After each episode of House of the Dragon, Slate writers gather to answer a crucial question: Who is the worst person in Westeros? This week, senior editor Jenny G. Zhang and books and culture columnist Laura Miller tackle the topic.
Jenny G. Zhang: Hello, Laura! I’m excited to join you in discussing the Worst Person in Westeros. Last week, our colleagues named Ser Criston Cole the worst after he sent the Greens’ Cargyll twin to his grave. This week’s episode opens with members of the Brackens and Blackwoods clashing, using the Dance of the Dragons as an excuse to continue their age-old feud. The scene almost looks like a musical setup between rival gangs, but it quickly cuts to the aftermath, showing impaled bodies and battlefield carnage. It’s a sobering reminder of the terrible costs this civil war between nobles imposes on the smallfolk. I’m ready to declare someone the worst for this. What about you, Laura?
Laura Miller: This episode is tricky for naming the Worst Person in Westeros because it focuses on people like Rhaenys and Rhaenyra trying to prevent war and disaster. Does anyone do anything especially terrible? The opening scene reminds us that if you give young men lethal weapons, they will want to use them. Aegon, for instance, is always contemptible but also pitiable. He has no idea what he’s doing, lacks attention span and self-discipline, but genuinely loved his little son. It was sad to see him grieving alone in the last episode.
Zhang: This episode did show a new dimension to Aegon, who is on my list of potential nominees for the worst person as part of the collective that allows the conflict to escalate. It’s hard to pin it all on one person. As Rhaenys points out, the cycle of vengeance will never end unless they stop it. It’s primarily the men who are egging it on, justifying their acts of war by the logic of “the other side will do it first.” One prime example is Criston Cole. Can we talk about how quickly he’s switched his knightly deference to Alicent now that he’s been made Hand of the King?
Miller: Criston is one of the most enigmatic characters in the show. He has some sense of honor but is also deeply angry and mostly unable to show it. His hatred for Rhaenyra seems to stem from her unwillingness to abandon the throne to be with him. This vendetta has metastasized, and he sent the Cargyll twins to their graves because he felt guilty about a child’s murder on his watch. He seems to have an issue with women exercising power. Alicent doesn’t trust him, and thanks to Criston’s sharp eyes, they are saved from being toasted by Baela’s dragon. Criston isn’t cocky; he’s smart and seasoned, but I still don’t know what drives him besides hating Rhaenyra for jilting him.
Zhang: Whatever fantasy Criston once held about Rhaenyra, he now holds about Alicent. He hopes to hold a real relationship with her outside the secrecy of the bedchamber. He’s traditional and carried notions of romance that have been twisted by his history. Kudos to Ser Criston for spotting Baela on dragonback and saving Alicent’s brother, even while sporting his ugly new haircut.
Miller: These characters are not as complex as those in Slow Horses, but with dragons, they don’t need to be. They’re shaped by their designated roles. Even if you don’t want to be king or queen, if you have any claim on the Iron Throne, you’re a threat to whoever does want it. Poor Helaena, who doesn’t care about any of this and acknowledges that the women of the smallfolk have it rougher than the ladies of the court.
Let’s talk about Daemon, who fled to Harrenhal after a quarrel with his wife about his resentment that she was offered the throne instead of him. He’s supposed to be mustering forces there, but the place is a wreck. He’s responsible for the murder of an innocent child and seems to be feeling remorse for the first time in his life. Daemon has often seemed like the worst person in Westeros to me. But at least he’s showing some sign of having a conscience, even if his timing is really bad.
Zhang: There’s a debate on social media about Daemon’s relationship with Rhaenyra and whether he truly loves her or is just using her for her proximity to the throne. These dreams Daemon is having in Harrenhal add dimension to his character. He’s feeling guilt over his role in mucking up things for Rhaenyra, more so than his guilt over the murder of the child.
This week’s worst person might be someone closer to the action. We haven’t discussed the episode’s big event: Rhaenyra, dressed as a septa, sneaks into King’s Landing to convince Alicent to end the escalating war. But the train has already left the station. Although Alicent and the other women want peace, it’s out of her hands now. Neither Aegon, Aemond, Criston Cole, nor any of the Small Council members are listening to her. This whole endeavor was a wash, except for one thing. Rhaenyra and Alicent finally touch on the thorn between them: Rhaenyra’s feeling that Alicent usurped the throne and lied about Viserys’ succession wishes. Is Alicent’s refusal to walk it back enough to make her a candidate for the worst person in Westeros?
Miller: Rhaenyra’s actions are braver than anything anyone else does in this episode. Alicent could easily have her killed, but Rhaenyra knows she wouldn’t do that. Each of them knows the other did not intend or condone the killing of Luke or Alicent’s grandson Jaehaerys. Alicent is dug in enough that she won’t reverse her position on the succession, but she is going to consider it. However, it doesn’t matter what she believes anymore because the men around them are set on war. Cooler heads are not going to prevail, but at least she’s not going to have Rhaenyra carted off to the dungeon.
This feels like the lead-up to conflicts like World War I, where the sides are hell-bent on getting into it. The men are itching for a fight and have cool weapons they want to use. They’re not listening to the people who know the real costs of this war, most of whom are women. I’m going to nominate the men of Westeros collectively as the worst person in that unfortunate country. Are you on my side, or are you my mortal enemy, Jenny?
Zhang: I had been trying to find which guy to pin it on—my money was on Ser Criston—but your solution is more elegant. Yes, let us officially name the men as a whole—specifically, all these ruling men perched atop their cushioned chairs in their castles—this week’s worst person (people) in Westeros. Case closed.
Source: Slate
