All is not well at King’s Landing.
HBO Episode 8 Dragon House, broadcast last night, sealed the fate of King Viserys Targaryen and opened the floodgates of hell for the surviving members of his family. The aftermath of Episode 8 will set the stage for the Dance of the Dragons, which pits Targaryen against Targaryen in a bitter bid for the Iron Throne.
Ahead, we explain the final episode’s emotional ending, including the miscommunication at the heart of the Targaryen’s upcoming civil war and the prophecy of the Prince Who Was Promised. Warning, spoilers are below.
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Episode 8 Recap
Six years after Laena Velaryon’s funeral, Driftmark’s line of succession has been disputed after Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) suffers a life-threatening injury during a battle in the Stepstones. Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), Ser Vaemond Velaryon (Wil Johnson), and Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) all travel to King’s Landing to appeal to the crown.
Upon his arrival, King Viserys (Paddy Considine) is essentially unwell; the illness that has plagued him all season has confined him to his bed as he suffers from almost constant pain. Viserys also looks much worse than the last time we saw him: his teeth are rotting, he’s lost an eyeball, and his face and body are covered in rotting sores. In her place, Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) have stepped in to rule over matters of the Seven Kingdoms, including the dispute over who inherits Driftmark.
Rhaenyra attempts to make an alliance with Rhaenys, offering to marry her sons, Jacaerys (Harry Collett) and Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) to Rhaenys’ granddaughters, Baela (Bethany Antonia) and Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) as long as Rhaenys supports the claim by Luke on Driftmark.
In the middle of the night, Rhaenyra comes to her father’s bedside, begging him to support her as her children’s parentage is again questioned in front of the entire court. She asks her father if he believes in the Song of Ice and Fire, a prophecy from a divine dream of Aegon the Conqueror that Viserys confided in Rhaenyra in Episode 1. However, Viserys is too weakened by his illness to react to Rhaenyra’s prompting.
The next day, Alicent and Otto prepare to hear calls from Rhaenys, Rhaenyra, and Vaemond on who should become the next tidal lord. After Vaemond, Corlys’ younger brother, makes an offer for himself, Viserys emerges into the room, taking over his royal duties from Otto and Alicent for the day. Rhaenys lends her support to Luke’s claim to Driftmark, announcing that Luke and Jace are now engaged to his granddaughters. Vaemond, outraged, loudly proclaims that Luc and Jace are bastards and calls Rhaenyra a whore. Just as Viserys angrily demands Vaemond’s tongue, Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) beheads Vaemond, his sword decapitating him just above his tongue.
That evening, Viserys hosts an intimate dinner with his entire family, who are all gathered at King’s Landing for the first time in years. He delivers an impassioned and moving speech, imploring them all to make amends and stand together as one house before they die. Alicent and Rhaenyra make peace, with Alicent even telling Rhaenyra that she will one day become a good queen. The peace is short-lived, however, when Alicent’s younger son, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), calls his nephews the “strong boys”, in reference to their real father, Ser Harwin Strong. A fight breaks out between them. Rhaenyra announces that they must return to Dragonstone, but Alicent takes her hand and earnestly asks her to stay at King’s Landing, a surprisingly sweet request to which Rhaenyra gives in.
Later that night, Alicent tends to a sick Viserys in bed. Delirious, Viserys mistakes Alicent for Rhaenyra from the night before, telling her that he believes in the prince who was promised by Aegon’s dream. Alicent, unaware of the prophecy, believes Viserys is referring to their eldest son, Prince Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), taking the Iron Throne after his death. Finally, she leaves Viserys and the king takes a last breath.
What is the prophecy of the Song of Ice and Fire?
The Song of Ice and Fire refers to the divine dream of Aegon the Conqueror, who prophesied “the promised prince” who will save the world from a Great Winter powerful enough to destroy all mankind. Significantly, the prophecy claims that this prince must descend from the Targaryen line.
Aegon, the first Targaryen king of the Seven Kingdoms, inscribed the prophecy on a dagger. It reads:
From my blood came the promised prince and his will will be the song of ice and fire.
Every Targaryen ruler since Aegon has been told of the prophecy by the previous ruler. In the first episode of Dragon House, Viserys revealed the Song of Ice and Fire to Rhaenyra after naming her his heiress. He explained to her,
Aegon foresaw the end of the world of men. It is to begin with a terrible winter blowing from the far North. Aegon saw absolute darkness roll over these winds and all that dwell within will destroy the world of the living. When that Great Winter comes, Rhaenyra, all of Westeros must stand against it. And if the world of men is to survive, a Targaryen must sit on the iron throne, a king or queen strong enough to unite the realm against cold and darkness. Aegon called his dream the Song of Ice and Fire. This secret has been handed down from king to heir since the time of Aegon. Now you have to promise to wear it and protect it.
As viewers may know, this prophecy is central to game of throneswhich depicts the epic struggle between the Night King and his undead army against the world of the living.
How did Alicent interpret her last conversation with Viserys?
As Viserys’ mental state deteriorated, he mistook Alicent for Rhaenyra on her deathbed, the latter having asked him the night before if he truly believed in Aegon’s dream.
“You wanted to know if I believe this to be true,” Viserys said to a confused Alicent. “Aegon… His dream. The Song of Ice and Fire. It’s true what he saw in the North. The Prince who was Promised.”
After Alicent asked Viserys if he was referring to their son, Prince Aegon, Viserys said, “To unite the kingdom against cold and darkness. It’s you. You’re the only one. You must TO DO.”
Although Viserys is actually referring to Rhaenyra’s duty to rule Westeros and carry and pass on the burden of Aegon’s dream, Alicent tragically confuses his message as an order for her to place their son on the Iron Throne and disinherit Rhaenyra. “I understand, my king,” she said to Viserys.
It was an unfortunate miscommunication that followed the brief reconciliation between Rhaenyra and Alicent, as well as Alicent’s acknowledgment of Rhaenyra’s right to the crown. It also sets the stage for the Dragon Dance, cementing the rift between Team Green (Alicent, her children, and the Hightowers) and Team Black (Rhaenyra, Daemon, and their children).
What did Viserys’ last words mean?
After Alice left Viserys’ room, the king groaned in pain. “No more. No more,” he says in his final scene, raising a hand above him. Before taking his last breath, he exhales the words “My love”.
This references Viserys’ apparent post-mortem reunion with his first wife and true love, Queen Aemma, who died in episode 1 after Viserys ordered the maesters to open her pregnant belly in an attempt to finally futile to extract a little boy. Since his death, Viserys has expressed regret and remorse for his decision. The show has depicted Viserys mourning Aemma’s death many times over the years since.
Chelsey Sanchez is associate editor at HarpersBAZAAR.comwhere she covers pop culture, politics and social movements.
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