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

Lady Lyanna Mormont would have been proud of this chuckle worthy scene.

As Rhaenyra faces legions of clearly unsuitable suitors, the latest is a young boy; Willem Blackwood, of a noble Northern House. After stumbling through his lines, he is heckled by a Lord Bracken in an increasingly rude manner. Considering that his sword is almost the same size as he is, audiences were not expecting the youth to draw it and challenge the fully grown man to combat, but that's exactly what little Lord Blackwood does.

The scene features another shocking twist as the leaving Rhaenyra turns to see that the young boy has gotten the better of the duel, gutting the loud-mouthed Lord Bracken. The casual violence that is suddenly inflicted in shocking fashion against the backdrop of a relatively benign setting is a trademark of HBO's Westerosi universe, and the show runners absolutely nailed this one.

The scene also provides a glimpse at a conflict untouched by HBO to date and only known to those familiar with Martin's books; the Brackens and the Blackwoods, both ancient families from the North who trace their ancestors back to the First Men that absolutely despise each other. The hilarious thing is, nobody actually knows why; both families claim that the other usurped them as ancient kings and thus, an ancient blood feud was born.

While either family is unlikely to feature again on the show in the near future, this scene hit all the right notes across the board. Don't mess with the Blackwoods.