Fox’s 9-1-1 season six episode four confirms that birdwatching can actually be a dangerous leisure time activity. Episode four, “Animal Instincts,” will air on Monday, October 10, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT.
The cast is led by Angela Bassett as Athena Grant and Peter Krause as Bobby Nash. Ryan Guzman plays Eddie Diaz, Aisha Hinds stars as Henrietta ‘Hen’ Wilson, Oliver Stark is Evan ‘Buck’ Buckley, Kenneth Choi is Howie ‘Chimney’ Han, and Jennifer Love Hewitt is Maddie Buckley.
“Animal Instincts” Plot: The 118 race to the rescue when a birdwatcher is trapped under a tree. Chimney is in for a wild ride when he tends to a drunk driver; Maddie helps a mother and her young daughter when an abusive father shows up at their house; Eddie catches Christopher in a lie; Buck begins a year of “yes to possibilities” and immediately receives an interesting proposal from a former roommate.
Creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear reimagine the procedural drama with 9-1-1, exploring the high-pressure experiences of police officers, firefighters and dispatchers who are thrust into the most frightening, shocking and heart-stopping situations. These emergency responders must try to balance saving those who are at their most vulnerable with solving the problems in their own lives.
LeVar Burton returns to CBS’s NCIS: Hawai’i to direct season two episode four, “Primal Fear.” (Burton previously directed season one episode 12.) Written by Ron McGee, episode four will air on Monday, October 10, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT.
Season two stars Vanessa Lachey as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant, Alex Tarrant as Kai Holman, Noah Mills as Jesse Boone, and Yasmine Al-Bustami as Lucy Tara. Jason Antoon plays Ernie Malik, Tori Anderson is Kate Whistler, and Kian Talan stars as Alex Tennant.
Episode four guest stars include Seana Kofoed, Mark Gessner, Sierra Swartz, Lily Bleu Andrew, Cindy Ramirez, Jeremy Isaiah Earl, Eric Ladin, and Don Swayze.
“Primal Fear” Plot: When a Navy sailor washes up dead in a sacred, forbidden kapu site, the NCIS team brings CGIS Special Agent Pike to unmask the mystery and catch a possible serial killer on the island. Also, Tennant meets Alex’s new girlfriend.
NCIS: Hawai’i Season 2 Description, Courtesy of CBS:
The world’s most successful television series continues on the seductive shores of the Aloha State with the #1 new drama, NCIS: Hawai’i, where the first female Special Agent in Charge of NCIS Pearl Harbor, Jane Tennant, has thrived and risen through the ranks by equal parts confidence and strategy in a system that has pushed back on her every step of the way. Together with her unwavering team of specialists, they balance duty to family and country while investigating high-stakes crimes involving military personnel, national security and the mysteries of the sun-drenched island paradise itself.
Fox’s The Cleaning Lady season two episode three found Thony and Arman going into business selling pills, including pills that are medically necessary and difficult to obtain in the US. Up next, episode four – “Bahala Na” – airing on Monday, October 10, 2022 at 9pm ET/PT.
Élodie Yung returns to lead the cast as Thony. Oliver Hudson stars as FBI Agent Garrett Miller, Adan Canto is Arman Morales, and Martha Millan is Fiona. Sean Lew plays Chris, Eva De Dominici is Nadia, Faith Bryant is Jaz, Naveen Andrews is Robert Kamdar, and Sebastien and Valentino LaSalle share time playing Luca.
“Bahala Na” Plot: After Fiona puts herself in a dangerous situation, Thony resorts to calling Arman for help, which continues to drive a wedge between Arman and Nadia. Meanwhile, Garrett works to get put back on the Cortez case, and Chris struggles with the emotional aftermath of recent events.
Season two of The Cleaning Lady picks up with THONY (Yung) desperately trying to find her son, LUCA, after he was kidnapped by his father, MARCO (Ivan Shaw). With nowhere else to turn, she enlists the help of FBI Agent GARRETT MILLER (Hudson) to track him down before they leave the country. Meanwhile, an incident involving CHRIS (Lew) forces FIONA (Millan) to shield her son by any means necessary, furthering the theme of how far a mother will go to protect her child.
This season introduces ROBERT KAMDAR (Andrews), NADIA’s (De Dominici) gregarious and charming ex-lover, who is intent on driving a wedge between ARMAN (Canto) and Nadia. Standing to lose everything, Arman must fight to keep his world — and his dignity — intact, while rebuilding his life under the worst of circumstances.
