Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for House of the Dragon Episode 9 ‘The Green Council’ AheadGame of Thrones featured some of the most beloved and shocking penultimate episodes in television history. Baelor, Battle of the Bastardsand The Rain of Castamere they all served as the ninth installment in their respective seasons and blew audiences away at the time of their premiere.
House of the Dragon had a lot to do with last week’s episode titled The Green Council, and fans would argue it didn’t disappoint. The episode currently has a 95% on Rotten tomatoes and a 9.1 on IMDb, with a stunning scene towards the end of the episode. During an interview with Weekly entertainment, Eve Best discussed her character, Rhaenys Targaryen, and the wild ending she was responsible for. In the final moments of the episode, as Aegon Targaryen ascends the Iron Throne, Rhaenys breaks through the dragon pit and the crowd erupts into chaos.
“It’s the pinnacle. It’s the moment when she shows herself as the greatest ruler possible. It was the most outrageous and explosive action of the season. In a way, it’s also the most compassionate and most gracious act. It’s because she’s so intelligent and ultimately chooses to do the right thing which isn’t to destroy it’s a really forgiving moment and kind of a loving moment, in a weird way she’s got all the ammunition and the desire for revenge is so great She has suffered so much loss, and for her own good and on behalf of so many others the urge to destroy is so strong And yet the choice not to destroy grows even stronger That is the sign of greatness and [a] really inspiring moment – I actually think one that resonates particularly in this context of what we’re going through in our world right now with everything that’s going on with Russia. The choice not to drop the bombs is the bigger choice.”
Rhaenys could have essentially ended the conflict we’ve seen in House of the Dragonbecause she got the chance to take out the greens that oppose Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy). However, we still have a lot of conflict to look forward to as the battle has only just begun.
Rhaenys Targaryen arrived in epic fashion
Eve Best donned a new suit of armor during her big Rhaenys moment, which was planned from the start by co-showrunner Ryan Condal. During the EW interview, director Clare Kilner commented on her costume change. “We wanted her to rise from the ashes like a phoenix,” she explained.
Best would like to share her take on the armor and its significance by saying, “She packed it. She traveled to King’s Landing with it because it’s part of her dragon riding gear.” Best continues: “Also, probably at that point of acquaintance in Episode 8, she’s flying in tricky waters… She hasn’t worn it in a very, very, very long time and the fact that she’s wearing it means things like, ” This is it. No more games.'”
The war for the throne is at an all-time high as the first season draws to a close and audiences await a spectacular finale. Fans can tune in to HBO and HBO Max this Sunday, October 23 to see the climax of House of the Dragon Season 1.