By now, Game of Thrones fans are familiar with certain in-universe axioms. Winter is coming. A Dothraki wedding without at least three deaths is considered a dull affair. Dragons that spent their youth committing war crimes will probably default to that state in their old age. Okay, that last one isn’t true, but the consequences of taking these beasts of conquest for granted prove fatal in the House of the Dragon season finale, in which a childish game implodes into an all-out war and the losses will be repaid in years of bloodletting. All Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) might seek initially is an eye, but it’s his lack of foresight that leaves him blindsided by the end.
War has been on the Westerosi horizon for most of this season and in episode 10, it finally hits the shores of Dragonstone. Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) receives word that her half-brother Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) has been crowned king, robbing her of her birthright. She dispatches her sons, Lucerys (Elliot Grihault) and Jacerys (Harry Collett) across the realm as envoys, hoping to draw more houses to her cause before she declares war. Before they leave, she makes them swear that they will travel peacefully and refuse to engage in any fighting, an ominous narrative signpost that points to an impending fight. This scene is practically the equivalent of someone in a horror movie declaring that they definitely will be return, only to be murdered. (Which is exactly what happens in episode 6. RIP Harwin Strong.)
Lucerys travels to Storm’s End to secure the support of Lord Borros Baratheon (Roger G Evans), only to run into his uncle, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell). Still nursing the grudge of having lost an eye to Lucerys, who acted in self-defense back when they were younger, he demands that the boy pluck out his eye in return. Lucerys flees on dragonback, Aemond pursues and chaos follows.
