PG Score: 9.5/10
House of the Dragon is available on HBO Max. New episodes every Sunday at 9 PM ET.
*SOME SPOILERS BELOW*
A Round of Applause
I love this show. It's been quite a few years that I've eagerly waited for it to air and watch it live. I may come off as a bit biased, but House of the Dragon is the best show on television by a country mile. With great storytelling and new fascinating characters in a familiar world that has already been developed with HBO's money, George R.R. Martin's creative genius has put this show in the upper echelon of TV programming.
Okay, enough of that, now on to "Driftmark", the 7th episode of the season.
Suicide Aftermath
This episode deals with the aftermath of Laena Velaryon's epic suicide via dragon last episode by bringing the entire fractured family together, along with the major players at court in Driftmark to say farewell. What is the worst that could happen?
Drama, drama, drama. "Driftmark" is full of it and not only did we the viewers enjoy it, but so did Prince Daemon (Matt Smith). He may be mourning his late wife, but he certainly enjoys a good time and the chaos of a bunch of people who don't like each other. The teasing between Queen Alicent's children and Princess Rhaenyra's children, along with Daemon and Laena's two girls, took a dark turn when a dragon was claimed by a new rider. Events escalate and children are scarred, causing things to almost boil over in front of the King with neither woman (mother) backing down, laying blame on each other's kids for what transpired.
Gray Characters
The writers have crafted the story in such a way that choosing a side to get behind as a viewer is nearly impossible. In Game of Thrones, it was clear from the start that House Stark (minus Catelyn and Sansa) were the good guys. The honorable and loving family who is fighting for justice against the families who have wronged them. House of the Dragon is entirely in the gray. Nothing is cut and dry or black and white with either faction. Rhaenyra and Alicent both have their flaws and the positions they have been put in by their fathers do not help matters. The fact that they have put their children in the middle of it all is only escalating the conflict, and the countdown is on until the rest of the realm is engulfed in this turmoil.
Peak Television
Episode 7, "Driftmark", was outrageously good. The drama (again) and the emotions all built towards an explosive climax that left neither family happy, but one with a decisive advantage for what is to come. House of the Dragon keeps getting better and better, with "Driftmark" being no exception. Lines are being drawn in the sand and the characters' true natures are starting to be revealed. This episode also has a nice touch for book fans of Fire and Blood, such as yours truly, who thought they had a general idea of the events to come. A certain major character's fate was unexpected based on what we have read. Surprises are always a good thing and I can't wait for the next episode to get here!