'House of the Dragon' Season 2: Aemond's decision to remove key character from small council could haunt him
Contains spoilers and speculations for 'House of the Dragon'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Episode 6 aired on HBO on July 21, 2024. The episode saw a shocking moment when Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) surprisingly removed his mother Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) from the Green's small council.
Aemond took over as the Prince Regent after injuries to Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney). Aemond was considered to be one of the biggest reasons why Greens felt confident of a victory in Dance of the Dragons. Aemond does seem like he is enjoying this position of importance right now and his young, angry, and impulsive character makes him take extreme decisions.
Here's an analysis of why he removed his mother from the Green small council.
Why did Aemond remove Alicent from the Green's small council in 'House of the Dragon'?
Aemond has always been against Alicent's idea of being careful during the time of war. He says in Episode 1 that her sympathy for Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) is her biggest weakness. Alicent fought for Aemond when he lost his eye and even gave Rhaenyra a scar.
As Queen Regent, Alicent proved herself to be an able ruler and managed the operations well in the absence of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine). Alicent's inputs have been valuable in the events following the death of Viserys too.
Aegon might not have been the most intelligent ruler but he did pay heed to his mother's advice, albeit reluctantly. Aemond doesn't carry the same amount of emotion as Aegon did and his cold-blooded demeanor makes him capable of taking decisions that might be controversial but in his opinion, necessary for the realm.
Alicent's advice and perceived inaction make her weak in the eyes of Aemond, and Aemond is not one to listen to democratic opinions. He is confident after killing Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) and neutralizing Meleys. He is the reason behind all of the major victories earned by the Greens so far and his confidence is sky high.
Is Aemond a better ruler than Aegon?
Aemond is certainly perceived as a better ruler than Aegon because of his strategic inclination and decision-making abilities. He doesn't have the same vices as Aegon did either.
But, if 'Fire and Blood' is to be believed, in the long run, Aemond turns out to be a bad ruler for the Greens. Aemond makes a decision to go to Harrenhall with the mindset of taking the castle of Harrenhall from Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith).
But Daemon outsmarts him and while he is busy taking Harrenhall, Daemon and Rhaenyra take over King's Landing leading to the end of the Green's rule over the Iron Throne.
Alicent keeps pointing to his youthful recklessness and her words turn out to be prophetic. Perhaps if he would have had his mother as an advisor, it would have helped him and the Greens.
How to stream 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 premiered on HBO Max on Sunday, June 16, 2024, with new episodes dropping every Sunday. To watch the series, you will need a Max Subscription.
The streaming platform typically offers three packages that you can choose from depending on your budget.
The low-cost plan that supports advertising costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. The second package, which does not support advertising, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99 annually.
Meanwhile, the third package, titled Ultimate Ad-Free, costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually.
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 trailer
'House of the Dragon' Season 2 is streaming on HBO
