyra and Laenor return to their chambers where we meet the couple’s other children, Jacaerys (Jace) and Lucerys (Luke), who have picked out a dragon egg for their sibling. They are watched over by the Commander of the City Watch, who is none other than our boy Ryan Corr, aka Harwin Strong.

When Harwin asks to hold Joffrey he’s a bit too fatherly and the looks he and Rhaenyra exchange make it clear something has grown between them during the time jump.

In the dragon pit, we’re introduced to the extended Targaryen family. Alicent’s children are older now with Prince Aegon a teenager. Let me tell you, while Rhaenyra may have just given birth to a Joffrey, it’s Aegon who is the spirit of Joffrey Lannister incarnate.

Jacaerys delights in training his young dragon, Vermax, and is watched enviously by Aemond Targaryen, who doesn’t have a dragon of his own. The boys have arranged a surprise for him and present him with “The Pink Dread”, aka a pig with cardboard wings. Furious, Aemond enters the dangerous dragon pit alone but is spooked by the fire of full-grown dragon, Dreamfyre.

We then meet the last of Alicent’s children and her only daughter, Helaena, whose only notable personality trait at this time is that she is obsessed with bugs.

house of the dragon targaryen family tree
Image: HBO

Aemond complains to his mother about the pig prank and Alicent takes it to the king, calling Rhaenyra’s children “savages”, despite the fact her son Aegon was in on the joke as well. Alicent reiterates her suspicions to Viserys that the father of Rhaenyra’s children is Harwin, not Laenor. Viserys refuses to entertain the idea.

So Alicent complains to her new bestie instead, Criston Cole. The queen is bitter about the fact Rhaenyra still has more freedom than her and seems to be able to bear another man’s children right under her father’s nose, with no repercussions. Criston, clearly still hung up on Rhaenyra’s rejection of him 10 years ago, joins in on the slander.

“I have to believe that in the end, honour and decency will prevail,” Alicent tells him. It’s no accident that we then cut to Alicent’s eldest son and her prospective heir to the throne, Aegon, jerking off out the window.

 

It’s clear Aegon has no real love for his royal position or his family, but Alicent wants unity between her sons if they are to survive. She reiterates to Aegon that he is a challenge to Rhaenyra’s succession and needs to start acting like a king.

Just to remind us that dragons are still cool, we cut to Daemon (who has another new haircut) riding Caraxes alongside his pregnant wife Laena, who sits atop the biggest dragon we’ve seen yet, Vhagar.

The duo have taken up temporary residence in Pentos with their daughters Rhaena and Baela. The Prince of Pentos, Reggio, offers up an alliance with Daemon if he can help them defeat the growing threat of the Triarchy, which has aligned itself with Dorne.

Laena moves to dismiss the offer, but Daemon is interested. He’s sick of the political scheming in Westeros and quite likes the idea of settling down to be a lord in Pentos. His wife isn’t content with the idea, she wants her children to grow up in her family home of Driftmark.

house of the dragon episode 6
Image: HBO/Binge

In King’s Landing, the tension between the two Targaryen broods ramps up once again during combat training. Harwin notices that Criston is paying special attention to Aegon and Aemond, while ignoring Rhaenyra’s children.

Criston decides to pit the eldest sons against each other, which is hardly fair considering Aegon is older and stronger. Criston encourages Aegon to fight Jacaerys longer than he should, resulting in Harwin stepping in to stop him from beating up the young boy. Criston points out Harwin’s unusually fatherlike interest in Jacaerys’ training, which results in Harwin seeing red and actually beating him up.

Rhaenyra overhears an argument between Harwin and his father. Lyonel Strong is aware of his son’s intimacy with the princess and warns him that if the secret gets out, he will be killed for the transgression.

