House of the Dragon has a lot less in common with its parent show, Game of Thrones, than what meets the eye. Sure, both series take place in the same universe and feature at least one actor with a blond wig riding a dragon, but that’s about it. While Game of Thrones was a fantasy epic about a war of continental proportions peppered with supernatural threats, its spin off is a not-so-intimate drama about a powerful family with a lot of bad blood. It has a great deal more in common with the likes of Dallas and HBO’s own Succession than with big fantasy classics, such as The Lord of the Rings. And if there was still any doubt about the show’s main genre, “Second of His Name” is here to prove that, in House of the Dragon, an awkward birthday party can be just as dangerous as a battlefield.

Last week’s arrangements between King Viserys (Paddy Considine) and House Hightower seem to be paying off, at least for some involved parties. The king is over the moon with the celebrations of the second nameday of his first living male heir, Prince Aegon (Jake and Rory Heard). Queen Alicent (Emily Carey) is pregnant with her second child, and Lord Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) now has a direct line to the throne that he could only dream of back when he was just the King’s Hand, and not his father-in-law. The only two people that don’t seem happy with this turn of events are Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), whose claim to the throne is weakened by the birth of her baby brother, and Prince Daemon (Matt Smith). But, then again, when is Prince Daemon ever happy?

Well, maybe he finds some semblance of joy riding his dragon into the Stepstones and burning the hell out of the Crabfeeder’s (Daniel Scott-Smith) men — and some of his own men as well. No scene in the history of the Game of Thrones universe has ever made the monarchy’s disdain for its subjects as clear as Daemon landing his dragon right on top of a poor sailor that was just thrilled that the prince had come to save him. It was truly an A+ moment. Too bad Daemon couldn’t see it, so busy that he was spitting fire all over the place. Sadly, this attack wasn’t enough to put an end to the fight against Prince Drahar. The Triarchy retreated to the Bloodstone’s caves, where Daemon’s dragons can’t reach them, and, with the war dragging on for three years, the king’s rogue brother might soon be facing trouble in his own ranks.

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Image via HBO

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King Viserys is well-aware of his brother’s plight, but he really couldn’t care less. Just like in Episode 1, having a baby boy around has blinded him to anything besides partying, jousting, and hunting. And so, as one lady aptly puts it, he chooses to ignore the fact that the Crown is already at war, whether he admits it or not. This voluntary blindness might cost Viserys some support from the higher houses, and this is not something the king can spare right now. Many lords are bothered by the fact that Viserys hasn’t yet announced Aegon as his official heir, and his very open fight with Princess Rhaenyra in the middle of his son’s nameday hunt sure didn’t help his popularity.

Rhaenyra’s anger towards the king doesn’t come just from feeling threatened as heiress to the throne, or from feeling betrayed by her former best friend. Ever since she came of age, all lords of the realm have been filling up her father’s mailbox with marriage proposals, and now Rhaenyra has to deal with unwanted attention from men like Jason Lannister (Jefferson Hall), who approaches her with that Lannister cockiness that we all know so well. It’s his talk about the wonders of Casterly Rock and just how loaded his family is that prompts Rhaenyra to start a scene and subsequently storm off her brother’s party with Ser Criston (Fabien Frankel) in tow. And the poor girl hasn’t even heard about Lord Otto’s plan to marry her to Prince Aegon yet!

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Image via HBO

Heated arguments and icky marriage proposals aside, little Aegon seems to be having a very auspicious nameday, at least for a while. Some of the king’s scouts return to camp with news that a white hart has been seen in the woods. Back before the dragons took over the land, the beast was considered the king of the forest. Thus, its sighting is a good omen for the young prince, and Lord Otto doesn’t miss this chance to imply that the king should make the boy his heir ASAP. Unfortunately, though, when the king’s men return with a hart for Viserys to kill, it isn’t a white one. Whether out of disappointment or sheer weakness - let’s not forget the king’s health problems -, Viserys has a hard time taking the animal down. Perhaps he would be happy to know that his other child has spotted the white hart in the woods herself and decided to let it go. In a show of strength that contrasts with her father’s difficulty to kill an already trapped deer, Rhaenyra returns from the woods covered in blood, with the carcass of a boar she stabbed in close combat.

It’s on a bittersweet note, then, that Aegon’s hunt comes to an end and the royal family returns to the Red Keep. The event has made all the much clearer that the lords aren’t willing to accept Rhaenyra as queen now that the king has a male heir, and Rhaenyra is not giving up her position without a fight. King Viserys has to choose between appeasing the houses that keep him in power or preserving his relationship with his daughter. Last week, the king proved himself to be a man guided by his heart when he chose to marry Alicent instead of Lady Laena (Nova Foueillis-Mosé). By the end of this episode, he makes yet another risky, emotional decision and assures Rhaenyra that no one will supplant her as his heir. And though he reminds the princess that it is her duty to marry, he also allows her to pick the best man for the job of king-consort.

This is far from the only game-changing decision King Viserys makes in “Second of His Name”. Upon receiving a cry for help from Lord Corlys’ (Steve Toussaint) brother, Vaemond (Wil Johnson), the king finally agrees to intervene at the Stepstones. The only person not happy with His Majesty entering the war is — take a guess — Prince Daemon. He’s so distraught by it, in fact, that he nearly kills the poor messenger that brought him news of Viserys' departure from King’s Landing. Perceiving his brother’s actions as a threat instead of a helping hand, Daemon takes things a step further to give his and the king’s forces a show of strength. In the heat of battle, he goes after the Crabfeeder into one of Bloodstone’s caves and comes out dragging the upper half of his enemy’s body, intestines out for everyone to see.

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Image via HBO

It is disappointing to lose Prince Drahar in such a sudden way. Ever since his appearance in the final seconds of Episode 2, fans were dying to know more about this cruel, mysterious figure. His mask and deformed, Greyscale-like features added an even bigger aura of menace to the terrifying portrait that Lord Corlys had been painting since Episode 1. Alas, that was all there is to Crabfeeder Prince, the much=hailed newest threat to the Seven Kingdoms. At least, we can rest assured that the Crown doesn’t need any outside enemies to break out into war. Daemon's claims to power are getting louder and louder, and it's just a matter of time for Aegon and Rhaenyra to truly face off for the Iron Throne. And, as the late King Jaeherys (Michael Carter) foresaw, the only force that can put an end to House Targaryen is House Targaryen itself.

House of the Dragon airs on Sundays on HBO. Episodes are available to stream on HBO Max.