The Cleaning Lady continues to examine the plight of undocumented immigrants and their difficulties accessing necessary healthcare and resources. Galvanized by the many roadblocks she faced while searching for a treatment to save her son, Thony will utilize her expertise as a doctor to find ways to help her underserved community. However, as Thony continues to entwine her business undertakings with Arman, she is dragged further across the moral line and into the dark underbelly of Las Vegas.
Apple Original Films is hoping that by December 2, 2022 moviegoers are going to be willing to take in a new film starring Will Smith. Emancipation, directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), stars the disgraced actor and marks his first major film project to be released following the slap heard around the world.
For those who need a refresher, Will Smith reacted with violence during the 2022 Oscars after Chris Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith walked on stage and slapped Rock, and then warned him to keep Jada’s name out of his mouth. Smith was subsequently barred from attending the Oscars for 10 years and he resigned from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.
In addition to Will Smith, the Emancipation cast includes Ben Foster, Charmaine Bingwa, Gilbert Owuor, Mustafa Shakir, and Steven Ogg. Grant Harvey, Ronnie Gene Bivens, Jayson Warner Smith, Jabbar Lewis, Michael Luwoye, Aaron Moten, and Imani Pullum also star.
William N. Collage wrote the screenplay and Escape Artists’ Todd Black, McFarland Entertainment’s Joey McFarland, and Westbrook Studios’ Smith and Jon Mone produced. Chris Brigham, Antoine Fuqua, James Lassiter, Heather Washington, Cliff Roberts, Glen Basner, and Scott Greenberg executive produced.
A launch on Apple TV+ on December 9th will follow the film’s December 2nd theatrical release.
‘Emancipation’ Poster (Photo Courtesy of Apple Original Films)
The Plot: Emancipation tells the triumphant story of Peter (Smith), a man who escapes from slavery, relying on his wits, unwavering faith and deep love for his family to evade cold-blooded hunters and the unforgiving swamps of Louisiana on his quest for freedom. The film is inspired by the 1863 photos of “Whipped Peter,” taken during a Union Army medical examination, that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly. One image, known as “The Scourged Back,” which shows Peter’s bare back mutilated by a whipping delivered by his enslavers, ultimately contributed to growing public opposition to slavery.
Netflix’s Firefly Lane season two will arrive in two parts, with the first eight episodes premiering on Friday, December 2, 2022. Netflix hasn’t confirmed the premiere date for the remaining eight episodes of the second – and final – season, other than that they’ll debut in 2023.
Season one of the drama, based on the bestselling novel by Kristin Hannah, premiered in February 2021 and featured Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke as lifelong best friends who stuck by each other’s side through thick and thin. Heigl and Chalke reprise their roles as Tully and Kate for season two. Returning cast members also include Ben Lawson as Johnny Ryan, Ali Skovbye as young Tully, Roan Curtis as young Kate, Yael Yurman as Marah, and Beau Garrett as Cloud.
Joining the series for its final season are India de Beaufort as Charlotte, Greg Germann as Benedict, Jolene Purdy as Justine, and Ignacio Serricchio as Danny.
Series creator Maggie Friedman returns as showrunner and executive producer. Additional executive producers include Heigl, Shawn Williamson, Michael Spiller, and Stephanie Germain.
Friedman, Savannah Dooley, Becky Hartman Edwards, James Ford Jr, Michael Ross, Barbara Johns, Marissa Lee, and Davah Avena are the season two writers. Directors include Sarah Wayne Callies, Vanessa Parise, Michael Spiller, Shannon Kohli, Katina Medina Mora, Monika Mitchell, and Winnifred Jong.
Season 1: The greatest love story of all can be between friends. When unlikely duo Tully (Heigl) and Kate (Chalke) meet at age fourteen, they couldn’t be more different. Tully is the brash and bold girl you can’t ignore, while Kate is the mousy shy girl you never notice. But when a tragedy brings them together, they are bonded for life — forever inseparable best friends.
Together they experience thirty years of ups and downs — triumphs and disappointments, heartbreak and joy, and a love triangle that strains their friendship. One goes on to fabulous wealth and fame, the other chooses marriage and motherhood — but through the decades, their bond remains — until it faces the ultimate test.
