“The Black Queen” is the season finale of House of the Dragon. It picks up shortly after the end of the previous episode. Rhaenys tells Rhaenyra that her father has died and the Aegon was crowned King. Rhaenyra suffers a premature stillbirth. Ser Erryk arrives with a crown during the child’s funeral. Daemon wishes to fully commit to war, believing that Viserys was murdered. Otto Hightower arrives to Dragonstone with terms for Rhaenyra’s surrender, with Rhaenyra preventing a slaughter. Lord Coryls recovers and commits his forces to Rhaenyra, after Rhaenys persuades him to do so. Lucerys and Jacaerys go to Winterfell, The Vale, and Storm’s End. Lucerys is sent to Storm’s End while Jacaerys is sent to the North and Vale. Luke’s mission to Storm’s End ends in failure since Aemond is already there. Aemond ends up killing Luke accidentally after chasing him through a storm. The episode and season ends with Rhaenyra learning of her son’s death and becoming enraged by it.
Matt Smith’s performance in this episode made me rethink Daemon’s previous reactions. He seemed to carry the news of his brother’s death quite heavily but his interaction with Rhaenyra later in the episode seems like he only cares about the power that she’s almost lost. Aemond is the little brother/cousin that was bullied growing up and then became a bully when he got older. Emma D’Arcy puts in a hell of a performance throughout this episode.
“The Black Queen” is a hell of a way to end a season. This was a slow burn episode that continued what was started in the previous episode. I expect the second season to pick up during the war. I don’t know when the next season will premiere but I expect it to happen around the same time next year. I give “The Black Queen” 9.5 dragon eggs out of 10.