The third episode of Home of the Dragon actually places the “fireplace” in A Tune of Ice and Fireplace. The episode begins with a tableau that’s equal elements Pirates of the Caribbean and The Texas Chain Noticed Bloodbath, as injured foot troopers loyal to Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) lie howling within the mud at low tide. A grotesque determine, masked and lumbering with a hunched gait and lengthy, greasy tufts of skinny hair, approaches certainly one of these writhing males.
That masked man’s identify is Craghas Drahar (Daniel Scott-Smith), often known as “The Crabfeeder” for his propensity to depart his enemies staked to bloodstained shores to allow them to endure an extended, painful dying being eaten alive by sea creatures. The fallen soldier defies this monstrous form, telling him to simply wait till his prince arrives with a dragon to burn all of them to ashes. And Daemon Targaryen does certainly come by way of in a flaming blaze of glory — however not earlier than his poor, loyal swordsman will get nailed to a chunk of driftwood and left to die.
On the threat of stating the plain, battle and navy technique are as important to A Tune of Ice and Fireplace as palace intrigue and pornographic descriptions of feast tables groaning with scrumptious meals. The battlefield is the place legends are born, alliances are examined, and the reputations of kings and queens are made and unmade. Sport of Thrones happened throughout an period of violent upheaval, the place everybody was all the time watching their backs and the facility dynamics may very well be upended at any time. Home of the Dragon, alternatively, takes place in a local weather that’s extra like our personal: The late days of a decaying dynasty, the place these in cost have turn out to be complacent sufficient that they really feel they will merely ignore any threats to their energy, regardless of how violent, till they go away.
There’s a preferred notion that guerrilla warfare was not practiced in medieval Europe, the idea for Westeros and A Tune of Ice And Fireplace. And Sport of Thrones, as a rule, defaulted to formal clashes with lengthy lead instances. However simply as nomadic bands of Vikings and Mongols used disorganized techniques and the ingredient of shock to raid fort cities all through Europe, Craghas and his military of mercenaries are preventing a guerrilla battle towards the Targaryen institution. They achieve this ostensibly for the precise to cost tolls to service provider ships passing by way of this rocky collection of islands on their method to the Free Cities past. However they struggle with a ferocity and sadism that means that there’s extra happening right here than easy greed.
The Targaryens’ fleet of dragons make them essentially the most highly effective power within the recognized world, and centuries of energy have made them conceited. However regardless of possessing this final trump card — to not point out extra ships, weapons, and troopers than their opponents — the battle within the Stepstones has dragged on for 3 years. The important thing to the Crabfeeder’s technique is to neutralize the Targaryen forces’ most precious weapon by retreating into the caves that dot the rocky shoreline of the Stepstones, eliminating the Targaryens’ means to wipe out his whole power with one whispered “Dracarys.”
And but, King Viserys (Paddy Considine) refuses to interact with information in regards to the battle throughout his son’s identify day celebration, telling involved envoys that “it’s been three years. Certainly this will wait three days.” He’s so certain that the Targaryens’ navy would possibly (i.e. dragonfire) can by no means actually be challenged, he dismisses the seriousness of this menace from with out. And, to be truthful, the Targaryens are fairly good at tearing themselves aside from the within, too — there’s a lot to maintain a king, notably a soft-hearted one who tries to please everybody, busy at courtroom. But when a handful of sellswords and a self-proclaimed prince with a crudely normal masks and nothing to lose may preserve two of the nice homes of Westeros (to not point out a number of dragons) at bay for years, what may a much bigger and higher organized enemy do with those self same techniques?
Photograph: Ollie Upton/HBO
By comparability, the proud Prince Daemon has a lot to lose. His title, his wealth, his repute, and maybe most significantly, his delight are all on the road. This complete battle was spurred on by Targaryen delight, the results of an alliance made out of spite (one other Targaryen character flaw) when Viserys married Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) moderately than his 12-year-old second cousin Laena Velaryon (Nova Fouellis-Mosé). And it’s spite that pushed Daemon to finish the battle himself earlier than his brother’s forces may arrive, ensuing within the chaotic impromptu skirmish that closes the episode. And, at the least this time, Daemon emerges the winner, propelled to victory by Valyrian metal and his fiery Targaryen blood.
However though his intestines are being dragged by way of the mud, the Crabfeeder and his guerrilla forces have weakened Home Targaryen and Home Velaryon in ways in which have but to completely manifest themselves. They’ve exacerbated current tensions throughout the ruling homes, and demonstrated a technique for combating what in any other case seems to be an undefeatable power. And the ruling homes of Previous Valyria are too busy preventing amongst themselves to spare a thought for the people who find themselves dying on their behalf — not a terrific technique for profitable loyalty in the long run. Take the loyal soldier initially of the present: Cackling with reduction, he cheers on Daemon because the prince swoops over the battlefield incinerating Craghas Drahar’s allies and ships. “Save me, my prince!” he cries — solely to be crushed below the mighty foot of the prince’s dragon.
Blinded by their very own vanity and complacency, the Targaryens have handled this battle, the boys who fought and died in it, and far of the broader world as disposable. Their solely loyalty is to their very own petty grievances and wounded delight, they usually lack the creativeness to image a world the place sometime, another person would possibly sit on the Iron Throne. Whether or not they tear one another aside from inside, or are ambushed by enemies from with out, it doesn’t matter. Nor does it matter that the Crabfeeder may be very a lot no extra. The Targaryens themselves have sown the seeds of their final downfall on the shores of the Stepstones.
