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The best episode of the first half of the season is, surprisingly, the only one that doesn’t really draw from the source material. There is no name day hunt in “Fire & Blood,” yet this show creation which takes up most of Episode 3 is largely responsible for setting the show’s tone and letting us get to know the characters much better.
In “Second of His Name,” Otto cleverly tries to use the presence of a white stag as a good omen for his grandson Aegon. Viserys reveals himself to be (as Daemon later puts it) a slave to omens, so he almost bites. Instead, he’s barely able to slaughter the brown stag that his men have tied down for him. By the end of the night, he’s drunk, indecisive, and full of regret. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra refuses arrogant Jason Lannister’s proposal, kills a boar in self-defense, then spares the symbolic white stag when she commands Criston to let it go. She returns from the hunt bloodied and confident (which a smitten Harwin Strong takes note of), hinting at what type of leader she’d be.
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Elsewhere, Daemon and the Velaryons are in the Stepstones fighting against the Triarchy. This storyline doesn’t live up to the best “Game of Thrones” has to offer, military conflict-wise. Plot-armored Daemon zig zags through arrow fire and takes a few hits, but the aftermath of his duel against the Crabfeeder is some of the show’s best cinematography throughout the season. He, too, is covered in blood and victorious when all is said and done. This lyrical diversion from the text is where the show finds its footing.