Season 2: What could possibly have ended the tight-knit thirty-year friendship of Tully and Kate, our “Firefly Lane Girls Forever”? We’ll learn the answer this season – but first – Kate grapples with the painful aftermath of Johnny’s ill-fated trip to Iraq, while Tully faces a lawsuit after walking away from her talk show, and must start her career over from the bottom. This leads her to search for answers about who she is and where she comes from — including a quest to find the father she never met, against the wishes of her secretive hippie mother, Cloud.
In the ’80s, we see Kate and Johnny first fall in love, creating more than a little drama in the newsroom where they work, as Tully’s career rises and she spars (and flirts!) with cocky sportscaster Danny Diaz. She just might have met her match – that is if they can stop arguing for five minutes. While in the ’70s, teenage Kate and Tully struggle to keep their friendship together as Cloud goes to jail for dealing drugs and Tully goes to live with her grandmother, far away from Firefly Lane.
As the girls face the tumult of high school apart, they know the one thing they really need is each other.
We still don’t know who the new Black Panther is, but her pose at the end of the official Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer is the cherry on top of an incredible, emotional, and action-filled two minutes. Whoever it is…my money’s on Shuri…looks fully prepared to take on any and all threats.
The trailer also features Namor and his underwater kingdom of Talokan as well as a very brief appearance by Ironheart. Marvel’s official trailer was accompanied by a new poster and stills from the much-anticipated final chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens exclusively in theaters on November 11, 2022.
The cast includes Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda, Letitia Wright as Shuri, Lupita Nyong’o as War Dog Nakia, Winston Duke as M’Baku, Danai Gurira as Okoye, and Martin Freeman as Everett Ross. Tenoch Huerta plays Talokan’s King Namor. Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Mabel Cadena, and Alex Livinalli also star.
Black Panther‘s Ryan Coogler returns to direct the sequel and co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Robert Cole. Kevin Feige and Nate Moore served as producers.
Marvel’s very basic plot description:
“In the film, Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with the help of War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda.”
CBS’s CSI: Vegas serves up a Halloween-themed episode with season two episode two, “The Painted Man.” Directed by Sam Hill from a script by Craig O’Neill, episode two will air on Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT.
The second season stars Paula Newsome as Maxine Roby, Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows, Matt Lauria as Joshua Folsom, and Mandeep Dhillon as Allie Rajan. Ariana Guerra plays Detective Serena Chavez, Lex Medlin is Beau Finado, and Jay Lee is Chris Park.
Episode two guest stars include Sara Amini, Joel Johnstone, J.P. Manoux, Elise Marie Dubois, and Christopher Gerse.
“The Painted Man” Plot: As Halloween descends on Sin City, the CSIs investigate when a creepy mannequin prop inside a popular haunted house turns out to be a real dead body. Also, Catherine enlists the help of Folsom to search for her friend who disappeared.
CSI: Vegas, the sequel to the Network’s global hit CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, returns for a second season in Las Vegas – the city where it all began. Amidst the neon lights and long shadows, dark threats continue to lurk in Sin City. Maxine Roby leads her brilliant team of Crime Scene Investigators – Joshua Folsom, Allie Rajan, Detective Serena Chavez, Chris Park, and Beau Finado – as they use science to solve baffling cases. Catherine Willows returns to help the CSIs face off with a dealer of death who is planning to beat the odds in Las Vegas.
This combined force will deploy the latest forensic techniques to do what they do best – follow the evidence – in order to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.
Nolan is put in charge of his first rookie on ABC’s The Rookie season five episode three. Directed by Bethany Rooney from a script by Natalie Callaghan, episode three – “Dye Hard” – will air on Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 10pm ET/PT.
Nathan Fillion leads the cast as John Nolan. Eric Winter plays Tim Bradford, Melissa O’Neil is Lucy Chen, Alyssa Diaz plays Angela Lopez, and Richard T. Jones is Wade Grey. Mekia Cox is Nyla Harper, Shawn Ashmore plays Wesley Evers, Tru Valentino is Aaron Thorsen, and Jenna Dewan returns as Bailey Nune.
“Dye Hard” Plot: Officer John Nolan is assigned his first rookie, Officer Celina Juarez, whose unconventional approach to police work poses a unique challenge for him.
