After the events of EP8, every major player in HOUSE OF THE DRAGON is vying for some kind of power. Whether it be official or just power over their family members, cards will be dealt, loyalty will be tested, and games will be played.

There’s been a lot of discussion on HOTD fan circles about the importance of the colors that Princess Rhaenyra and Queen Alicent don. Admittedly, I haven’t gone too deep down this path, but it’s important to discuss now the season is coming to a close. For the uninitiated, the “green” in this week’s episode title refers to those who would like to see Alicent & Viserys’s eldest son, Aegon, take the throne. Alicent is often seen wearing green, the Hightower house banner features green, and the message is that green represents Alicent’s interest in who takes The Iron Throne.

After last week’s fantastic tet-a-tet between Ser Vaemond Velaryon and the Targaryen, the political dealings of the Red Keep were a bit boring. Aegon and Aemond, Alicent’s children, are more interesting to me as spoiled rotten teen heirs than they are as men with any real power. They’re so distinctly different from Joffrey and Tommen Baratheon, even while raised in the same city and castle. While A&A both have shown to be cruel, Aegon acts like he wishes he were anyone and anywhere else. Aemond carries himself with all of the confidence of a true successor. He looks and acts like the elder brother to his immature older sibling. It’s enough to make me wonder if he will eventually take out his brother to get to the throne himself.

THE GREEN COUNCIL ends on a very strong note but loses points with me since it takes us so long to get there. And for a penultimate episode, I think I expected more because I was spoiled by GOT’s strong second-to-last episodes each season (The Red Wedding, anyone?). If there’s anything we’ve learned these last two weeks: Do NOT cross the Velaryon and Targaryen women.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON airs every Sunday night on HBO and streams every Sunday on HBOMax.