House of the Dragon season 1 episode 7 review: It’s all fun and games until…

It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye. That’s a hard lesson to learn in House of the Dragon season 1 episode 7.

It was pretty clear that nobody was going to be allowed the time to mourn the loss of Laena Velaryon. Putting both sides of Viserys’s family together was always going to be a bad idea. It certainly turned into trouble as everyone plays the Game of Thrones.

We knew someone was going to steal Vhagar. It didn’t take long for that to happen, and if you guessed it would be Prince Aemon, you were not alone. Nor were you wrong. He decided it was time to claim his own dragon, even those Rhaena wanted it to be hers.

Of course, Haelena told everyone that for Aemon to get a dragon, he would need to lose an eye. That came up during the episode.

Aemon loses an eye in House of the Dragon season 1 episode 7

After managing to claim the dragon, Aemon went back to Driftmark’s castle. All the other children, except Aegon who was drunk and in bed and Haelena who is just too sweet of a soul to be there, were out to see who stole Vhagar. Of course, a fight broke out.

We all knew this had to be how Aemon would lose an eye. It turned out to be young Lucerys who would end up taking the eye. Jacaerys brought the knife but lost it in the fight, Luke picked it up and as Jace threw sand in Aemon’s face, Luke slashed, taking the eye.

Alicent lost it, understandably. As much as I don’t like her scheming now, she is still a mother. That was her son injured, and it wasn’t that surprising to see her want some sort of revenge. I thought Ser Cristen was going to follow her command to take an eye at first, but he followed his king’s command. It would not be an eye for an eye.

Alicent wasn’t happy with that and tried to take matters into her own hands. Rhaenyra wasn’t going to let that happen. Everyone would now see the type of woman Alicent was, and Rhaenyra kept her cool so well throughout the scene, even when her wrist was sliced by the knife Alicent had. If their friendship wasn’t already completely dead in the water, it is at this point in House of the Dragon.

Rhaenyra takes a second husband in House of the Dragon

There is a beautiful moment between Rhaenyra and Laenor after all this. Laenor apologizes for not loving the boys enough. It’s clear between the two of them that the children aren’t his, but he claims them. He does his duty as the Prince Consort. And now he offers to continue to do his duty even though it means he doesn’t get happiness.

He even wishes the Gods didn’t make him the way he is. Rhaenyra is so accepting of who he is, and she makes it clear that he’s a kind-hearted and brave man. It is so difficult to find someone like this in the world of House of the Dragon, and so she makes sure he gets his happiness.

This also means she’ll get her happiness. The night Aemon lost an eye, she and Daemon finally slept with each other. Now Rhaenyra wants to marry him. She wants Daemon as her Prince Consort, but it means getting rid of Laenor. Daemon arranges that.

He calls on a commoner who starts a fight in Corlys’s hall. By the time Corlys and Rhaenys get there, a body is in the fire, burned beyond recognition. Everyone believes that it is Laenor’s body, but we find out at the end that Laenor was clearly in on the whole thing. It was the new guy’s body left behind to look like Laenor. Now Laenor gets to go across the seas without anyone questioning who he is. Rhaenyra is viewed as a widow and she’s free to marry Daemon.

Viserys doesn’t look like he’s going to last much longer. It’s not surprising that Rhaenyra is taking matters into her own hands. She needs to make sure her claim is strong, and that’s easier with Daemon by her side. Will they still have the Velaryons by their sides? Possibly considering they’ve seen the woman Alicent is and don’t really support her sons’ claims to the throne.

What did you think of House of the Dragon Season 1, Episode 7? What do you want to see next? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

House of the Dragon airs Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.