House Of The Dragon Episode Seven Review - 7 Ups & 3 Downs
3. Up - Vhagar's new rider
While her new rider ultimately proved to be a despicable little boy, die-hard fans of Game of Thrones' sprawling universe couldn't help but grin ear to ear at Aemond's claiming of the deceased Laena Velaryon's she-dragon, Vhagar. This was also an onscreen first; never before have viewers seen an uninitiated rider claim a dragon that they have no prior bond with.
A tiny, unimposing boy attempting to ride the legendary behemoth that helped Aegon the Conqueror establish the Targaryen dynasty seemed laughable, but do so the Prince does with surprisingly relative ease - with the exception of a brief brush with death due to a flock of birds - which invokes an air of destiny about proceedings. Vhagar's terrifying monstrous visage and her immense size is shown in even greater detail this week; Otto's later statement that she is worth a thousand eyes is not hyperbole. The irony of the fact that her rider was a boy who previously could not tame any dragon, let alone one of such significance, is not lost on viewers.
Said irony is also not lost on the aforementioned Otto Hightower. The slimy Hand of the King alludes to the political gain of such an act of happenstance; by a complete turn of fortune, the Greens now possess a titanic force of destruction, a dragon capable of ripping Caraxes and Syrax limb from bloody limb. Additionally, the bad news continues for Rhaenyra and her followers; Vhagar's new rider is a wicked little sociopath, who just happens to bear a bloody vendetta against her son Lucerys.