House of the Dragon's seventh episode, “Driftmark,” underscores the pacing issues that have plagued the entire first season of the show and that made it hard for viewers to connect to some of its characters. It does so, however, while also delivering the best payoff of the series as the alliance audiences knew was coming -- that of Rhaenyra and Daemon -- is now solidified through a marriage that feels like a long time coming.
The show's issues continue to be the same in Episode 7, and its strengths are in line with what the rest of the season has shown, too. Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen is a fascinating character because even when his motives are clearly laid out by the narrative, Smith is playing him in a way that allows fans to ascribe whatever motivation they want to him. Emma D'Arcy's Rhaenyra Targaryen, meanwhile, is one of the few characters who doesn't suffer from the time jump and the switch in actors, mostly because D'Arcy is the kind of performer that can imbue a character with quiet vulnerability while still making Rhanyera the strongest personality in any room.
Outside of the two of them, though, it's hard to care or even root for any other characters. The kids, in particular, are a problem. The show's numerous time jumps have put fans in a situation where they are required to invest in the dynamics of the new generation, something that is almost impossible to do because House of the Dragon has provided so little information about them. If fans care at all, it's because they care for Rhaenyra and Daemon, but even that has its limits.
This problem can be firmly attributed to the way the story was designed. Season 1 is clearly meant to set up the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, and that meant the story had to go through most of the important events in Rhaenyra's life very quickly. How much can fans care about the loss of Laena Velaryon, or even, in this episode, the supposed death of Laenor Velaryon, if they haven't had time to get to know them? The answer is, sadly, very little.
In “Driftmark,” however, the self-contained nature of the story does help with the emotional resonance. Laena's funeral becomes the place where the relationship between Rhaneyra and Daemon is finally explored and followed through to the obvious conclusion. Before that, though, Rhaenyra gets to make a choice -- as an adult -- and, though it could be argued she'd already made this choice not once but twice before, this time, Daemon is more inclined to believe it is really what she wants. He has clearly wanted the same for a while.
Their relationship is hard to conceptualize for modern viewers. Yes, it's incest, and incest is bad under any circumstances. However, getting married is not just the most politically advantageous thing they can do -- it's also the one thing that is guaranteed to bring them happiness. On a show where Helaena and Aegon Targaryen are set to be married, it's hard to get too nitpicky about Rhaneyra and Daemon doing the same. Ironically, they might be one of the few marriages in Westeros composed of two people who truly trust and care for each other and who have each other's best interests at heart.
The directing in the couple's first sex scene clearly establishes that what they have is genuine, or as genuine as Targaryens can get. It’s not rushed or overly graphic -- they aren't doing a duty or getting the intimacy out of the way. They just want to be together, and they've waited long enough. Sure, it might have been a good idea to wait for a bed and a time that wasn't right after the funeral of Daemon's previous wife, but what is common sense in the face of love?
As Rhaenyra and Daemon solidify the bond everyone could see was coming since the show's first episode, their kids also stand together against Viserys and Alicent's kids, and though that fight ends up with Aemond losing an eye, he does gain a dragon, Vhagar. It might not seem like such a big deal in peace, but as the show's first episode promised, “the only thing that could tear down the house of the Dragon was itself,” and, well, a dragon is a very big weapon.
The fallout from the younger generation's fight puts the conflict between Rhaenyra and Alicent center-stage and clearly establishes the factions in the upcoming war. The greens vs. the blacks is perfectly encapsulated by not just the costumes but the general aesthetics of this hour -- and the show in general. Otto and Alicent, as well as her kids on one side; Rhaenyra, Daemon, their kids, and the Velaryons on the other side; and Viserys standing in the middle, trying to keep the peace. He will probably manage just that -- as long as he lives. War is coming, and it seems that no one's safe.
Except, ironically, Laenor Velaryon, the husband who Rhaenyra and Daemon “kill” off in order to be free to go ahead with their union. In a twist no one saw coming, House of the Dragon actually allows him, if not a happy ending, the freedom to find one for himself. That's more than most of these characters are going to get, and more than fans are likely to receive either -- not that viewers are likely to care that much for anyone other than the main players in this story.
To see Rhaenyra and Daemon come together, new episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays at 9:00 ET on HBO, with the episodes also available on HBO Max.