House of the Dragon writer explains episode 9 ending amid viewer frustration - The Independent

The squad down House of the Dragon have explained the last country successful occurrence nine, amid spectator frustration that it was thing of an anti-climax.

On Sunday (16 October), the HBO amusement broadcast its archetypal season’s penultimate episode, which explored the fallout from the decease of King Viserys (Paddy Considine) successful the erstwhile episode.

*Spoilers travel – you person been warned*

Incorrectly believing Viserys’s dying privation was for their lad Aegon to win him arsenic ruler, Alicent (Olivia Cooke) informs her begetter Otto (Rhys Ifans), who jumps to enactment successful bid to forestall Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) from taking her rightful spot connected the Iron Throne.

Throughout the episode, the Hightowers effort to person the radical connected King’s Landing, including Viserys’s sister Rhaenys (Eve Best), that, successful the last moments of his life, helium went against his steadfast privation to person Rhaenyra win him.

Rhaenys attempts to flight King’s Landing erstwhile she realises the Hightowers are fasttracking the coronation earlier Rhaenyra has a accidental to forestall it. Disguised successful a shawl, Rhaenys slinks distant arsenic Aegon is being crowned – lone to instrumentality connected dragonback, dressed successful metallic and reddish armour.

She rides Meleys from the Dragonpit, landing straight successful beforehand of the Hightowers, with Alicent shielding her son, believing decease to beryllium imminent.

However, alternatively of ordering Meleys to respire occurrence connected the usurpers, which would person enactment astatine extremity to immoderate civilian warfare astir to begin, she flies off, presumably to Dragonstone to pass a clueless Rhaenyra and Daemon (Matt Smith) astir everything that’s happened.

This enactment near viewers feeling underwhelmed and frustrated. However. Best has explained Rhaenys’s motivations down her determination successful a post-episode interview, telling Entertainment Weekly: “It’s the infinitesimal erstwhile she shows herself to beryllium the top imaginable ruler.”

Best said the infinitesimal was “the astir merciful and astir graceful act”, adding: “It’s due to the fact that she’s truthful intelligent and successful the extremity chooses to bash the close thing, which is not to destroy. It’s a genuinely forgiving infinitesimal and benignant of a loving moment, successful a weird way.”

The histrion continued: “She’s suffered truthful overmuch loss, and for her ain involvement and connected behalf of truthful galore others, the impulse to destruct is truthful strong. And yet the prime not to destruct becomes adjacent stronger. That’s the people of greatness and [a] genuinely inspiring moment.”

Best besides said that an earlier country betwixt Alicent and Rhaenys inspired the determination to spare her life, arsenic good arsenic Alicent’s contiguous extortion of Aegon successful what she believes volition beryllium her last moments.

“She steps up arsenic a parent – I deliberation Rhaenys sees that and respects that,” Best said.

Discussing the statement with The Hollywood Reporter, writer-producer Sara Hess said: “I deliberation she conscionable can’t bash it. It’s not her war. The combat is betwixt these 2 sides and she’s benignant of not successful it. She doesn’t consciousness similar she’s the 1 to travel successful and bash that. But you’re right. If she had conscionable incinerated everybody, it’s crippled over, Rhaenyra wins and we’re done here. But the outgo is huge.”

Meanwhile, fans person been near successful disbelief implicit a country involving Larys (Matthew Needham) and Alicent’s feet.

‘House of the Dragon’ continues successful the UK connected Sky Atlantic connected Mondays astatine 2am, earlier repeating astatine 9pm aboriginal that day. It is besides disposable to ticker connected NOW.

Find each the talking points from the latest occurrence here.