5 burning questions for House Of The Dragon episode 6

As the show's big time jump approaches, we're puzzling out Damon's desires, Viserys' health and the deeper meaning behind that green dress

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5 burning questions for House Of The Dragon episode 6
Matt Smith and Milly Alcock Image: Ollie Upton/HBO

Here it comes, the big time jump we’ve all been anticipating. House Of The Dragon episode six takes us so far into the future that it required recasting some of the major roles, including Rhaenyra (played to this point by Milly Alcock) and Alicent (portrayed so far by Emily Carey). This episode will kick off the second half of the season (difficult to believe we’re halfway through already) with a major reset, so it’s hard to know what questions to even ask other than how far we’re going and what the characters will be up to when we get there. Those are pretty broad topics, so we’ve narrowed our questions down to specific things we’re wondering about following the end of episode five. There were a few hints dropped about what’s to come, so let’s follow those breadcrumbs and see where they lead.

previous arrow3. What’s the meaning of Alicent’s green dress? next arrow
3. What’s the meaning of Alicent’s green dress?
Emily Carey Image Ollie Upton/HBO

As Larys helpfully exposited for us, the flame in the hightower (the lighthouse-like structure for which House Hightower is named) glows green when the lord calls his banners to war. Even if you didn’t know that particular bit of lore, the fact that the queen is wearing her own house colors rather than Targaryen red and black at such an official event is an attention-grabbing break in protocol. She made sure that everyone knew it, too, by arriving late to draw as many eyes to her as possible. She’s standing in her own power, no longer merely an accessory to the king. This is a pivotal moment, as Fire And Blood readers know (although it happens at a different event), and will definitely come up again as the battle lines between supporters of the potential successors become more overtly defined.Is this officially the end of Alicent and Rhaenyra’s friendship? There were a couple of things that pushed Alicent to the breaking point in episode five, and they all point back to Rhaenyra. At every turn, she had to face the fact that their friendship had limits. Would Rhaenyra really go so far as to kill Alicent’s children to ensure the legitimacy of her claim, as Otto suggested? The truth doesn’t matter as much as what Alicent believes could be true. She might not have believed it if she hadn’t been doubly blindsided by Larys’ revelation about the tea and Ser Criston’s admission of guilt, back to back. And with her big entrance, Alicent seems to be signaling to Rhaenyra and the realm that there’s no coming back from this.

15 Comments

  • noisetanknick-av says:

    6) Do they have slideshows in Westeros? Or is that a secret magicks only known to the shadowbenders of Asshai?

  • badkuchikopi-av says:

    I saw the promo photos and can’t believe how much time they’re skipping. It’s gotta be fifteen years. Characters who weren’t even together this past episode have children old enough to talk in the next. I don’t want to judge it prematurely but I suspect they should have coughed up the money for at least one more episode. Like I don’t know is it a spoiler to answer question five? I guess technically but it’s going to be clear the moment he appears on screen. 

    • captain-splendid-av says:

      IIRC, the next time skip is supposed to be 10 years.

    • mark-t-man-av says:

      The timeskip makes sense considering what this show is based on. Originally, before they were collected in a novel, GRR wrote two stories about this era. The Rogue Prince is what the first episodes are based on, and it focuses on the relationship between Daemon and Viserys. The Princess and the Queen came next and it focuses on…well, you can guess from the title.Not a lot happens between these two stories, hence the timeskip.

      • badkuchikopi-av says:

        I wanted to see Daemon provoke the sealords son into challenging him to a duel! His attempt to claim Runestone could have been depicted. Plus the fallout with Cole and the start of the affair with Harwin. It seems like a lot to skip over to me. I’m sure they made it work though

  • horshu2-av says:

    Is the show going to have something more interesting than the occasional dragon appearance and family arguments?  I hate to say it, but Rings of Power holds my interest more simply by having more fantasy elements.  Without ice zombies, I’m just not feeling much interest in the show 5 eps in.

  • necgray-av says:

    I have been holding off on this but my parents have been watching. They haven’t read the stories that this is based on and neither are readers of pop culture sites. So they were very confused about the recasting. Maybe for viewers like them there should have been a title card actually STATING “10 years later”?

  • zorrocat310-av says:

    Midway into episode 6, I was trying my best…….

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