Lisseth Chavez and Nathan Fillion in ‘The Rookie’ season 5 episode 3 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Alyssa Diaz, Shawn Ashmore, and Mekia Cox in season 5 episode 3 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Melissa O’Neil and Kanoa Goo in season 5 episode 3 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Alyssa Diaz and Shawn Ashmore in season 5 episode 3 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Richard T. Jones in season 5 episode 3 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Nathan Fillion in season 5 episode 3 (ABC/Raymond Liu)Melissa O’Neil and Kanoa Goo in season 5 episode 3 (ABC/Raymond Liu)
ABC’s Official The Rookie Series Synopsis:
John Nolan, the oldest rookie in the LAPD, has used his life experience, determination, and sense of humor to keep up with rookies 20 years his junior. Nearing the end of his training, Nolan now faces his biggest challenge as a police officer yet when he must come to terms with the choices he has made in pursuit of the truth.
A daughter’s desperate search for her missing father sets the team in motion on CBS’s The Equalizer season three episode two. Directed by Randy Zisk from a script by Joe Gazzam, episode two – “Where There’s Smoke” – airs on Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT.
Queen Latifah leads the cast as Robyn McCall. Season three also stars Tory Kittles as Detective Marcus Dante, Adam Goldberg as Harry Keshegian, Liza Lapira as Melody “Mel” Bayani, and Laya DeLeon Hayes as Delilah. Lorraine Toussaint returns as Viola “Vi” Marsette. Brett Dalton, Gabriel Sloyer, Chris Vance, and Stephen Bishop recur.
“Where There’s Smoke” Plot: The team helps an NYFD firefighter’s daughter when her father suddenly goes missing. Also, Aunt Vi and Delilah continue to cope after McCall’s abduction.
Chance Kelly, Brett Diggs, Riley Cooper, Michael Emery, and Michel Vidal guest star.
The Equalizer is a reimagining of the classic series starring Academy Award® nominee and multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn. McCall presents to most as an average single mom who is quietly raising her teenage daughter. But to a trusted few, she is The Equalizer – an anonymous guardian angel and defender of the downtrodden, who’s also dogged in her pursuit of personal redemption.
Robyn’s clandestine work and her personal life collide when her smart and observant daughter, Delilah, and her aunt Vi, who lives with Robyn to help her balance life as a working mother, discover her secret career as a vigilante. While Robyn contends with uncertainty at home, she is joined in her pursuit of justice by Melody “Mel” Bayani, an edgy bar owner and sniper from Robyn’s past; and Harry Keshegian, a paranoid and brilliant white-hat hacker.
As Robyn aids the oppressed and exploited, she sometimes works with Marcus Dante, an NYPD detective who once sought to uncover her identity, but now respects the need for Robyn’s type of justice even as he often questions her methods.
Harvey Sadler, Emma D’Arcy, and Leo Hart in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 1 episode 7 (Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO)
HBO’s House of the Dragon season one episode seven opens on Lady Laena’s funeral. But before we discuss that somber event, here’s a quick recap of the key events of episode six.
Episode six introduced the adult versions of Alicent and Rhaenyra, and the battle lines moved from being etched in pencil to drawn in ink. Prince Daemon lost his second wife, Lady Laena, who died after ordering her dragon to give her a dragonrider’s death by fire. And Larys Strong elevated his position by ordering the murder of his father and brother, effectively making himself Lord of Harrenhal while forcing Alicent to be in his debt.
And now, a recap of episode seven – “Driftmark.”
The Velaryons, Targaryens, and other key figures gather for Lady Laena’s funeral at Driftmark. Prince Daemon and Laena’s two daughters are in attendance along with King Viserys, Queen Alicent, and the recently promoted Ser Otto Hightower who is once more The Hand of the King.
Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) chuckles during the funeral while Prince Aegon (Ty Tennant) looks bored.
Lady Laena’s body is sent to the sea’s bottom, to rest for an eternity.
Dragons soar as the funeral attendees mingle. Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Daemon make eye contact but don’t chat. Rhaenyra sends her oldest son, Jace, to comfort his cousins, but he feels as though he’s the one in mourning since Ser Harwin – who he knows is his real father – is dead.
All in all, it’s an uncomfortable assemblage.
Aegon (Ty Tennant) and his younger brother, Aemond, discuss their sister, Helaena, and Aegon’s of the mind she’s an idiot. He isn’t happy about the idea of being forced to marry her. (She’s shown talking to herself and trapping a spider in a shell.)
Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) tells Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) that Larys has been staring at her since they arrived. Larys (Matthew Needham) looks ready to burst with pride that his plans have come together and that he’s the new Lord of Harrenhal.
Jace takes his cousin’s hand while off to the side Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) discusses Luke’s future with him. Corlys reminds Luke (Harvey Sadler) that while Jace will be king one day, he’ll be named Lord of Driftmark. Luke doesn’t want Driftmark or the title, but Corlys is gentle when he explains it’s his birthright.
Luke confesses he’s upset because if he’s the Lord, then that means everyone’s dead.
Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) is next to comfort her daughter’s daughters.
Aemond and Jace stare at each other over an open fire. They don’t speak.
Rhaenyra and Daemon finally exchange half smiles.
Ser Laenor Velaryon (John Macmillan) stands in the water overcome with grief, staring at the spot where his sister’s body entered the water. Corlys whispers to Ser Qarl Correy (Arty Froushan) to retrieve Laenor, and everyone in attendance notices the anger Corlys displays toward his son’s not-so-secret lover.
Matt Smith and Paddy Considine in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 1 episode 7 (Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO)
King Viserys (Paddy Considine) speaks with his brother, noting the fact that his daughters look like their mother is both a comfort and anguish. Viserys invites his brother back to King’s Landing, but Daemon insists Pentos is his home now. Viserys reminds him he has a place on his court, and again Daemon turns him down, insisting he needs nothing.
Daemon storms off and Ser Otto (Rhys Ifans) stops him to express his sympathy. “No matter how fat the leech grows, it always wants for another meal,” replies Daemon, perfectly summing up Ser Otto’s lust for power.
King Viserys makes an early exit, his health steadily declining. Ser Harrold Westerling (Graham McTavish) accompanies Viserys, turning over the watch to Ser Criston.
Prince Aegon finds a secluded spot to drink alone. Ser Otto tracks him down and hauls him off to bed. Qarl also retrieves Laenor, and Laenor’s off to bed too.
Aemond watches a dragon circle overhead, more interested in the beasts than the people gathered.
Later, Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys discuss Daemon and how he refused to allow Laena to return home. Corlys believes the surgeons in Pentos are equal to Driftmark’s, and she needs to stop placing blame. Rhaenys thinks maybe the gods are scorning them for their pride.
Princess Rhaenys insists it’s Corlys’ own ambition and not justice for her that makes him so obsessed with the Iron Throne. She wounds his pride by saying he’s cost them their children. He lives his life to create a legacy; she does not.
Rhaenys wants Driftmark to pass to Laena’s daughter, Baela, because of her true Velaryon blood. That would mean Laenor and his children would be disinherited. Rhaenys points out that Laenor will be king consort and his children will inherit the throne.
Both are aware Rhaenyra’s boys aren’t Laenor’s. However, Laena’s are Daemon’s. “History does not remember blood. It remembers names,” says Corlys, snatching his hand away from his wife.
Rhaenyra and Daemon leave the castle and stroll on the beach. She confirms her marriage is a farce but confesses they did try to conceive a child. It didn’t happen and there was no joy in it. She found joy in Ser Harwin, and it felt good to be desired.
Daemon knows Ser Harwin was devoted to Rhaenyra and she admits she trusted him. She regrets allowing him to return to Harrenhal, and Daemon reveals he thinks Alicent had a hand in Harwin’s and Lord Strong’s deaths. Rhaenyra doesn’t agree; however, Daemon knows everyone is capable of depravity.
Rhaenyra accuses Daemon of abandoning her. Without him, her life is a droll tragedy. She wonders if Daemon loved Laena and he describes them as feeling happy enough.
Rhaenyra touches his neck and Daemon speaks her name gently. She reminds him she’s no longer a child moments before they kiss. Rhaenyra tells Daemon she wants him and they move to a more secluded area. They slowly explore each other’s bodies, the longing evident as they remove each other’s clothing.
This time there’s no pulling back as Rhaenyra clings to her uncle tightly.
Aemond runs off alone and crouches near Vhagar (Lady Laena’s dragon) while it’s slumbering. He approaches it, looking up in wonder at the incredible creature. Finally, he moves to touch the ropes holding on the saddle and it wakes, staring him in the face. When it rests again, he once more reaches for the ropes and this time it opens its mouth, exposing fire. Aemond’s able to command it to stop and climbs into the saddle.
