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House Of The Dragon Episode 9 Trailer Previews Fallout Of Major Death
WARNING! SPOILERS ahead for House of the Dragon season 1 episode 8!
The House of the Dragon episode 9 trailer teases the action to come following a major death. Throughout the Game of Thrones prequel, which sees King Viserys select his daughter Rhaenyra as his heir early on and stick to his decision even after the births of his sons, the king's health has deteriorated. Early in season 1, Viserys appeared to be healthy, but ominous sores on his body weren't healing, and the illness spread. In each episode and after all the time jumps, Viserys has looked worse and worse, losing fingers and hair as his body decays, prompting viewers to wonder when he would finally succumb.
Viserys' death is key, since the controversial matter of his succession and all subsequent decisions only start to truly matter once he has passed away. In season 1 episode 8, "Lord of the Tides," Viserys finally passed away due to the illness that Considine previously revealed to be leprosy. His death sets the stage for the remainder of the season and the rest of the series, and the episode 9 trailer shows that the show will waste no time in exploring the consequences.
The official Game of Thrones channel posted the episode 9 preview on YouTube. In the clip, several characters are seen mourning the king's death, while battle clearly looms on the horizon. Early in the preview, Alicent reveals what she interpreted to be Viserys' last wishes to an unseen character, possibly her father Otto or Larys. The video also depicts chaos in the streets and sees a mysterious, white-haired toddler in what looks to be a dungeon being brought to someone's - possibly Alicent's - attention. See the full trailer above.
What Viserys' Death Means For House Of The Dragon
Now that Viserys has passed away after nearly two decades of suffering from leprosy, each character's true colors will be revealed. A key scene at the end of episode 8 saw Alicent sitting by her husband's bedside, listening as he spoke about the prophecy of the Prince who was Promised. Though viewers know that Viserys, who was seen to be suffering from confusion several times in the episode, likely believes that he is speaking with Rhaenyra - the only person he previously shared that knowledge with - Alicent interprets his words to be about their son, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), rather than Rhaenyra or her son, also named Aegon. Alicent previously seemed to be getting along with Rhaenyra, but with her renewed belief that Aegon should be king, bolstered by what she believes to be Viserys' final wish, her fight to put her own son on the Iron Throne will likely commence immediately.
While the king was alive, Alicent wasn't exactly subtle about her thoughts regarding the line of succession or the legitimacy of Rhaenyra's sons. Now that her husband has passed, the former queen consort has nothing stopping her from taking those issues public, and allowing the court of public opinion to decide on Rhaenyra's place. Rhaenyra, who is the new queen after her father's death, doesn't have anyone more powerful than herself protecting her or her family, who will be facing danger and backlash, based on the House of the Dragon episode 9 trailer.
