House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6 Recap: A New Dragon Rider

It’s time for some major power moves in House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 6. Rhaenyra asks Ser Steffon Darklyn to attempt to forge a bond with Seasmoke (RIP Laenor, it seems). Things don’t go well, but Seasmoke has a new rider in mind, while Corlys appoints his illegitimate son, Addam of Hull, as his new First Mate. After Lord Jason Lannister decides to park his army until Aemond brings Vhagar along to play on their side, Aemond “fires” Alicent from the Green Council, orders Tyland Lannister to make a deal with the pirates of the Free Cities to crush the Velaryons’ blockade of The Gullet, and demands a new Hand of the King. No, not you, Larys Strong!

Daemon and Viserys reunite for some brotherly bonding time in the haunted land of Harrenhal. And Alicent and Helaena are caught up in the chaos when the starving littlefolk of King’s Landing rise up against the Greens, following Mysaria’s whispering campaign about the feasts of the Red Keep, and Rhaenyra and Mysaria send small boats of food for the people across the bay from Dragonstone to King’s Landing.

What Happened in House of the Dragon Season 2, Episode 5

Power struggles within the Black and Green councils intensified after the deaths of Rhaenys and her dragon Meleys, along with the crippling of King Aegon and the death of Sunfyre. Ser Criston paraded Meleys’ head through the streets of King’s Landing, much to the horror of the smallfolk, who saw the dragons as gods. The Green council appointed Aemond as regent, and Aemond ordered the gates of King’s Landing to be closed, trapping the starving citizens inside. Daemon had William Blackwood hold the Bracken women and children hostage at Harrenhal in order to bring the Riverlands into line, while Jacaerys promised to grant Harrenhal to Sabitha Frey and Lord Forrest Frey in exchange for siding with Rhaenyra and allowing Lord Cregan Stark’s army to pass through the Crossing. And Jacaerys and Rhaenyra decided to find dragonriders from the Targaryen bloodline to ride the only dragons big enough to defeat Vhagar.

Need a refresher? Read the full House of the Dragon season 2 recaps for: Episode 1 , Episode 2 , Episode 3 , Episode 4 , and Episode 5 . Also read the House of the Dragon season 1 recap and a House of the Dragon season 2 Who’s Who.

Stream House of the Dragon Season 1-2 now on Showmax. New episodes every Monday, express from the US.

Episode 6: Give Aemond a hand, will you?

Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) is facing opposition from his allies. Lord Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall) halts his army at the castle of Lord Humfrey Lefford (Daniel Fathers) in The Golden Tooth, and he sends a message to Aemond announcing that they will not march further on Harrenhal until Aemond joins them on Vhagar. It seems that word is spreading about what happens when soldiers march against dragons!

Aemond shakes up the Green Council, dismisses Alicent (Olivia Cooke), orders Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) to negotiate with the Free Cities and the Triarchy to attack Corlys Velaryon’s (Steve Toussaint) blockade of The Gullet, and sends Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) to march with Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) on Harrenhal again, this time for real. And he announces that he needs a new Hand of the King. Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) is all set to humbly accept the honor when Aemond tells him, “Do you consider me a fool? I have little patience for the self-righteous, Lord Larys, much less for the sycophant and the sycophant. Every king needs a Hand. I will make it your responsibility… not to serve as Hand, you toad! To fetch him. Send word to Otto Hightower. My grandfather may be overcautious, but his devotion to his family was never in doubt.” Woof! It’s a worse burn than when Vhagar roasted Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney)!

And just like that, the crusty King Aegon, beginning to regain consciousness, has an enthusiastic new supporter who is desperate for his survival. Larys even withholds Aegon’s painkillers to keep his mind sharp when Aemond pays him a visit to find out how much Aegon remembers of what happened at Rook’s Rest. But why isn’t Lord Otto (Rhys Ifans) responding to Alicent’s messages?

Desperately looking for dragon rider

The newly widowed Corlys gains Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) gratitude and sympathy when he arrives at Dragonstone to be her Hand of the King. And Rhaenyra reveals her plan to try and recruit new dragon riders, starting with Ser Steffon Darklyn (Anthony Flanagan). While the rest of the Black Council is shocked, Ser Steffon is honored, eager, and willing… until he actually has to face Seasmoke at Dragonmount in a top secret ceremony. Unfortunately, Seasmoke is having none of it, and the last of the Darklyns goes up in smoke.