He holds tight to the harness and orders it to fly. Vhagar attempts to knock him from his seat and takes to the sky, Aemond holding on for dear life. Vhagar goes into a dive but then rises once more as Aemond remains astride. Vhagar reacts to Aemond’s pulls on the harness, and Aemond laughs in delight. He’s now a dragonrider.
Laena’s daughter Baela wakes up Jace and tells him someone stole Vhagar. She didn’t see who was riding him.
It’s late when Daemon and Rhaenyra also rise, filled with postcoital bliss, and see Vhagar in the sky.
Aemond dismounts and is met with fury from Laena’s daughters. Baela insists Vhagar was hers to claim since it was her mother’s. Aemond insults her and tosses her to the ground. He punches her twin, Rhaena, and Jace reacts by jumping into the fight.
Luke also attacks and soon all the kids are beating up on Aemond. However, he’s able to get the best of them despite being outnumbered. Aemond raises a rock to hit Luke in the head and says, “You’ll die screaming in flames – just as your father did. Bastards!”
Luke doesn’t understand what he means and Aemond turns to Jace, taunting him for being Harwin’s son – not Laenor’s. Jace pulls out a blade, but Aemond continues to have the upper hand. As Aemond’s about to use the rock, Jace throws dirt in his face. Luke picks up Jace’s blade and slashes Aemond across the face.
It all happened in an instant.
Ty Tennant and Olivia Cooke in ‘House of the Dragon’ season 1 episode 7 (Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO)
Aemond howls in pain and Ser Harrold and the Kingsguard arrive to help him.
King Viserys demands to know how Ser Harrold allowed this to happen. But even Ser Criston believes this was nothing they could have foreseen since Aemond was attacked by his own cousin.
Criston says, “The Kingsguard has never had to defend princes from princes.”
Aemond will lose his eye but will heal. Alicent slaps Aegon, enraged he was drinking rather than looking after his brother.
Soon, Lord Corlys, Lady Rhaenys, Princess Rhaenyra, and Prince Daemon arrive and join in on the accusations. Luke, Jace, and Laena’s daughters insist Aemond started it, and Jace says it began when Aemond attacked Baela.
Ser Otto takes this all in as does Daemon, both men assessing how this affects their political futures quietly from the sidelines.
King Viserys commands the gathering to fall silent and then demands the truth about what happened. Alicent insists it was not an accident while Rhaenyra insists her children were attacked and insulted, forcing them to defend themselves.
Rhaenyra tells her father her sons’ legitimacy was questioned and King Viserys looks shocked. Aemond smiles as Jace says they were called bastards.
Rhaenyra calls this action the highest of treasons since her sons are in line for the throne. She wants Aemond sharply questioned to know where he heard these claims. Viserys speaks to Aemond and demands to know the source of this vile rumor.
Alicent and Viserys asks for Ser Laenor to be included in this discussion, and Rhaenyra claims she went for a walk and wasn’t with him when she heard all the commotion. Alicent suggests, in front of Lord Corlys, that Laenor is entertaining his young squires.
Now it’s Ser Criston’s turn to smile.
Once more King Viserys demands to know where Aemond heard these lies. Alicent draws in her breath, sure she’s about to be named. Instead, he names Aegon. Aegon’s forced to answer that they know. “We know, father. Everyone knows. Just look at them,” says Aegon.
The room falls silent.
King Viserys commands them all to apologize and make up. “Your father, your grandsire, your King, demands it!” screams Viserys. They are a family and will act like one.
Neither Alicent nor Rhaenyra look satisfied with this outcome, but Alicent is the one to speak. Because Aemond’s been damaged permanently, a debt must be paid. She demands one of Rhaenyra’s sons’ eyes.
King Viserys warns her not to be guided by her temper. Alicent doesn’t obey and orders Ser Criston to bring her Lucerys’ eye. King Viserys dismisses that order, but Alicent won’t back down, reminding Criston he’s sworn to her.
Criston chooses the right path and does not move but says, “As your protector, My Queen.”
King Viserys, again, commands his wife to leave the matter alone. He also issues a standing order: “Let it be known, anyone whose tongue dares to question the birth of Rhaenyra’s sons should have it removed.”
Rhaenyra thanks her father and turns toward her children just as Alicent grabs Aegon the Conqueror’s dagger from King Viserys’ belt.
Daemon and Ser Otto have continued to stand back and assess throughout this entire discussion but now even these two men are drawn into the fray.
