House Of The Dragon Episode Eight Review - 8 Ups & 2 Downs

Rhaenyra and Daemon's welcome to King's Landing was about as frosty as one would expect given the circumstances, painting an ominous picture of what the ruling seat of power within Westeros had transformed into since their marriage six years prior.

Gone are the Targaryen sigils and dragons, to be replaced with scores of religious icons and stars (fans of Game of Thrones will remember the devastating impact of a certain gentleman named the High Sparrow.) It is unnerving to see the signs of religious influence so soon within the political landscape of Westeros and readers of Fire and Blood will know that religious fanatics have a part to play before all is said and done.

There is no one to welcome the couple as they arrive and the signs swiftly get more ominous as they enter Viserys' room. The King's model of Old Valyria is shown to be covered in cobwebs before the decrepit monarch is revealed; what remains of Viserys lies in a near vegetative state, numbed by copious helpings of milk of the poppy. The melancholy scene is set swiftly and efficiently; the King in the Red Keep may be named Targaryen but the insidious Hightowers now rule this place.

It is quite remarkable that a city within House of the Dragon can take on such an alien and foreboding appearance that viewers have to remind themselves of the fact that they have been there before. The powers that be at HBO deserve all the plaudits in the world for seamlessly managing a complex transition of such magnitude.