House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7 Review: Trial By Fire

Critic’s Rating: 4.15 / 5.0

4.15

Dragons, dragons, and MORE DRAGONS!

It feels like we’ve been waiting years for the kind of dragon content that House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7 dropped on us.

Frankly, this entire season has been a dragon nerd’s dream.

I realize that the dragons were never supposed to be the main event on Game of Thrones, but we sure did love it when we got to see them, didn’t we?

Thankfully, House of the Dragon isn’t stingy with the winged beasts, we even got an extra helping in this fiery episode.

It was the penultimate episode of House of the Dragon Season 2, so we were bound to get some big reveals and a nice cliffhanger. No surprises there.

Related: House of the Dragon Season 2 Fan Theories: Who is Cregan Stark, and Why Does He Matter?

With several new dragon riders on board, Queen Rhaenyra has quite a statement to make going into the finale.

Whether she can take down Aemond and Vhaegar with her motley crew of bastards and ancient, hungry dragons will likely depend on her ability to organize them.

The Rise of the Bastards and Commonfolk on House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7

The biggest takeaway of the episode is that earlier theories were correct: bastards and low-borns can, in fact, bond with dragons. This has proven to be a blow to the egos of several people, including Jace, who put a lot of stock in their status as dragonlords.

We realized this last week, of course, when Seasmoke bonded with and boarded Addam of Hull.

But the point has been driven home further now that Hugh (who might be Viserys and Daemon’s cousin) and Ulf (who claims to be Viserys and Daemon’s brother) have jumped into saddles of their own.

It wasn’t all victories and celebrations, of course.

Dozens of hopeful dragon riders were char-broiled in the process of finding good candidates.

And since Rhaenyra only presented Vermithor as an option for bonding, it seems she only expected one success story to come from her efforts.

That’s probably for the best. Unfortunately, Ulf and his new dragon pal are headed straight for Vhagar’s wrath.

But we can’t forget that there’s another potential rider hiding in the wings (ha, get it? Wings?).

Alyn wants nothing to do with dragons or the war, and would much prefer to live his life as he always expected to, which begs the question:

Does Corlys have an obligation, as part of Rhaenyra’s council, to reveal that he is Addam’s father — and that he has another son who might also be capable of joining her ranks?

Related: House of the Dragon’s ‘Blood and Cheese’ Scene Leaves Viewers Cold

At this point, there isn’t much for Corlys to lose by being honest, and it would help their side.

Still, Corlys may still choose to protect Alyn by keeping him a secret, and who could blame him?

This Just In: Daemon is Still Bonkers on House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7

Things over at Harrenhal continue to go downhill for Daemon.

The king consort may be trying to keep up appearances, but he’s unraveling at the seams.

If it’s not nightmares and hallucinations of dead family members haunting him, it’s cheeky teenage boys showing up to put him in his place.

Lord Oscar Tully took a bold risk when he challenged Daemon.

Tully made it clear that his intention is still to serve Rhaenyra. When he first appeared in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4, he said that his house was Team Black. He also made sure Daemon had no doubts about the new lord’s opinion of him.

If it were me, I probably wouldn’t intentionally provoke a man like Daemon.

But if Tully has nothing else, he’s got the audacity, and now all the River Lords know it.

Viserys returned to Daemon’s visions to deliver an ominous message, looking more like the Crypt Keeper than anyone ever has.

The warning that the crown is nothing but a burden isn’t new. In fact, Alys Rivers just said the same thing to Daemon in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6.

The fact that this sentiment has been repeatedly expressed to Daemon, and he still seeks the crown for himself, is a testament to how motivated Daemon really is.

Related: House of the Dragon Renewed for Third Season on HBO

Do Dragons Have a Type?

It’s obvious that one doesn’t have to be particularly noble of heart to ride a dragon (see: Aemond Targaryen).

We’ve known since Jacaerys bonded with Vermax that being true-born wasn’t a pre-requisite, either.

It’s also not required to be born into wealth and extravagance. Just ask Addam, Hugh, and Ulf.

So, is there some trait beyond having a drop of Velaryon or Targaryen blood that qualifies someone to bond with a dragon?

It’ll be interesting to see what else, if anything, these new dragon riders have in common with one another.

The Greens Continue to Do Basically Nothing in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7

After last week’s misogynistic dismissal by her own son, Alicent evidently needed a vacation.

Related: Small Screen Icons: Strong and Impactful Female Characters

In House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 7, Alicent has grabbed herself a guard and gone into the woods. Evidently she needs a nice, renewing camping trip. She even says she’s unsure she ever wants to return to King’s Landing.

I firmly believe that if Alicent came to her senses and asked Rhaenyra to take her in, she would do it.

Alas, Alicent is too proud for a move like that. She’ll probably just end up sulking back to the castle at some point.

Okay, fine, not all the Greens are lying around in tents or in bed.

Aemond jumped on Vhaegar as soon as he saw Ulf barreling toward King’s Landing on Silverwing’s back.

Unless Rhaenyra takes off after Ulf with the rest of her new riders, I fear this is the last we’ll see of the guy. I’ll miss his facial expressions, to be sure.

On that note, when Vhaegar appears on screen, I experience a full-body chill. What an absolutely terrifying creature she is.

Another Dragon Fight Coming to a Sky Near You

Vermithor may just be able to hold his own against her, though. Plus, Rhaenyra did say that Vermithor is the second-largest dragon in the world.

With a name like Vermithor, I’d guess we’ve found a contender.

As we gear up for next week’s finale, I’m bracing for the worst to happen.

This is a bloody series, and the finale has been a long time coming after we waited two years for House of the Dragon Season 2.

Ahead of the season finale, we’d love to hear your thoughts on what’s to come!

We know the show has chosen to divert from the source material several times, so anything could happen.

Let us know what you hope to see and we’ll see you back here next week!