Laenor comes to his wife later, drunk and with his arms around a fellow knight, with ideas of going back to sea to help fight the brewing tension at Dorne. Rhaenyra reminds Laenor of his place as her husband, regardless of whether he is the true father or not. Laenor argues he’s played his part long enough but Rhaenyra reminds him of the freedom he’s had during their marriage. She needs him at her side during this time. When Laenor won’t come to the party she orders him to, on her authority as heir.

targaryen family rhaena baela
Image: HBO

Across the Narrow Sea, Rhaena is lamenting the fact she has not bonded with a dragon, like her sister has, but her mother reassures her it’s never too late. Laena delivers the news of Rhaenyra’s new son to Daemon and even he knows that the father is probably Harwin. They discuss the prospect of going home, Daemon is trying hard to act uninterested in his responsibilities, but Laena calls his bluff.

Tension brews between Alicent and Rhaenyra at the Small Council meeting as they discuss the Stepstones, which have been left unguarded since Daemon’s victory a decade ago. Rhaenyra attempts to broker peace with Alicent by proposing a marriage between Jacaerys and Helaena, and offers an egg from her dragon, Syrax, for Aemond. Viserys is delighted by the idea but all Alicent does is point out that Rhaenyra is lactating through her dress.

Alicent fumes about the proposal to Viserys, but all the king wants is peace between their families. “You may do as you wish when I am cold in my grave,” she tells her husband.

Lyonel comes to Viserys to resign as Hand of the King in shame over Harwin’s incident. He doesn’t go as far as to reveal the truth about Harwin’s motivations to the king, despite Alicent’s prodding. Viserys refuses to accept the resignation, so instead, Lyonel says he will accompany Harwin from King’s Landing so he can begin his tenure as the heir of Harrenhal.

Alicent turns to her next confidante at court, Littlefinger, ahem, I mean Larys Strong. Alicent is bitter in the fact that if her father was still Hand he wouldn’t be afraid to speak the truth to the king, which would of course always be in her favour.

Larys goes about scheming, saving a handful of prisoners from deaths row by enlisting them into his secret service, which is so secret it requires you lose your tongue.

In Pentos, Laena’s labour isn’t going well. Daemon is presented with the same choice Viserys was in Episode 1: lose the baby or perform a C-section and lose the mother. Laena overhears this and decides to take her fate into her own hands.

In the midst of labour she stumbles outside to kneel before her dragon and commands Vhagar to burn her. We get some of the best dragon-acting yet as Vhagar refuses, but Laena is dying anyway and is adamant this is how she wants to go. I always thought Targaryens were supposed to be impervious to fire, but I guess not.

Harwin bids goodbye to his secret sons and Rhaenyra, promising to return. But we all know better than to promise things in Game of Thrones. Following this, Rhaenyra tells Laenor she’s sick of the gossip so they’re getting TF out of town and going home to Dragonstone. He’s also allowed to bring his boyfriend.

As Harwin and Lyonel return to Harrenhal, they are followed by Larys’ secret servants. The Strong’s awake in the middle of the night to their rooms burning around them, unable to escape. RIP to Ryan Corr and his eye acting, which carried his entire arc.

Larys reveals his actions to Alicent, who never expected him to burn his own family in service of her, but will take advantage of the situation regardless by calling her father back to King’s Landing.

And that’s what you missed in Westeros.

House of the Dragon Episode 6: Easter (dragon) eggs

house of the dragon episode 6
Image: HBO/Binge

House of the Dragon Episode 6 introduced nine new children and farewelled two MVPs. Here’s what you might’ve missed amongst all that:

  • Look closely and you’ll see the opening credits for House of the Dragon have changed this week.
  • Laena Velaryon’s dragon Vhagar is the largest and oldest living dragon in Westeros.
  • Fun fact, House of the Dragon has a Doctor Who connection. Prince Aegon is played by Ty Tennant in his teenage years, who happens to be the son of the tenth Doctor, David Tennant. Matt Smith also played the eleventh Doctor and stars in House of the Dragon. Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff that is.

And because Criston Cole is such an easy target, please enjoy this top meme:

If you missed last week’s recap you can find that here.

House of the Dragon airs weekly on Mondays at 11:00 am AEST on Binge.

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