Ser Harrold orders the guard to stay with King Viserys as Alicent attacks Rhaenyra! Ser Criston runs to help Alicent but is stopped in his tracks by Daemon. Ser Harrold holds the others back as Rhaenyra tells Alicent she’s gone too far.
Alicent holds the knife inches from Rhaenyra’s face and Rhaenyra looks defiant as she stares at her attacker and listens to her accusations about neglecting her duty and tarnishing her honor.
Ser Otto yells for his daughter to drop the blade as Rhaenyra speaks up. “Exhausting, wasn’t it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness. But now they see you as you are.”
Alicent slices Rhaenyra’s arm and the blood pours to the floor.
Alicent finally drops the dagger.
Aemond tells his mom not to mourn him. He lost an eye, but he gained a dragon. (His sister, Helaena, had prophesized he’d need to lose an eye to obtain a dragon.)
Daemon rushes to Rhaenyra’s side and stands with her children and the Velaryons. Ser Criston joins Alicent.
The battle lines have now been drawn in blood.
Packing is underway when Ser Otto visits his daughter. She expects him to be angry that she assaulted Rhaenyra and she’s aware gossip is spreading that she’s gone mad. Plus, people will side with Rhaenyra after the attack. He agrees with her but confesses he’s never seen her fight this way before. He’s proud of that and knows she’s got the determination to win this ugly game.
Otto advises her to plead for forgiveness from King Viserys. Otto’s also certain Aemond getting Vhagar on his side is worth the price he paid.
John Macmillan in ‘House of the Dragon’ episode 7 (Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO)
It’s morning when Laenor finally shows up as Rhaenyra’s getting her arm stitched. Laenor is deeply in mourning for his sister and upset he wasn’t there to defend his wife. She fills him in on what happened and Laenor confesses he’s failed her and their marriage. He loves their boys but doesn’t believe he’s loved them enough.
Rhaenyra admits she hoped to bear his children and if she had, things might have been different. Laenor hates the gods for making him this way, but Rhaenyra doesn’t. He’s got a good heart and that’s rare.
They smile while discussing their arrangement for an open marriage, but the talk turns serious when Laenor says Qarl is leaving. Laenor pledges to recommit himself to his wife and their family. He will raise their sons to be princes of the realm. It’s what she deserves.
King Viserys’ health continues to deteriorate as he and Alicent ride in the carriage to the ship. He doesn’t want to talk about what happened, but Alicent attempts to get back in his good graces.
Once on the ship returning home, Larys is back whispering in Alicent’s ear and offers to retrieve an eye if that’s what she wants. She doesn’t, but she commends his devotion. She knows she’ll need his skill and discretion at some point.
Daemon and Rhaenyra speak as they watch King Viserys’ ship sail away. She calls fire a strange power and knows the Targaryens owe everything to it, but it cost them both with whom they loved. Fire is a prison and the sea offers an escape – maybe the Velaryons were onto something.
Rhaenyra knows she can’t face the “greens” alone and needs Daemon. She wants him as her husband and king consort. If she had that, no one could question her right to the Iron Throne. “We have always been meant to burn together,” says Rhaenyra.
He points out that to marry, Laenor must be dead. Rhaenyra acknowledges she’s aware of that.
Rhaenyra won’t be a tyrant ruling through terror. Daemon disagrees. He thinks to be a strong ruler her subjects must fear her. Rhaenyra claims she loves Laenor, and Daemon suggests she grant him a kindness and set him free.
Rhaenyra is aware this would mean Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys would lose their only remaining child. They both believe people will think she’s responsible, but also realize their enemies will fear what else they could be capable of.
Daemon meets with Ser Qarl, pointing out he’s got a lord’s taste. He whispers there are places where it doesn’t matter what a man’s name is. All that matters is his gold. Daemon only asks that it’s a quick death that is witnessed.
Daemon kills one of Laenor’s men. Moments later, Laenor acts shocked to see Qarl in his father’s hall. They draw their swords and one of Laenor’s guards runs to summon help. The guards and Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys rush to the commotion. By the time they get there, the fight is over. A body, burned to the point of being unrecognizable, is pulled from the fireplace. Only the legs remain intact.
Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon wed in a quiet ceremony attended only by their children.
The episode ends with Qarl holding a small rowboat and watching as a cloaked figure runs toward him on the beach. They hop into the boat, and it’s revealed the cloaked figure is a newly bald Laenor.
