REVIEW: ‘House of the Dragon’ Episode 4 — “King of the Narrow Sea”

I was skeptical about House of the Dragon, but like for the 10 million people who keep tuning in, it’s paying off. Last episode, House of the Dragon was largely focused on battle, with Daemon regaining his stature by securing a victory against the crab-feeder. Now, in House of the Dragon Episode 4 Daemon (Matt Smith) has returned to King’s Landing named King of the Step Stones and Narrow Sea, adding more complexity to the power struggle that Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) has been thrust into just because she is a woman.

While Episode 3 focused on physical war with Corlys’ son Vaemond (Wil Johnson) saving the day on the back of a dragon and Daemon feigning surrender to cut the Crab Feeder in two, House of the Dragon Episode 4 is grounded in political warfare. But in the politics of it all, there is also a look at pleasure, sex, expectations set on women, and where Rhaenyra finds herself in it all. With her title as heir in question, securing a husband becomes increasingly more important for Rhaenyra’s political survival. However, her father has allowed her to pick a husband, which doesn’t seem all that bad until the suitors start coming into the throne room.

After seeing her mother die in childbirth after being forced to give heirs, and with her new baby brother now in the mix, Rhaenyra is understandably against having children. Confiding in this thought to Daemon, who takes her choice as fear, she reassures him that it isn’t fear, but a desire to live in solitude. This leads Daemon to take Rhaenyra out of the Red Keep and into taverns and a brothel, where in what he construes as a moment to teach her that sex is about pleasure for women as much as men, he puts Rhaenyra’s inheritance in jeopardy.

Sex in House of the Dragon up until now has been to show excess. Now, it’s used to show power. Who has it currently, who can be crushed by it, and who must bend to its will. While we see Daemon and Rhaenyra in the brothel we also see Alicent called to the king’s chamber. While Viserys (Paddy Considine) writhes on top of her, sores shown on his body, Alicent (Emily Carey) stares at the ceiling, fulfilling her duty. That’s all it is. While we know the Targaryens partake in incest historically that isn’t what makes this episode unnerving. While we see Daemon and Rhaenyra together, it’s what that moment does for the series and the avalanche it causes.

Here, we see Rhaenyra in two ways: The first, she is used by Daemon to force her into marriage and to gain power on the thrown. The second, she takes hold of her sexuality and has pleasurable sex and through that intimacy with her guardian knight Christen Cole. It’s both a danger and unnerving while also opening up a door for Rhaenyra to walk through that she can’t and doesn’t want to step back from.

What ensues is a look at how Rhaenyra’s body is a political warzone beyond her throne. The majority of the episode is focused on unpacking the disparities between Targaryen men who had sex in every brothel they could when they were younger than Rhaenyra and that she, regardless of who the man is, can not have sex at all. It’s called out when Rhaenyra pushes her father “If I were born a man I could bed whoever I wanted” to which he replies “But you were born a woman.”

Gender remains the focus of House of the Dragon Episode 4 and the way sex is used as a narrative device is surprisingly handled well. While the world is changing, the manipulation is firing on all cylinders, and Rhaenyra’s world is more in danger than it ever has been. That said, much of this episode is structured as foundational for the next steps in the story and I’m holding onto my seat for what happens next. One moment in a brothel, that is just the assumption of sex has unleashed different battles for Rhaenyra to take on. Daemon is banished again, and clearly more desperate for a crown; Rhaenyra is forced to wed her cousin, the son of the Sea Snake; and the Hand of the King is deposed, because of his focus on tearing Rhaenyra down.

House of the Dragon Episode 4 is good, and it is small. With small monumental moments building up to what is sure to be another traumatic Game of Thrones wedding in the next episode. While it may be easy to think that the story slowed this episode, it’s actually accelerated.

House of the Dragon Episode 4 is available now on HBO Max with new episodes airing every Sunday at 9pm ET.