This article contains spoilers for Season One of House of the DragonThe finale of the first season of House of The Dragon left viewers with much suspension and excitement. Unsurprisingly, the show took every Game of Thrones fan on a wild ride. While the story of House Targaryen has been referred to multiple times in the original show, the sequel did not fail to build in the suspension and tension and ensure that the viewers are filled with many emotions. From the cinematography to the phenomenal cast and their performances, House of The Dragon did not fail to please the viewers.

Similar to Game of Thrones, House of The Dragon focused on some powerful women. With Milly Alcock and Emma D’arcy taking over the role of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke taking over the role of Alicent Hightower, the two characters might’ve been the center of the show. They definitely were the creators of tension and seemingly, drove the show. This might come off as a feminist take on the story, but if one were to analyze it closely, it might be clear that the show does not take such a route.

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Men Pulling Strings

     Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution

From the very beginning of the show, the creators made it clear that the King’s Landing was the epitome of a patriarchal system. With Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) being selected as the heir over Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) by the council simply because the latter is a woman, the theme of gender inequality was established. Following this, King Viserys’ obsession with needing a male heir led to his ultimate loss. What is interesting is that, even with his wife’s reluctance, he took the decision of going through the risky “operation” which led to Aemma’s death. This in itself illustrates the lack of decision-making powers given to women within the roles.

Rhaenyra and Alicent are no different. Even though Rhaenyra was named heir, it was disputed throughout the show. Moreover, her strength and power are constantly drowned out by the surrounding men. While many might be drooling over Prince Daemon (Matt Smith), his character is very much a toxic male. In the finale, his bowing to Rhaenyra and calling her “my Queen” might’ve shut down this toxic nature, but it was quite momentary. That one scene where he almost strangles Rhaenyra and the way in which he commands everyone on behalf of her shows how he is the one making the actual decisions while using Rhaeyra as a pawn. Similarly, Alicent is merely a pawn in Otto Hightower’s games, as he seems to be pulling all the strings. Additionally, the feet scene also shows how she has to “sell” herself to get loyalty. All this takes away the empowerment these two female leads are given, in turn, making them mere puppets in a men’s fight for the throne.

“Too Many Men”

     HBO

During an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Olivia Cooke and Emma D’arcy were asked “what are 3 words you would use to describe the show” to which both of them responded with “too many men”. While both actors giving the same answer might sound shocking, it is also very much real. Unlike Game of Thrones, House of The Dragon does not have many Arya Starks or Sansa Starks, or any other powerful female characters. Apart from Rhaenyra, Alicent, and Rhaenys, there seems to be a lack of female voices. In fact, characters like Helaena seem to be given very limited attention even though she goes on to predict many events.

Damsels in Distress

Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), a former fan favorite, seems to be the “knight in shining armor” both metaphorically and literally. He was introduced as a strong knight who won Rhaenyra’s heart and went on to act as her protector. Following his downfall with Rhaenyra, simply because she rejected his absurd proposal, he went on to become Alicent’s protector. This became a very cringe-worthy element as every time someone tends to offend Alicent, Cole would drag out his sword, in turn, “defending her”. Similarly, Daemon’s constant attempts at protecting his wife are no different. This reinforces the idea of Alicent and Rhaenyra needing protectors who are men. Unfortunately, this only takes away the strength and power these two characters possess, in turn, portraying them as “damsels in distress”.

It is also interesting how if these two characters were to rekindle, they might end up becoming the best leaders of King’s Landing. However, as pointed out by D’arcy,

Women as Hysterical and Unfit to Rule

The final episode of season one indicated a huge character shift in Rhaeyra. With the death of her second-born son, Lucerys Velaryon, we see that her consideration of not going to war was, perhaps, taken away. This led to fans speculating about her destiny, with many theories drawing up a parallel between her and Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. The former, while starting off as an ideal Queen, ended up gaining the title of the Mad Queen. All this was created due to the loss of her “children” which are her dragons and Misandei, among other things. This feeds into the idea of how women are unfit to rule due to their “hysterical” behavior. Hints of this ideology have been emphasized throughout the series, with the citizens of King’s Landing as well as the council preferring male heirs over female heirs. While the upcoming seasons of the show might emphasize on this, there is already a foundation laid on how Queens might be the end of King’s Landing.