While Rhaenyra struggles to come to terms with her son’s murder, in King’s Landing, Alicent grows concerned that Aegon’s Small Council may lead them to an all-out war. Larys suggests Aegon needs a new Hand, and Rhaenyra arrives at a fateful decision.
Premieres June 16th 2024
Alicent & Krispy Kreme sex scenes were vom-inducing. The episode felt drawn out with even more pre-civil war posturing; wasn’t that what pretty much the whole of S1 was for? C’mon show, get to the meat and potatoes already, too much build up poses a risk of anti-climax.
I knew the end scene was coming and while we were spared the horror of seeing it, the sound effects were enough to make me never want to hear it again. Poor innocent baby paying the price for the sins of his gross father, psycho uncle, hypocrite grandmother and snake great grandfather. I have sympathy only for Helaena and her children, the rest of them can hang. Otto continues to slither, as does Larys with the latter clearly aware of Alicent and Krispy Kreme banging, I wonder if Larys knowing will become a plot point sooner or later, esp as Heleana obviously caught them in the act? A+KK are such a pair of self-righteous, utter, hypocrites, ugh - #karma aka what goes around comes around bishes.
I enjoyed seeing Lord Cregan Stark and the Wall but I wanted more strategy scenes from Team Black. What we got was a grieving Rhaenyra, an angry Daemon and a whole lot of not much else.
Apparently Cole is good with being Alicent’s ‘whore’ (his word in S1 to Rhaenyra when she suggested they continue to have extra-marital relations), hmm, funny that. He’s no longer bothered about “soiling my white cloak” or needing to “restore my honor”. To quote one of my fav shows - what a total smeghead.
As for Alicent, she’s gone from paying a foot fetish creeper for intel by allowing him to jerk off in the same room while looking at her displayed-for-his-pleasure bare feet, to now screwing a psychopath kingsguard pig. Unsure whether that’s a level up or down at this point. 
How long have Alicent and Cristian been making a beast with two backs? Not that I begrudge Alicent some sexy fun after being married to Viserys for so long, but Cristian is a creep and a hypocrite. Poor Helena, the gift of prophecy is a blessing and a curse, she feared the rats😭. But those two men were dumb as fuck. They were told to kill Prince Aemond, a grown ass man, not a little kid??!! Do they think they will still get paid?
It’s who she’s having sex with that makes it an issue. Even if he weren’t a creep and a hypocritical pos, as stated in S1, kingsguard are sworn to celibacy so screwing anyone is, as Cole wailed and bemoaned, - “soiling their white cloak”. As for Alicent, she’s not some horny, misguided teen, but a full grown woman, and not to mention, the dowager queen, so she of all people should know and do better.
Blech. I’m still Team Black but also Team “They All Suck.”
I couldn’t tell if Daemon was authorizing them to kill whomever if they couldn’t find their target or if they went rogue. They still did fulfill the “son for a son” charge.
I do hope Alicent’s dad gets pushed out of hand position.
I agree.
Alicent has given herself away; she knows her son is unfit to rule; the very fact that she stated to odious Otto “once Aegon tires of the novelty of ruling, we can steer the realm” proves she knew it all along. Which puts the lie to her so-called delusional interpretation of what Viserys meant as he lay dying.
Alicent, I’m talking directly to you: your words prove that you knew Aegon was unfit to rule, but despite that, you heard what you wanted to hear to justify the bullshit that Viserys had had a last moment change of heart. Which not only went against what he’d held to steadfastly for 20+ years, but that everyone is supposed to believe he was dumb enough to choose such a pos human to inherit the crown over his beloved daughter? Girl, please.
I’m so happy show is back.
The final scene was horrific, even if I knew it was coming. While Rhaenyra’s hands are clean as she specifically said “Aemond,” Daemon’s murky instructions of killing “a son,” are as responsible as B+C themselves for poor little Jaehaerys’ fate.
Poor Helaena. I cannot imagine her pain of being forced to identify her son or else lose both of her children. That she couldn’t even speak his name but only referred to him as “the boy” was so tragic.
I’m even feeling a little sympathy for when Aegon finds out as he genuinely seemed to care about his child and I need to sit with those feelings for a while.
Alicent is the absolute worst though. She knows Aegon is unfit to rule and has always known it. What, exactly, has changed him from his days of jacking off in open windows and raping servant girls besides a crown upon his head? She’s also fed the monster that killed his own father and brother and countless others with his getting his chess pieces in place of Otto’s, and it’s a bit too late to try to rein her foot fetish partner in crime Larys now, who is giving LittleFinger a run for his money in the human embodiment of a windowless van department.
Her fucking Crispy Creme takes the cake though. What a bunch of hypocrites. Which is not to say she doesn’t deserve to get her groove on for the first time in her life now that her half=corpse husband is gone. But it’s her choice of partner I take issue with as well as her being on her high horse about Rhaenyra’s sexual choices which are and were never any of her business. CC is a big fat hypocrite, too. So much for his KG vows. I think he is still not over Rhaenyra’s rejection. Perhaps this bitch baby thinks she’ll learn of their affair and be jealous? Keep dreaming, CC.
Elsewhere, it was good to see Winterfell and The Wall again. I like what we’ve seen of Cregan thus far and he seems very Ned-like.
I disagree that the episode felt drawn-out. It’s par for the course for most first episodes and for this franchise, especially. Also, we have to remember, we’re only days (a few weeks at the most) since the events at Storms End. There isn’t even 100% confirmation of Luce and Arrax’s deaths, although those who saw Aemond fly off after Luce on Vhaegar likely had little doubt about how it would end.
