This week on the new episode of House of the Dragon, Daemon cut Vaemond’s head off in a viciously funny scene in the throne room. Here’s what happened, who died, and why it was such a perfect Thrones scene.
Sunday’s House of the Dragon was a standout episode for HBO’s new Thrones show, turning the dial of court intrigue all the way to 11. There was the usual succession drama, old rivals facing off for the first time in years, and an unexpectedly funny decapitation.
You know, the usual.
[Ed. note: Major spoilers follow for episode 8 of House of the Dragon.]
In the episode a petition has been called for who will inherit Driftmark from Corlys Velaryon, who apparently suffered a nasty wound in the Stepstones. This petition was organized by Queen Alicent and her father, Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower, and quite a few potential heirs were ready to have their case made.
One of those heirs was Corlys’ younger brother, Vaemond. Vaemond, played with scene-stealing intensity by Wil Johnson, has a particularly inflammatory case, since it relies upon the illegitimacy of Princess Rhaenyra’s children, a hot-button topic for the show and the court.
