House of the Dragon Episode 7 Review – Fire and Blood

As the finale of House of the Dragon season 1 approaches, the tension continues to grow.  Characters once friends are now enemies.  Power dynamics are changing in many ways, whether subtle or massive.  Both factions have drawn their blades, and fire and blood is now inevitable.

The Children Always Pay

Courtesy of HBO

In the previous episode, an idea was presented that the children always pay for the mistakes of their predecessors.  The first hints of this were present with Alicent’s interactions with her children.  This episode brings that idea up to the forefront.  Fights break out between many of the children, with critical injury occurring to one.  This makes one character snap, and if not for Viserys’ presence, there would be no doubt of the amount of death.  Still, despite the injury, it’s clear that its fair price to pay for what was acquired.

An Eye for an Eye

Within this episode, the idea of cost and reward is present.  Although many characters suffer injury and setbacks, this often comes with something good coming their way.  Alicent gains a new asset, at the cost of her reputation going down.  Rhaenyra meanwhile loses said asset, but gains a powerful new ally.  Even minor characters see this idea of an ‘eye for an eye’.   Laenor finds newfound freedom, at the cost of his family enduring another tragedy.  The Velaryon daughters loss their mother and her legacy, but gain a new family.

Changes from Fire and Blood

Courtesy of HBO

While House of the Dragon is an adaptation, not everything is a one-to-one match.  Of course, small details are different here and there.  Character ages are adjusted, previously vague events are shown in a different light, and some characters have a different level of presence.  Up until now, these changes haven’t been major enough to potentially affect the trajectory of the original story from Fire and Blood.  This episode changes all of that.  In the first major deviation from the book, the fate of a character has been completely altered.  While this may not lead to anything later on, this likely isn’t the case.  For the episode to end with such a massive change revealing the new development of this character, more than likely this will be fleshed out in future episodes.

This brings up a major question; what else will change?  One major complaint with Fire and Blood was the nature of the book’s ending.  While chances are it won’t change much given the story’s nature as a prequel, chances are aspects will either be fleshed out or changed to better match what is found in Game of Thrones.  There is also the possibility that House of the Dragon may very well change various parts of the plot, while still leading to the same conclusion as Fire and Blood.  Of course, this is merely speculation, and its still too early to tell.  Still, it’s important to acknowledge.

Final Thoughts – Fire and Blood will Come.

As the final episode of House of the Dragon’s first season approaches, many changes in the show and from the book raise questions of what’s to come.  This episode was easily the most tense.  And along with the shifting dynamics, beautiful shots, and character moments, the finale promises to be something truly grand and epic.

Check out House of the Dragon on HBO Max!

Check out our previous episode recap!