House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6 Review: A Burden to Bear

Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0

There was a ton of advice flying around Westeros this week.

\We’re now three-quarters of the way through the season. House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6 was full of strategy, counsel, and risk-taking.

One can only assume everyone on both sides of this war is gearing up for an epic end to the hit show’s sophomore season.

Before I can get into this episode, though, I have to address the elephant in the room.

Why Is It Always Mommy Issues?

Last week in my review of House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5, I asked a question about a character who appeared in one of Daemon’s cursed Harrenhal visions.

Well, folks, I’ve learned who the woman from the sex scene with Daemon was, and it’s knowledge I wish I could un-know.

Most of you have probably figured it out by now, too, but for anyone still in the dark: the woman with her legs wrapped around Daemon’s face last week was his mother.

And look, don’t come for me about how they’re Targaryens and this is normal for this show.

Nothing about looking down at the man between your legs and calling him your “favorite son” is normal, and I will die on that hill.

Now that we’re all sufficiently disturbed, we can move on to the latest installment of “Daemon’s Side Quest in a Haunted Castle”, as I like to call his scenes.

Daemon’s Visions

We got more visions in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6, but Daemon doesn’t seem to have any pent up sexual fantasies about his late brother, Viserys.

Instead, it was a glimpse into his relationship with the late king, their power imbalance, and Daemon’s lifelong insecurities.

Alys Rivers will surely be revealed to be the person behind Daemon’s mental collapse, right? He accused Lord Strong of poisoning him, but it seems Alys is the obvious suspect.

She’s the one with the knowledge and the access, after all. The thought hasn’t occurred to Daemon, though, who went out of his way to ask for Alys’s advice.

Yes, that is out of character for him, which Alys acknowledged. But it also shows that he’s less sure than ever about how he’s going to move forward in this war.

I honestly don’t know what Alys’s motive here is, but she’s sinister.

She reminds me a lot of Game of Thrones‘ Melisandre, the priestess who advised Stannis Baratheon on his quest to succeed his brother’s throne.

At this point, with Daemon full of twisted thoughts and off his game, my guess is that Alys is going to be able to use him however she wants to get whatever she wants.

Speaking of advice, we really did see it all over the map in this episode.

There’s Rhaenyra, who is taking ideas from Jacaerys and Mysaria. Then we have Aegon, who is leaning on Larys for help.

Misogyny Rears Its Ugly Head in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6

And, of course, we can’t forget about Aemond, who was so unimpressed with his mother’s advice that he unceremoniously fired Alicent from her seat on his council.

“Fired” is probably a kind word for what Aemond did to Alicent.

Essentially, he told her that she’s done playing politics, and that she needs to get back in the kitchen where she belongs.

For a woman as proud as Alicent — who, to be fair, does have quite a bit of experience in leadership at this point — this was humiliating.

It would have sucked to hear from anyone, but being dismissed in such a misogynistic and disrespectful way by your own son must have been a real kick in the pants.

But Alicent has never been the warmest mother, nor has she shown the best maternal instincts.

It’s been juxtaposed against Rhaenyra’s undying commitment to her children, making Alicent’s coldness toward her children even more striking.

To Alicent’s credit, she’s pretty self-aware about it all. Her conversation with Gawain made it clear that she knows she’s never been the best mom in town.

But still. Ouch.

What’s New with the Dragons in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6?

Over at Dragonstone, things are heating up (literally) because Rhaenyra took Jace’s advice to search for dragonlord bastards.

The hope is that dragons will be willing to bond with some of them so that Rhaenyra can bolster her army.

Sadly, the first attempt was a massive failure. Let’s be honest, though — did anyone actually expect that to work the first time?

This guy was way too eager to die, if you ask me.

Heavy is the Head that Wears the Crown

Poor Rhaenyra is itching to get out there and fight her own battles, but no one will let her. Of course, I get why, but her cabin fever is contagious.

She finally put one of the back-talking council members in his place with a swift slap, though.

I’m not one to condone hitting people to show your power. That said, it’s about time Rhaenyra stopped letting her council treat her like a child.

Last week, one of them suggested that, as a woman, she was too delicate to handle war. She verbally smote him, too, reminding him that he’s never been to war either. A queen.

But the re-enactment of Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars was her way of letting this man know that she’s no longer going to tolerate their disrespect. I’m here for it.

You know what else I’m here for?

Rhaenyra and Mysaria’s moment of passion was a welcome moment of LGBTQ+ representation in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6.

It was also a brief respite from the awful and tragic description of Mysaria’s childhood trauma.

I know lots of fans are still unsure about the White Worm and whether she can be trusted. Still, I’m hoping she’s got Rhaenyra’s back.

Strategies that Paid Off in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 6

Mysaria’s idea to send food to King’s Landing for Aemond’s starving subjects was clearly brilliant. No notes.

We’ve already seen a riot begin, and frankly, I don’t understand how Alicent and Helaena escaped.

Hugh, the mystery guy with the sick daughter we’ve seen a few times this season, looks ready to organize. There’s a good chance the man claiming to be Viserys and Daemon’s bastard brother will join him.

A Dragon-Sized Reveal

The absolute shock of the hour was the reveal that Seasmoke had chosen a new rider.

While we didn’t get to see Allyn actually ride Seasmoke yet, rumor has it that he has.

Rhaenyra naturally took off immediately to see for herself, so next week should bring some excitement on the dragonlord front.

Brotherly Feuds Run in the Family

Back in King’s Landing, Aegon is awake, which is an affliction Aemond apparently wants to cure.

Even better, Aegon remembers that Aemond tried to kill him. But don’t worry, Larys is going to help Aegon avoid his brother’s wrath!

Of all people, Larys is the last person I would trust with my life, but you do you, Aegon.

It was, overall, a great episode. There wasn’t much action, but that’s because everyone is strategizing and preparing for, well, fire and blood.

The episode actually drove home the reason that I’m Team Black, though.

The gift Rhaenyra sent to the people of King’s Landing was politically motivated. We know that.

But she also doesn’t want to see anyone starve, and the people know that about her.

They also know Viserys would never have feasted the way the Hightowers are now while their subjects go hungry. They see that in Rhaenyra, too, now more than ever.

As the season wraps up, there’s no telling how far into the story we’ll get. It seems likely that there will be more tragic deaths to follow the loss of Rhaenys in House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4.