‘Home of the Dragon’ episode 7: We have to discuss that WTF ending

OK, deep breaths. What precisely did we simply watch?

Home of the Dragon episode 7 was a type of that alternates between sluggish burn stress — What number of moody pictures of individuals watching one another can there be at one funeral? Lots! — and excessive, explosive violence (RIP Aemond’s left eye).

The ending fell into the latter class, and all of it occurred quick. So quick, in truth, that you will have been left scrambling to place the items collectively as the tip credit rolled.

So what precisely did occur, and who was behind it? Let’s recap.

What occurs on the finish of Home of the Dragon episode 7?

After a funeral that was nearly up there together with your common Westerosi wedding ceremony when it comes to drama, Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) is left feeling as if she must strengthen her place. Her relationship with Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) is worse than ever, and her poor outdated dad’s wanting nearer and nearer to loss of life by the day. Rhaenyra is aware of that when King Viserys (Paddy Considine) is out of the image, her declare to the Iron Throne will seemingly be threatened by Alicent’s kids.

The reply, after all, is apparent. Marry her uncle! Rhaenyra pitches this to creepy ol’ Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) as they watch Viserys’ ship crusing away, and he is clearly eager. However there’s a downside: Rhaenyra already has a husband, Laenor Velaryon (John MacMillan). To ensure that them to marry, he must be useless.

The remainder of their dialogue is intercut with scenes that seem to indicate them finishing up a plan to have the poor man killed. However is every little thing because it appears?

What occurs to Laenor Velaryon?

The plan seems to be a easy one. We see Daemon, carrying his darkish travelling cloak with the hood up in peak I am-up-to-something-suspicious mode assembly Laenor’s lover Ser Quarl Correy (Arty Froushan) and providing him cost for “a fast, painless loss of life”.

An unspecified time later Ser Quarl enters Lord Corlys Velaryon’s (Steve Toussaint) dwelling, waits for Laenor, after which loudly confronts him in entrance of the fireside. On the similar time we see Daemon reducing the throat of a workers member, presumably to help Ser Quarl in his break in. Ser Quarl and Laenor then have a sword battle in entrance of a distinct workers member, and the subsequent factor we all know Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Greatest) are watching as a burned physique — presumably that of their son — is pulled from the fireside.

The ultimate pictures? Rhaenyra and Daemon getting married in entrance of their kids identical to they’d deliberate, whereas Ser Quarl flees to board a ship alongside none aside from — twist! — Laenor, who’s nonetheless alive in spite of everything.

How does Laenor survive?

Wait, grasp on a minute. What? How is Laenor nonetheless alive? Did Ser Quarl double-cross Daemon and Rhaenyra in spite of everything so he might smuggle Laenor throughout the Slender Sea with him?

Nope. The reply truly lies within the little particulars. When Daemon hires Ser Quarl, as an illustration, he tells him that there are locations in Essos the place you do not want a reputation to get by — simply gold. He is not hiring Ser Quarl to kill Laenor; he is paying him to be a part of his and Rhaenyra’s plan to faux Laenor’s loss of life so {that a}) he can marry Rhaenyra, and b) Laenor can stay the life he needs with Ser Quarl throughout the Slender Sea. It is a win-win scenario for each {couples}.

Laenor lives to battle one other day.
Credit score: HBO

The loud argument Ser Quarl has with Laenor in entrance of the workers member? All for present, to make him murdering Laenor appear plausible. That man Daemon kills in Driftmark? Most likely the person who truly leads to the hearth.

See, Daemon and Rhaenyra are ruthless, however they don’t seem to be so ruthless that they’d kill their very own cousin — who Rhaenyra has proven heat in direction of — when there’s one other solution to get what they need. It was all a part of the plan, and for a second we have been misdirected in the identical manner that Lord Corlys and Rhaenys have been when that burned physique was pulled from the hearth.

As Rhaenyra says earlier within the episode, “The ocean is an escape.” On this case it is a literal escape for Laenor, and a metaphorical one for the inheritor to the Iron Throne and and her uncle husband.

New Home of the Dragon episodes can be found each Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.(opens in a brand new tab)