The Battle of Rook’s Rest is the main focal point of this episode – but that’s not to say that the episode didn’t have other amazing parts to it. Quite the contrary. Daemon has another round of hallucinations – seeing his wife, the younger version of Rhaenyra sitting on the Iron Throne. Her speech is cloudy – it’s hard for him to understand. When he approaches closer and hears what she has to say, he angrily swings his 
sword and beheads her. Her head starts speaking to him – when Daemon snaps out of it and it is apparent that he’s awake, in his bedchambers at Harrenhal. We see Daemon speaking to the heir to the Riverlands territory – and in typical Daemon style, he wants the young lad to put his grandfather, Lord Grover (who is highly incapacitated) out of his misery, to bring the Riverlands to the Black faction of the Targaryens. Well, time is of the essence, and you can’t fault Daemon for trying to support his wife, bring a huge host of fighting men to her side, and gather additional support through arms, castles, and loyalty.
We discover that Alan, the man who saved Corlys from drowning, is his bastard son – but Rhaenys recognizes this but doesn’t really appear bothered by it. Her concerns are far more pressing – war is breaking out; they haven’t had any contact with Daemon and Rhaneyra hasn’t returned from wherever she snuck off to suddenly. Rhaenys is trying her best to maintain a cool head around her, while the Black Council and her husband don’t listen to her.
We find out that Alicent is pregnant and has summoned the Grand Maester for Moon Tea, using the excuse of Aegon being a rapist and young servant girls being the ones to get pregnant. I am repulsed. I understand as Queen Dowager, you can’t just go and ask for it yourself but holy hell. First, Queen Mother Alicent asks for 
Moon Tea…. We all know why – she’s still in the childbearing years and her illicit relationship with Sir Criston Cole was bound to produce this side effect. She has become a huge hypocrite when she was so jealous of Rhaenyra in the first season. And now, she must do what needs to be done to avoid any further scandal in her family’s name. Too bad she left that Moon Tea goblet out for all to see. And you know who sees it lying on the table, Layrs, the Master of Whispers (Mathew Needham, pictured). Layrs sees through Alicent’s flimsy reason for food poisoning. Layrs sees everything, hears everything, and subtly lets Alicent know that he knows she’s been cavorting with Cole. Hmm. He now has something to hold over her.
Rhaenys and the Black Council keep disagreeing about the best course of action to take. We all know that once Rhaenyra returned from her failed mission, we knew that the dragons would be unleashed. We knew that it was going to get unbelievably bad and that many people were going to die. Unfortunately, there is no issue for peace so war it is, and Rhaenyra begins to make plans. Rhaenys is the one to suggest going to Rook’s Rest with her dragon since she has the most experience and her dragon is battle-tested.
We see Sir Criston Cole and company take many castles and bring even more men to the Green’s cause. We see how horrific war is, with the beheadings of many men and Cole strolling by the captive men, and they all bend their knees in surrender. What is the plan? Instead of going to Harrenhal – they go to the castle of Rook’s Rest, geographically strategic – in terms of location, size, and what they intend to do to bring out the Blacks.
Aegon struts around is Small Council, flustered and angry that they have lost Harrenhal. Aemond could care less – he looks to Rook’s Rest because it is small, it will be a trap to lure the Blacks into Green territory. What stands out is how Aemond and Cole have been planning in secret and how Aegon has been completely left in the dark. Aegon not only looks ill-prepared, and uninformed but incompetent – due to his lack of speaking High Valyrian. We all know Aemond has a burning desire to get even with Aegon, due to years of pent-up frustration and bullying, so here it is: Aemond tactfully suggests that Aegon stays behind. This really irks Aegon. Aegon becomes increasingly agitated and drunk as the day wears on. In chatting with his mother, he comes across as a buffoon. He wants action. He wants war and he is reckless. He walks out on his Small Council. Alicent sees what an idiot her son is but what can anyone do at this point? Aegon has been crowned and he is NOT King material. So, what does Aegon do? Drink. As if getting drunk ever did anything good for anyone in the realm.
Daemon continues to meet with other Lords in the Riverlands and guess who makes an appearance? The young man from House Blackwood – Willem Blackwood. In trying to sway supporters, Daemon is experiencing additional hallucinations (he sees his deceased wife pouring drinks while speaking) – Harrenhal is a trip, and not for the better. Alys Rivers had explained that Harrenhal is haunted and that strange things and spirits were part of it. The castle is playing mind games with Daemon. I think what we all want is for Daemon to get larger armies in tow, get his crew back to Dragonstone, and begin fortifying for war.
Aegon flies off on Sunfyre – who is a stunning dragon – and off to Rook’s Rest he goes. Except there’s one problem – he didn’t let anyone know what he was going to do. Meanwhile, Cole, Aemond (and Vaghar) and a huge army have surrounded Rook’s Rest. Gawain Hightower and Cole disagree with military strategy but off to fight they go. That’s when Rhaenys and Meleys appear – things don’t look good for the Greens. Aegon makes his entrance, drunk, scared, and not knowing what the hell to do. He ruins the plans that Cole and Aemond had set. Rhaenys fires things up and you almost get the sense that things start looking good when she must fight Aegon and Sunfyre. When dragons square off, it’s going to be horrifying. Neither knows that Vaghar is in the forest, with Aemond – waiting for a signal. Aemond takes flight and it is petrifying. He has Vaghar spew fire at Aegon and Sunfyre. Rhaenys can duck away but we all knew that she was not going to survive. She fought a good fight with her dragon and that flying nightmare ended up burning Sunfyre, and Aegon and killing Meleys and Rhaenys.
Aemond almost succeeded in the end and if not for Cole waking and wandering the woods, Aemond would’ve finished the job that Vaghar started. What was it that Rhaenyra said in the first season – that only a war inside the house itself would tear the dragons apart? She was right.
Stay with us for Episode 5 coming Sunday, July 14. May this preview tide you over.
