"The Red Sowing" is the seventh and penultimate episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones.
It received critical acclaim, with praise for the claiming of Vermithor and Silverwing, visual effects, cinematography, musical score, and cast performances (especially Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Harry Collett, and Archie Barnes).
Despondent after being removed from the Small Council, Alicent seeks solace in the Kingswood, taking one Kingsguard, Ser Rickard Thorne, for protection and assistance.
Rhaena escorts Rhaenyra's sons as they depart from the Eyrie to travel to Pentos, but she secretly leaves the group to track the wild dragon.
He proclaims his intention to honor his late grandfather's oath of loyalty to Rhaenyra as Viserys' heir and offers Daemon his allegiance.
The Riverlords doubt young Oscar's leadership ability and despise Daemon for allowing the Blackwoods' war atrocities against House Bracken.
Oscar demands that Daemon prove himself worthy of the Riverlords' banners by showing contrition for his earlier actions and dispensing justice.
Mysaria says that rather than researching noble houses for Targaryen descendants, to instead search King's Landing for dragonseeds with thicker blood ties.
Rhaenyra concurs, but Jacaerys challenges her plan, arguing that bastard dragonriders could threaten Targaryen legitimacy and his own succession, revealing that he knows Ser Harwin Strong was his biological father.
Later, Corlys tasks Alyn with delivering a message to Elinda in King's Landing and procuring boats with reliable captains and crews.
Hugh, grieving his daughter's recent death and disillusioned with current reign, tells his wife, Kat, that his prostitute mother was a Targaryen and that he desires to go to Dragonstone and claim a dragon, saying it will better their lives.
A dragonseed named Silver Denys steps forth to try and claim Vermithor, but the dragon immediately rejects him and burns him to death before unleashing a furious attack; killing dozens more in a fiery rampage.
Meanwhile, Ulf evades Vermithor's initial attack and escapes into the caverns; entering a dragon lair and awakening Silverwing who is docile and accepts him as her new rider without hesitance.
During a council meeting, Lord Jasper informs Aemond that Prince Daeron Targaryen and his dragon Tessarion are nearly ready to join the war.
[2] Speaking of his character Ulf White and scenes in the episode, actor Tom Bennett said, as noted by James Hibberd in The Hollywood Reporter, "He's thinking, 'A lot of these people look more Targaryen than I am.'
The site's critical consensus says, "A new generation of dragon riders takes shape in 'The Red Showing', a fast-paced installment that climaxes with a fiery payoff to the season's careful world-building.
[12] The episode also received a rating of 4 out of 5 stars from David Crow of Den of Geek, James Hunt of Screen Rant, Haley Whitmire White of TV Fanatic, and Jonathan Wilson of Ready Steady Cut.