House Of The Dragon Episode Ten Review - 9 Ups & 1 Down
2. Up - The confrontation at Storm's End
The manner in which House of the Dragon slowly ratcheted up the tension levels of The Black Queen leading up to Lucerys’ death was absolutely first rate. Audiences were first treated to the foreboding image of Lucerys and Arrax flying into a mass of dark, gloomy fog as Ramin Djawadi’s previously hopeful score trailed off into more foreboding tones.
The sight of Vhagar lifting her head and roaring savagely in the direction of Lucerys and Arrax as they arrive at Storm’s End was a chilling visual, as was the later shot in the same spot where it appears that the behemoth dragon has vanished into thin air. The air is literally heavy with doom, but the real fun begins in the hall of Storm’s End when Lucerys is confronted by his cousin.
Rhaenyra's summons are brutally rebuked by Lord Baratheon and Aemond menacingly calls after the departing “Lord Strong”, demanding that Lucerys remove an eye as recompense for the one he “stole”; channeling his inner Joffrey, the psychopathic Prince plans make a gift of it to Alicent. Revealing a wickedly badass sapphire behind his eyepatch, the Prince goes from 0-100 in - pardon the pun - the blink of an eye after Lucerys rather unsurprisingly declines his request, his calmly taunting tones replaced by an impassioned roar of guttural fury.
“GIVE ME YOUR EYE, OR I WILL TAKE IT, BASTARD!”
Yikes. Whenever Aemond’s mask slips - his speech at Viserys' last supper being the most prevalent example - it makes for absolute prime viewing. Unless one happens to be named Lucerys Velaryon.