It’s an understatement to say that weddings rarely go well in George RR Martin’s world, and the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon is no exception. Season 1 of House of the Dragon is moving much faster than Game of Thrones: Five Episodes in, and we’ve already covered half a decade in the life of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and his devious royal family. And there will be another time warp in Episode 6, taking viewers another 10 years.
Alliances shift, factions form, and hostilities deepen. Book readers, as usual, know where this is all leading. But “We Light the Way” still gives its viewers an elegantly constructed synopsis to help keep things clear as we move forward – whether they realize they’re seeing it or not.
One area where House of the Dragon excels is in creating a visual foundation that alerts attentive viewers to what’s coming next. Queen Alicent’s (Emily Carey) green dress in this week’s episode is a great example of this visual storytelling, as are the rats sipping the blood on the dance floor at the end of the episode. (Look up Blood and Cheese, Dance of the Dragons if you’re curious.) These clues point to where the story is going. But episode director Clare Kilner’s most elaborately constructed device reminds us where it’s been, setting up the throne room in King’s Landing, outfitted for a week-long wedding celebration to have multiple lines of sight, each pointing down and/ or looking across the room towards the aisle where the “Dance of the Dragons” will take place.
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO
Kilner alternates between these perspectives, cutting between middle takes of various characters – Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), the groom’s parents; the bride’s father, King Viserys, and his second wife, Alicent; Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), the bride’s uncle and jealous suitor; and the mistresses and sworn protectors of the bride and groom—who all share in the outcome of this marriage. The happy (or at least content, with the understanding that their marriage is a political arrangement) couple remain in the center of the picture as the assembled gentlemen and ladies rise to join the dance.
Here Kilner interrupts Alicent’s uncle, Lord Hobert Hightower, who gets up from his seat to tell an outgoing Alicent, “You know Old Town is with you.” As the dance continues, the camera cuts back to Rhaenyra’s bodyguard and lover Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) – a sneak peek of his final moments in the episode – then cuts to Ser Gerold Royce of the Vale, who has developed his own reasons for rejecting Targaryen rule. More players have joined the dance, both literally and figuratively.
Though those knowing looks and unspoken insults remain within the realm of courtly manners for now, these tensions will inevitably lead to larger conflicts that will mean life and death for thousands of people of Westeros, noble and commoner alike. The characters understand the importance of such small, symbolic gestures. Alicent being late for Rhaenyra’s wedding banquet is not only the end of their friendship; it is a declaration of war between them. And by blocking and editing this scene to allow for such an accurate reading of posture, gesture, and sightlines, the show also acknowledges its importance.
Photo Credit: Ollie Upton/HBO
Even Viserys, who generally prefers to ignore the tensions at his court, can’t help but notice the ensuing confrontation between Ser Gerold and his arrogant brother, Daemon. But then he looks back at the dance and focuses on his daughter amidst the swirling fabrics and outstretched limbs. This is Visery’s fatal flaw: he has eyes only for Rhaenyra and his dream of keeping Targaryens on the throne for the next hundred years, and fails to see the rats scurrying around the edges of his grand scheme. However, Laenor and his bodyguard/lover, Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, are more observant, noting Ser Criston’s distressed expression and rightly suspecting that he is the reason Rhaenyra is content with an ‘arrangement’ with her fiancé. Daemon, used to (and good at) sneaking under his brother’s nose, manages to establish himself as his niece’s dance partner as well.
From here the editing speeds up and the wide shots of a packed dance floor become more frequent, and Kilner brings the camera back into focus on the Targaryens and Velaryons, who are now completely distracted by their own inner dramas. We don’t see the fight begin on the dance floor; All we hear is a scream that finally brings the royal families back to their guests’ attention. The view of the action is obscured from the high table – a powerful visual metaphor for Targaryen myopia – and Rhaenyra is pushed aside amidst the scramble of the crowd. The battle is seen in fragments, and we lose sight of Rhaenyra and Laenor amidst the chaos.
As soon as the body is dragged away, someone (presumably Viserys) decides that it would be best to get this wedding out of the way as soon as possible before anyone else dies. The ensuing secret ceremony takes place amidst the ruins of an abandoned feast that are decaying and being munched on by rats. For now, it’s a symbolic loss and temporary humiliation. But as personal grudges continue to escalate, the “Dance of the Dragons” will morph from a literal dance to a symbolic one: the dance of swords and knights on the battlefield. Game of Thrones and now House of the Dragon are attracting a lot of attention and acclaim for their meticulously planned battle scenes; “We Light the Way” approaches the political aspect of the show with a similar cinematic sensibility, brilliantly underscoring the connection between the two. A ruined party today; A destroyed house tomorrow.