I think until Rhaenyra saw proof with her own eyes, there was the tiniest chance that the war could be avoided. Even if only in her mind and perhaps that of Alicent (not to throw that one any sort of bone). My heart broke for her, finding Arrax’s wing and Luce’s cloak and it did again when she was reunited with Jace. I also felt for poor Syrax, who moved to be near Rhaenyra and cried out, reminding me of when Drogon and Rhaegal cried out when Viserion was killed (sniff). I think she felt her rider’s pain but also, as it’s heavily implied that Rhaenyra’s older sons dragons hatched from a clutch of Syrax’s eggs, she lost a son, too.
Alicent knew her son was a POS human, knew her son didn’t want to rule, knew her son was unfit to rule, but she was so full of resentment and jealousy towards Rhanerya for not doing her duty (sacrificing personal happiness as Alicent has done in the name of advancing the family) that she couldn’t bare to see Rhanyera “win” when she didn’t do anything to deserve it.
Seeing her own child/grandchildren on the Iron Throne would be the only thing that would make Alicent think that her years of playing by the rules are worth it. But her failure to actually keep her sons in line (they are grown men so she can’t control them now, but acknowledging the truth of them would help), has now lead to the death of her innocent grandson.
Alicent lusts for power as much as she lusts for Cristone Cole (I don’t blame her for having lust), but don’t be a hypocrite about it. The only thing that makes her not like Rhaynera in that instance is that she is a widow and past childbearing years- but lady you’re no saint.
That’s my thing with Alicent- I can understand why she is frustrated and thinks things are unfair, but her reactions make her as bad as her enemies. Ala season one demanding to see the baby moments after birth- you’re a you know what.
YAAAASSS we are in agreement. I don’t blame Alicent for getting her groove on. She was a dutiful and faithful wife to Viserys (and he seem to know it and always treated her with respect), and since she’s past childbearing years (or close to it), let her have her fun. But Criston Cole??? How is this better than Rhayenra?? At least 20yrs ago they were younger and he could’ve chalked it up to a mistake. I would have more sympathy for them if they actually developed feelings for each other (which wouldn’t be odd, a young queen with an aging husband, a handsome kingsguard etc) but again- you hate Rhaynera for doing exactly what you’re doing!(minus the baby with the side piece part, which did fuck up alliances and caused instability in the realm)
That happened because of the Greens machinations. They used it to besmirch her character and villainize her, thereby creating malcontent, gossip and rumors to stir up instability in order to destabilize the realm enough, so that Aegon would have less opposition from the nobility when he usurped the throne from Rhaenyra. Had the entire court and royal family been united behind Rhaenyra, everyone would’ve accepted those boys regardless of their lineage. Nobody would’ve dared contemplate, let alone spoken, otherwise.
I don’t blame Rhaenyra for having kids by Harwin ‘Breakbones’ Strong (awesome nickname); Laenor wasn’t up to the task (as he and Rhae both acknowledged - but she still needed to produce heirs), was she supposed to magically get pregnant to produce those heirs? For starters, I don’t think we’ve seen a single other man who looks like Laenor. Have we even seen a single eligible candidate who has Valryian traits at all? Even if one existed, and was on board to father them, why would Rhae choose someone she has no relationship with to bed specifically only to father children on her, she’s not a brood mare; she’s in line to become a ruling queen (vs a non-ruling queen aka wife of the king).
Let’s also consider that Rhae had no way of knowing with any certainty that none of her kids with Harwin wouldn’t inherit her Valyrian hair color. Just look at Alicent with her dark brown hair, yet her kids all arrived with Valyrian hair coloring. That proves it’s a toss of the coin whether a child with one Valyrian parent inherits the Valyrian white hair, Jon Snow is another example of that. In that regard, as royals, Alicent was ‘fortunate’ and Rhae was ‘unfortunate’.
My singular critique of her in this situation is after having had two babies without the Valyrian look, risking a third who looks the same, when tongues were clearly already wagging, was not only poor judgment but particularly foolish. It only served to give her ‘enemies’ more ammunition to use against her (not that they needed it anyway). By doing so she played even more into their scheming hands.
I agree that Rhaenyra was foolish to have a 3rd child with Harwin. But it also pisses me off that it’s even a thing about her children being bastards. First, they are as much Targaryen as Alicent’s children through Rhae. Yes, I know, illegitimate vs legitimate, but something tells me that even if she had had legitimate children with Laenor, Aegon would still be viewed as the rightful air because of a certain male appendage just as Viserys was chosen over next in line Rhaenys.
Elsewhere, is Alicent beyond childbearing age? Rhae just had a stillborn girl weeks ago and they are the same age. Not that I want a CC bun in the oven but that would serve both of those trifling heifers right if she got knocked up.
I thought Alicent was a bit older than Rhanerya- maybe 5ish years? So perhaps still capable of becoming pregnant but it’s not likely (I thought she was in her early 40s and Rhanerya her late 30s).
I would say it’s a step up if it’s actually what she wants. If she felt coerced or manipulated by creepy Larys that is worse no matter how much we hate Cristin Cole (for good reason).
Look, I’d have no problem with Cristin and Alicent getting it on if they weren’t such HYPOCRITES about it. It makes me sad because I believe Alicent was good, and all those years ago didn’t want him to die by suicide and saved him. Cristin could admit what an asshole he’s been to Rhanerya but that would never happen, and he was such a bully to use his rank to send Arryk to murder his TWIN🥹.