When Lord Bartimos Celtigar (Nicholas Jones) follows Rhaenyra around, complaining “I told you so” as if he were ringing a bell of shame, Rhaenyra slaps him in front of everyone as a gentle reminder to watch his step. Even Jacaerys (Harry Collett) questions Rhaenyra’s leadership. Within the Black Council, however, Rhaenyra and Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) are making their own moves. Unlike the men of the Council, Mysaria has a knack for suggesting plans that will further Rhaenyra’s agenda and actually work effectively without involving Daemon (Matt Smith). Mysaria deepens her intimacy and understanding with Rhaenyra by confiding that her first abuser was her father, who molested her and impregnated her before leaving her to die. After revealing that Rhaenyra is one of the few people she trusts, Mysaria has a suggestion that will both help the little people and increase support for Rhaenyra in King’s Landing. And Mysaria and Rhaenyra’s relationship develops a new angle.

Riots in King’s Landing

As the people starve, Mysaria’s agents in King’s Landing complain loudly in pubs, inns, and bars about supposed banquets in the Red Keep, when even the pubs can only serve thin slop to the customers. While Aemond ignores the growing cries for help and food, Rhaenyra takes advantage of a cloudy night to send boats full of fresh vegetables from Dragonstone across Blackwater Bay to King’s Landing. The food causes a full-blown riot when it arrives, with Hugh the Blacksmith (Kieran Bew) knocking a man to the ground for grabbing his sack of vegetables. Unaware of the simmering unrest, Alicent and Halaena (Phia Saban) are praying for Aegon’s recovery in the Sept of Baelor when their guards arrive to rescue them from the crowd outside. Alicent and Halaena are dragged back and forth through the crowd as their guards attempt to pull them to safety. One of the little people even throws rotten fish guts in Alicent’s face, calling her the “Queen of Fishes,” while cheering on Queen Rhaenyra. Despite Alicent’s orders not to draw their swords on the humans, the guards disobey and several knights are torn to pieces by the crowd, while Alicent and Halaena escape.

Viserys? At Harrenhal?

Daemon is back in the dreamtime at Harrenhal, this time for an emotional conversation with a younger and healthier King Viserys (Paddy Considine). Together, they go over Daemon’s sins, including calling his dead son “King for a Day” and laughing at him instead of grieving with him. Viserys accuses Daemon of throwing everything he gave back in Viserys’ face, despite Viserys being his only ally at court. Depending on the accuracy of the vision, we may relive the moment when Viserys tells Daemon that he is naming a new heir and banishing him from court. For once, Daemon gets to deal with the cost of Viserys’ decision, as Viserys begins to cry.

Ser Simon Strong (Russell Beale) doesn’t know what to do with his guest. He seems to be going madder by the day and puts a knife to his throat. He accuses him of poisoning or drugging Daemon.

The culprit is likely Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), who is looking more like Larys Strong every day as she advises Daemon to stay calm instead of storming Caraxes. Alys “senses” that the tide in the Riverlands will turn within the next three days. Lord Grover Tully’s days are numbered, one way or another. And when he goes, Lord Oscar Tully (Archie Barnes) will be the new Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, the only ruler who can unite the houses of the Riverlands to fight together instead of turning on each other.

Sure enough, three days and another vision quest later—in which Daemon comforts Viserys when he finds him weeping over the body of Queen Aemma Targaryen (Sian Brooke)—Daemon is told that, oh boy, what a shame Lord Grover is dead. Alys did her best, but he was old and sick. Either way, long live Lord Oscar Tully.

Salt and sea, blood and fire

In The Eyrie, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) confronts Lady Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) about secretly having a dragon after she sees signs of one hunting and burning sheep in the hills. But Lady Jeyne tells her it’s just a wild, riderless dragon. Plus, she has a boat ready to send Rhaena and Rhaenyra’s two youngest children to Pentos. Lots to think about for Rhaena!

At Driftmark, Corlys visits Alyn Van Hull (Abubakar Salim) to appoint him first mate on Corlys’ ship before they leave for the blockade. And when Alyn still seems inclined to sulk about not being recognized as Corlys’ son, his brother Addam Van Hull (Clinton Liberty) urges him to accept the honor that has been given to him and jump on the fast ship to success and wealth. Addam, frankly, feels a little left out, since Corlys has never acknowledged him as his biological son.

But Addam’s time has come. As he works on the beach, Seasmoke comes racing out of the sky, heading straight for him. Everyone scatters, and Addam flees into the hills and forests, thinking he’s going to become dragon food. When Seasmoke lands in front of him, however, he doesn’t enlighten him like Ser Steffon. As Addam says his final prayers, he realizes that Seasmoke wants him to be his new rider. At the end of the episode, Rhaenyra learns that Seasmoke has been seen with a rider. Fearing an attack from the greens, she mounts Syrax to meet the dragon and rider in the sky above Dragonstone.

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