NewsGO

The last procession of the Greens in the “House of the Dragon” was a big mistake

Bondman

Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 5 of House of the Dragon.


The panorama

  • Ser Criston Cole’s attempt to demonstrate strength through Meleys’ head fails.
  • The comparison with Otto Hightower’s procession highlights the power of pain as a weapon.
  • Cole’s procession fails to distract the people from their problems, leading to potential disaster in King’s Landing.


As House of the Dragon As the second half of season 2 progresses, tensions rise in Westeros as the war between the Black and the Green moves into a new chapter. Based on the book Fire and blood by George RR Martinthe forces of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney), gather their forces to fight for their chosen monarch’s right to sit on the Iron Throne and continue the dynasty of House Targaryen. The war will not be fought by armies of men alone, but also by enormous fire-breathing dragons. that can reduce entire armies to ashes and melt stone castles.

Following the climactic Battle of Rooks Rest, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eva Bess) and her dragon, Meleys the Red Queen, meet their end at the jaws of the greatest living dragon, Vhagar, and her rider, Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell). The new Hand of the King, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), tries Use the death of the largest dragon on Rhaenyra’s side as a propaganda push.However, his attempt at a victory procession falls short, especially when compared to a similar effort orchestrated by his predecessor, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans).



Criston Cole’s attempt to show strength shows weakness

Early in Season 2, Episode 5, “Regent,” Ser Criston Cole’s surviving army returns to King’s Landing with Meleys’s severed head. A herald announces to the people of King’s Landing that the traitor dragon was struck down by their king, Aegon, who flew into battle on his golden dragon, Sunfyre. Cole hopes that showing the people the head of Rhaenyra’s largest dragon will embolden Aegon’s supporters. After all, with the fall of Rook’s Rest, Rhaenyra has no foothold on the continent of Westeros save for her uncle-husband, Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), who is currently trying to rally support in the divided Riverlands. With the Hightower and Lannister armies gathering in the west and the Baratheons in the south supporting Aegon as long as Aemon marries Lord Barateon’s daughter, how can anyone not think that Aegon and the Greens will win the war? Therefore, Meleys’ head is meant to serve as a symbol of his faction’s strength. and the decline of Rhaenyra.


However, just as when he sent Ser Arryk Cargyll (Lucas Tittensor) on a foolish suicide mission to kill Rhaenyra by posing as her brother, Ser Erryk (Elliot tensioner), Cole isn’t looking at the bigger pictureThe head of one of the largest dragons in Westeros is not only a symbol of power, but also of weakness. For hundreds of years, dragons were one of the things that helped set the Targaryens apart from other men. Not only could the Targaryens tame them, but they seemed like invincible beasts. No dragon had died in war since the reign of the aptly named Maegor the Cruel, and that is only known to the maesters who record and study history. Now, Cole has shown people that dragons are not demigods, but just as deadly as anyone else. This brings the Targaryens one step closer to the common people.


Finally, there is the fact that The procession is, altogether, a rather pathetic spectacle. None of Cole’s warriors look like conquering heroes, but rather men who have just survived a truly pyrrhic victory. The castle was taken at the cost of nine hundred men, and though Meleys was killed, Cole says that Aegon’s dragon, Sunfyre, “has been dying for a long time.” Meanwhile, the king himself is left broken and burned to the ground because his brother ordered Vhagar to burn him and Rhaenys. It’s hard to convince people that you’ve won glory for the king when the weight of the horrors of dragon warfare is fresh in one’s mind.

Why Otto Hightower’s Procession in ‘House of the Dragon’ Worked


The failure of Cole’s Procession is most evident when compared to the one organized by Otto Hightower. The morning after the murder of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen by the Blood assassins (Sam C. Wilson) and cheese (Marco Stobbart), Otto suggests a tough but strategic decision: hold a funeral procession. Queen Helaena Targaryen (Pious Savannah) and his mother, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), would travel with Jaehaerys’ body through the streets of King’s Landing to his final resting place, letting the people see his anguish and pain as heralds cried out that Rhaenyra was to blame. Unlike Cole, who is trying to demonstrate strength, Otto’s procession is based on the handling of tragedy. By showing the dead prince and the grief of House Targaryen, grief becomes a weapon. Many neutral factions turn away from Rhaenyra, and her public persona becomes that of a cruel and petty tyrant willing to kill children to get ahead in the war.

Perhaps the greatest success of Otto’s procession is that Does not present the Greens as weakSure, it appeals to emotion and shows the death of a child, but by having Alicent and Helaena escort the body, the Greens are showing that they are not afraid of another assassination attempt. This act of defiance in the face of bloody murder is powerful and guaranteed to win the support of the people. Meanwhile, Cole parading a dragon’s head through the city shows that both sides of House Targaryen have weaknesses. If a Black dragon is killed today, who’s to say a Green dragon won’t die tomorrow?


How will these processions affect the future of King’s Landing?

Suffice it to say that Cole’s dreams of inspiring the people with a glorious victory over the traitor queen and the head of one of her dragons will not have a positive impact on the people of King’s Landing. Most of them do not care who wins in the end; they just want the war to end. Thanks to Corlys Velaryon’s blockade (Steve Toussaint), food is scarce in King’s Landing and people are starving. In addition, very little gold is given to the inhabitants, meaning they cannot afford the meager food available. This is a recipe for disaster, as The longer people go without support, the more they will look for someone to blame.Who better than the royal family that governs them?


When Otto Hightower was Hand of the King, he knew how to keep the people focused on other things so they wouldn’t see the Greens as the source of their problems. Cole, on the other hand, thinks only like a soldier, not a politician. His attempt to distract the people from their problems was with a symbol of victory and a declaration of the king’s power. But all the people see is a dead dragon, no matter who it belongs to. The invincibility of House Targaryen has been shattered. The gods have been reduced to men, and there is no longer a greater enemy to redirect the people’s anger towards. Sooner or later, desperation will drive them to extremes. which will see House Targaryen suffer like never before.

House of the Dragon It is available to stream on Max in the US.

Look at Max

Related Posts