Smallfolk

"Smallfolk" is the sixth episode of the second season of the fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon, a prequel to Game of Thrones. The episode was written by Eileen Shim and directed by Andrij Parekh. It first aired on HBO and Max on July 21, 2024.

"Smallfolk"
House of the Dragon episode
Episode no.	Season 2 Episode 6
Directed by	Andrij Parekh
Written by	Eileen Shim
Featured music	Ramin Djawadi
Cinematography by	Vanja Cernjul
Editing by	Adam Bosman
Original air date	July 21, 2024 (2024-07-21)
Running time	67 minutes
Guest appearance
Paddy Considine as Viserys I Targaryen

The episode received highly positive reviews from critics, with praise going towards the direction, writing, character development, Paddy Considine's guest return as Viserys, the riot in King's Landing, and cast performances (particularly of Ewan Mitchell and Emma D'Arcy).

Plot

In the Westerlands

Lord Jason Lannister leads his army to the Golden Tooth, meeting his vassal Lord Humfrey Lefford, who expects their joined forces to march to Harrenhal. Jason, however, wants to wait for Aemond and Vhagar, as they need a dragon to combat Daemon's dragon, Caraxes.

In King's Landing

Refusing Lord Jason Lannister's request for his and Vhagar's protection, Aemond plans for Tyland Lannister to ally with the Triarchy to break the Velaryon's Gullet blockade. Aemond orders Criston to accompany the Hightower troops to Harrenhal, then dismisses Alicent from the Small Council. Aemond rebuffs Larys' attempt to become his Hand, then tells him to summon Otto Hightower back to court. When Aegon awakens, Aemond visits and asks what he remembers about the battle. Aegon claims to have no memory of what happened during it. Before leaving for Harrenhal, Gwayne tells Alicent about her youngest son, Daeron, who is being raised in Oldtown. He says he is stalwart, clever, and also kind, unlike his brothers.

Mysaria's spies spread rumors that the royals have abundant food while the smallfolk starve. When Larys informs Aemond about the situation, Aemond is unable to understand why they blame him rather than Rhaenyra, who is causing the blockade; Larys explains that the Crown is expected to provide for the smallfolk. Larys visits Aegon and tells him he will never fully recover from his injuries. He says he learned to use his own handicap to his advantage and that Aegon must do the same. He warns Aegon's life is in danger. Aegon asks for Larys' help. Mysaria sends food-laden boats displaying Targaryen banners to King's Landing. The people openly praise Rhaenyra, but fights break out for the limited supplies. Alicent and Helaena are praying in the sept when riots start. They are nearly attacked while attempting to reach their carriage. Although Alicent orders their guards to sheath their swords, a man who grabs at her gets his lower arm cut off. Rioters kill three of Aegon's personal friends whom he appointed to the Kingsguard.

On Dragonstone

Rhaenyra tells Ser Steffon Darklyn he has Targaryen ancestry. She asks him to try to claim and Seasmoke, though it is dangerous. Seasmoke initially seems receptive, then fatally burns Steffon and a dragonkeeper, who quickly cuts his throat to avoid an agonizing dragonfire death. Rhaenyra slaps Lord Celtigar for criticizing her, warning that people have forgotten to fear her.

In the Vale

Rhaena notices signs of a dragon in the area. Jeyne Arryn claims it is a wild dragon roaming the Vale. Jeyne tells Rhaena that Prince Reggio of Pentos has agreed to shelter her and Rhaenyra's two young sons.

At Harrenhal

Daemon continues having dreams, this time about his brother, Viserys, and starts sobbing. He becomes suspicious of Simon Strong's loyalty. Daemon wants to leave but Alys advises him to wait and do nothing, foreseeing that things may change in a few days. Soon after, Simon Strong announces that Lord Grover Tully has died, Alys having been the last person to treat him. Grover's death makes his grandson, Oscar, the Lord of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Riverlands.

On Driftmark

Corlys appoints Alyn as the first mate of his flagship, who shaves his head to not raise suspicion of his familial connection. While Addam is working on the beach, Seasmoke appears overhead. The dragon begins chasing Addam, finally landing and approaching him.

On Dragonstone (cont.)

Rhaenyra mentions Daemon's sadness and her qualities complementing his. Mysaria tells Rhaenyra about her past of sexual abuse and why she remains loyal to her, saying Rhaenyra has treated her well. Rhaenyra is moved by Mysaria's words and the two kiss passionately. When Rhaenyra receives word that Seasmoke has a new rider, she leaves on Syrax to confront the rider, assuming it is someone from the Greens.

