"The Queen Who Ever Was" is the eighth and final episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones.
The musical score, cinematography, and cast performances (particularly of Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Abubakar Salim, Harry Collett, and Fabien Frankel) were highly praised.
Additionally, Admiral Sharako Lohar, a warrior woman referred to as "he" by the Council,[1] challenges Tyland to a mud-wrestling match before agreeing to sail with him.
Enraged over Rhaenyra's new dragonriders, Aemond flies Vhagar to the Black-allied port city, Sharp Point, and incinerates it with dragon fire.
Despondent, Criston expresses regret over past choices, telling Gwayne he believes they are headed towards annihilation by Rhaenyra's dragons.
Having moved the bulk of Harrenhal's gold to Braavos' Iron Bank, Larys proposes that he and Aegon hide in Essos and return and reclaim the throne after Aemond and Rhaenyra have destroyed each other.
Alyn rebukes Corlys for never showing interest in him and Addam when his legitimate children were alive, leaving the brothers to suffer as bastards.
Daemon reveals to Rhaenyra that he knows of the Song of Ice and Fire, and reaffirms his loyalty to her, bending the knee to her alongside the Riverman army; Broome retreats into the crowd.
Exhausted from scouting the harsh Vale countryside without sustenance or shelter, Rhaena finds the wild dragon as it devours sheep.
During supper, Rhaenyra promises knighthood to Addam, Hugh, and Ulf if they serve her well, and announces they leave in two days to attack Lannisport and Oldtown, strongholds of the Greens.
[2] It marks Hess' fourth time as writer for the series, following "The Princess and the Queen", "The Green Council" and "Rhaenyra the Cruel", and Patel's third directorial credit after "The Lord of the Tides" and "The Burning Mill".
In response, HBO issued a statement the following day, acknowledging the leak: "We are aware that clips from the House of the Dragon season finale have surfaced across social media platforms.
The site's critical consensus says, "Ending on a snarl when viewers expected a roar, 'The Queen Who Ever Was' is a bitterly anti-climactic finale that leaves the season feeling more like a tease than a treat.
[11] Alec Bojalad of Den of Geek, Fay Watson of GamesRadar+ Amanda Whiting of Vulture, and Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut all rated the episode 3 out of 5 stars.
[12] Watson praised the introduction of new characters in Essos, Daemon bending his knee to Rhaenyra, and the performances of D'Arcy and Cooke, concluding her review by saying, "Despite some excellent sequences, [the episode] is plagued by the same issues as the rest of the season, focusing on looking ahead rather than offering a satisfying conclusion.
[15] Katie Doll of CBR scored it 5 out of 10, stating, "By the end of the well-shot Season 2 finale, the HBO series can no longer hide that its flashy dragon sequences and rich dialogue are just covers for a story lacking substance."
[16] Grading it with a "C-", Proma Khosla of IndieWire praised D'Arcy and Salim's performances as well as the final montage but found it lacking as a conclusion to the season.
And don’t get us started on how what’s playing out on D'Arcy's and Cooke’s faces throughout the scene is a master class unto itself... Alicent/Rhaenyra is House of the Dragon's truly tragic, heartbreaking love story.