CGI Details That Made That HoTD Finale Scene Really Painful to Watch
Visuals are sometimes just as important for storytelling as the script and character development.
Warning: the following article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon episode 10
What can easily go down in history as one of the most disturbing and heart-wrenching scenes in House of the Dragon worked so well not just because of the dramatic tension, but also due to the scene's visuals.
In episode 10, titled The Black Queen, Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon Arrax clashed in an unequal battle with Aemong Targaryen who rides the biggest dragon in Westeros, Vhagar. Lucerys and his much smaller dragon did not stand a chance, and even though Aemond did not seem to have the intention of murdering his nephew, that's precisely how things went down.
The scene was really painful to watch, though. Due to Lucerys being not the most experienced dragon rider, Arrax was clearly nervous, and quickly spiraled out of his control. The desperation of Lucerys' dragon, as well as Vhagar apparent battle rage, were the things that the CGI artists managed to convey beautifully, according to fans.
"The CGI to showcase how startled and nervous Arrax was flying throughout the storm as well as evading Vhagar was incredible. Real immersive experience. The way Arrax was rapidly fluffing his wings throughout his flight was sad to see and a moment I won't forget," Redditor SteinerElMagnifico42 said.
Arrax was indeed trying his best, but at some point he appeared to irritate Vhagar with his flame burst. The larged winged beast in Westeros could not tolerate. As soon as Arrax flied out of the storm and Lucerys seemingly had a moment to chill, Vhagar emerged out of nowhere to literally tear the little dragon apart.
We never saw what happened to Lucerys, but he obviously could not survive — even if Vhagar's teeth somehow spared him, the fall would be fatal for him.
And yes, it seems that the showrunners never lied when they pledged every dragon would boast its own character. Vhagar seems to be quite obstinate and nasty, while Aemond appeared genuinely shocked by what she did. Acting-wise, Ewan Mitchell did "an amazing job", according to fans.
The way the scene combined graphic details and acting was both stunning and heartbreaking, which is why fans might need a lot of time to get over the cruel moment.
Most definitely, Aemond and Vhagar's deed will be something to kick off the Dance of the Dragons, the culmination of which we are about to witness in House of the Dragon season 2.
The premiere date for the second season is yet to be announced by HBO Max.