Production

Paddy Considine returned as King Viserys Targaryen in the episode.

Writing and filming

"Smallfolk" was written by Eileen Shim and directed by Andrij Parekh, marking Shim's second time as writer for the series, following "The Lord of the Tides", and Parekh's first directorial credit.

Casting

The episode stars Matt Smith, Emma D'Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Matthew Needham, Sonoya Mizuno, Tom Glynn-Carney, Ewan Mitchell, Phia Saban, Harry Collett, Phoebe Campbell, Jefferson Hall, Freddie Fox, Gayle Rankin, Abubakar Salim, Clinton Liberty, Kurt Egyiawan, Kieran Bew, Ellora Torchia, Tom Bennett, and Simon Russell Beale.

Paddy Considine guest-starred to reprise his role as King Viserys Targeryen.

Reception

Critical response

"Smallfolk" was met with highly positive critical reviews. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 100% based on four reviews, with an average rating of 8/10.

Alec Bojalad of Den of Geek gave the episode 4 out of 5 stars, stating, "Like most episodes of House of the Dragon this season, episode 6 has a lot going on. While it can be easy to get bogged down by the ever-revolving door of new and recurring characters, this installment at least keeps things moving fairly quickly, reminding us who these people are and why we should even care about them in the first place." Haley Whitmire White of TV Fanatic also rated it 4 out of 5 stars, commenting, "It was, overall, a great episode. There wasn't much action, but that's because everyone is strategizing and preparing for, well, fire and blood." James Hunt of Screen Rant gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars, noting "[The episode] continues the fallout from Rook's Rest and the gradual build to the finale with another solid, if unspectacular, outing. [It] has settled back into the same slower, early season rhythm [...], but that's not a bad thing. There's some intriguing setup and strong character development in King's Landing, Harrenhal, and on Dragonstone, although not everything works." Also giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars, Fay Watson of GamesRadar+ summarized her review by saying, "The latest episode keeps the well-trod routine of council bickering and strange visions, but interesting character choices set up a tantalizing end to the season."

Helen O'Hara of IGN scored it 9 out of 10, writing, "A strikingly well-written episode with some beautifully drawn moments of interpersonal drama. While it's lovely to see Paddy Considine return briefly, it's even better to see this season's cast firing on all cylinders with a script that fully supports them. This episode doesn't have one of those spectacular water-cooler moments that would earn it full marks, but it's a spectacularly crafted piece of television that delivers on the promise of this world." Kayleigh Dray of The A.V. Club graded it with an "A", commenting "All in all, it’s another excellent episode of House Of The Dragon. There are a lot of big dialogue-heavy scenes, which the series is fast becoming known for, and just enough action to keep anyone craving an adrenaline hit happy." Erik Kain of Forbes said "All told, another fantastic and gripping episode of [the series] which manages to be fascinating and compelling even without large-scale dragon battles or battles of any kind."

The performances of the cast were met with critical praise, with Fay Watson saying, "No one can doubt that this is a cast that'll do justice to anything that their characters are handed." Particular praise was given to Mitchell, D'Arcy, Cooke, Smith and Rankin. Alec Bojalad said of Mitchell that he "has been bringing his A-game to Aemond all season, but he particularly shines in this episode as Aemond steps into this new role, especially in the conversation he has with [Alicent]," while Carly Lane of Collider stated that "Mitchell is chillingly good at being indecipherable." Regarding D'Arcy, Bojalad called their performance "incredible", commending the way they "subtly and overtly portray Rhaenyra's restlessness bubbling toward the surface."

Several critics highlighted key moments from the episode, such as Seasmoke claiming Addam as his rider, Considine's return as King Viserys Targeryen in Daemon's visions, the smallfolk uprising, the royal drama in King's Landing and Aemond's conversations with Alicent, Larys and Aegon, as well as Rhaenyra and Mysaria's kiss. James Hunt described the kiss as "unexpected" but effective in adding more layers to both characters. Carly Lane and Proma Khosla of IndieWire praised the chemistry between D'Arcy and Mizuno, with Lane calling them "captivating to watch together," although she noted the lack of build up to their potential romance as a flaw. Other aspects lauded by critics included Parekh's direction and Rhaenyra's character development. Meanwhile, the storyline in the Vale and lack of story development for Rhaena were criticized.

External links

• "Smallfolk" at HBO
• "Smallfolk" at IMDb