After two relatively uneventful filler episodes, House of the Dragon came back with a vengeance in the penultimate Season 2 chapter.
After seeing physical proof of a non-highborn claiming a dragon in Addam of Hull — who no one except Corlys knows is his illegitimate son — Rhaenyra quickly gets back to work on her plan to arm more of Team Black’s dragons with riders.
This time, her efforts are successful, although it does take a few poor Targaryen/Velaryon bastards being burned or eaten before Hugh Hammer ultimately claims Vermithor. Rhaenyra clearly shares the sentiments of the great Lord Farquaad, who once said, “Some of you may die, but it’s a sacrifice I am willing to make.”
Also, after somehow managing to escape Vermithor’s wrath, Ulf stumbles upon Silverwing, who takes one look at him and says, “Sure, good enough.”
We then get to watch Ulf’s gleefully idiotic joyride around King’s Landing, which incites Aemond’s rage, as, well, everything does. Episode 7 ends with a terrific shot of Rhaenyra supplemented by her newly-expanded arsenal of dragonriders, appearing to set up a monumental battle in the next episode.
Or… does it?
Let’s break down some of my predictions for the Season 2 finale.
Needless to say, there will be SPOILERS for those unfamiliar with the full Dance of Dragons arc!!
Watch the House of the Dragon Season 2 Finale Trailer Below
The Season 2 Finale Features The Battle at the Red Fork… not the Gullet
The ending of Episode 7, along with the season finale’s trailer, have led many fans to believe that one of the most anticipated battles of the Dance of Dragons is upon us in the Battle of the Gullet.
The Battle of the Gullet is considered one of the deadliest sea battles in the Dance of Dragons, taking place between the Triarchy and Velaryon Fleet while featuring multiple dragons. Some viewers are unbelievably eager to watch this major event play out, while others are wary, as a certain main character perishes during the battle.
This will certainly be a spectacle once translated to the screen, but I don’t expect it to happen next Sunday, as it simply has not been set up enough throughout the course of this season.
All of that said, I still expect a major battle to take place in the Season 2 finale…
The Battle at the Red Fork.
While said clash canonically takes place after the Gullet, the Red Fork has slowly been set up all season long with Daemon’s various endeavors at Harrenhal. Yes, believe it or not, the seemingly endless time Daemon has spent fighting internal demons in this castle will serve a purpose.
And yes, I do actually expect him to finally DO SOMETHING.
In the finale’s trailer, which can be viewed above, we see shots of the Lannister army and their forces at the Golden Tooth, which is a castle that acts as a connection between the Westerlands and the Riverlands. This suggests that the Battle at the Red Fork will take place shortly.
Now, I’m not exactly sure what role Daemon will play in said battle, as canonically there are no dragons in the Red Fork, but the prince is more than due for some action.
No Major Characters Die
This depends on what exactly you consider to be a “major character”, as I do expect there to be at least one consequential character death in this episode.
This will come in the form of Lord Jason Lannister. While we have not seen much of him in the show so far, his presence carries great weight.
The Battle at the Red Fork actually results in a technical victory for the Greens in the book, but the death of Jason virtually nullifies it, as the Westerlands collapse into chaos following his passing.
Outside of Jason, I am not expecting a significant character death, as we’ll be set up for at least one of those in Season 3 when the Battle of the Gullet ACTUALLY occurs.
Otto Hightower Returns… as Rhaenyra Takes King’s Landing
Continuing our theme of switching up the order of events compared to the books, a lot of signs are pointing towards Rhaenyra and company taking King’s Landing at the end of this season, or at least preparing to do so in the final moments of the episode.
Let’s briefly touch on Otto Hightower, as we’re in uncharted territory with his character. Following Otto’s dismissal from King’s Landing by Aegon II, his presence is minimal in Martin’s novels until his eventual execution. However, Rhys Ifans has been one of the most compelling parts of the show up to this point, so they were always going to find a way to work him back in.
A few episodes ago, Hightower was called back to King’s Landing by Aemond to serve as his hand. This doesn’t happen in the book, but it’s a great pivot by the show-runners. I don’t expect Otto to necessarily play a huge role in the finale, but I think there’s a great chance the final shot of the episode follows his return, only to witness Rhaenyra and her new consort of dragonriders converging on King’s Landing, setting up Season 3 perfectly.
Those are my predictions for the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale! Stay tuned, as I’ll be writing up a reaction article Sunday night following the episode.
