HOUSE OF THE DRAGON Episode 6 Breakdown: EASTER EGGS and ENDING EXPLAINED

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Episode 6 reintroduces Rhaenyra and Alicent as adults. We meet their children, the next heirs of the Iron Throne. Rhaenyra is suspected by the court to have birthed children with Commander Strong instead of Laenor Velaryon. We’re going to break down all easter eggs and references in this episode of House of the Dragon.

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Written and Hosted by Brian Silliman (  / briansilliman  )
Edited by Harriet Lengel-Enright, Randolf Nombrado, Sean Martin, and Srinidhi Rao

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Welcome back to ScreenCrush, I’m Brian Silliman, temporarily filling in for Ryan Arey, and these are all of the Easter eggs, references, and little things that you may have missed from Episode 6 of House of the Dragon.

It is ten years after one a most unhappy wedding and we pick up with Rhaenyra, now played by Emma D’arcy, carrying out the same duties her mother carried out in the premiere.

Unlike the tragedy of her mother, both Rhaenyra and the child survive the birth, and just as her father would want, the child is a boy. It’s not her first child, it’s not even her only son.

We see very quickly that Rhaenyra is still beholden to duty and station above all else- this was true of her taking a husband, and it’s true of her now as a mother. She is barely able to hold her new son for three seconds before she is told that Queen Alicent wants to see him.

When Rhaenyra is told this, we can see that the battle lines between her and Alicent have solidified in the last ten years. Demanding to see the baby immediately after his birth is a power move from Alicent, and although Rhaenyra should just lie in bed and recover, she decides to play the game. She stands and prepares to go personally.

They barely get the cord cut as Rhaenyra gets dressed, and she is clearly putting her power plays with Alicent above her own health when she completely forgets about the afterbirth, which is nothing more than an afterthought.

Just like her mother ruined her own health trying to produce a male heir for Viserys, Rhaenyra is putting her own health second. It’s probably not great for the baby either.

She is still married to Laenor, who has played the part that they agreed on for these ten years. He no doubt speaks for every man in Westeros when he says.

When Rhaenyra sees the large set of stairs in front of her, she is not only thinking that this walk to Alicent is going to be much harder than she thought- her road to the Iron Throne is going to be just as long and tedious, and having to transcend this staircase immediately after the physical trauma of giving birth is a symbol of that. She will have to rise through the pain, over and over again.

Though the circumstances are completely different, we recalled another instance of Westeros putting another ruler through humiliation.

Rhaenyra is choosing to do this, however, but if Alicent knew she was doing it, she would no doubt have this woman following her the entire time. Where is the shame? We’ll get there.

When she approaches Queen Alicent’s chambers, we see that Ser Criston Cole now stands guard over the Queen. He is utterly cold to his former paramour, and fully faithful to Alicent, who gave him a second lease on life.

Alicent, still wearing green, is now played by Olivia Cooke, and looks surprised that Rhaenyra played big and wore herself out in coming herself.

The only one happy about anything right now is the older King Viserys, who not only has a son, he now has two grandsons. He has continued to deteriorate, one of his hands is fully covered, and very possibly has no idea that most of the court is just waiting for him to die. Rhaenyra is thankful for him though, and their bond at least still remains intact.

Her legacy, and her children, are protected as long as Viserys is alive. The fact that he is crumbling before her very eyes is probably an even more worrying sight than the staircase was.

Rhaenyra’s agency as a mother is tossed in the fire twice in rapid succession when Viserys tells the baby that he’ll be a knight, and Alicent asks what the baby’s name is.

Rhaenyra has no say in either matter. You’ll remember that Joffrey is the name of Laenor’s lover, who was killed in the previous episode. It’s likely difficult for any Gamer of Thrones fan to hear the name and not think of this charming fellow:

When Viserys points out the look of the baby it is much more loaded than we originally think. He is making a physical connection to Laenor and the baby, letting everyone know that as far as he is concerned, Laenor is, without question, the child’s biological father.