House of the Dragon Episode 7 Review - Battlelines are drawn as the battle for the Iron Throne begins

The seventh episode 'Driftwood' directed by Miguel Sapochnik sets the stage between Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower for the Iron Throne.

The series has been slowly building up the animosity between the former friends from every start, the episode starts at the funeral for Lady Laena as both sides of the Targaryen family meet, and tensions slowly start to rise.

by the end of the episode, both Rhaenyra and Alicentare forced to realize in the open that they can never go back to being friends and must gather allies in order to secure the life and future of their children.

While both Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke were great, it has to be Cooke who stood out here as we finally see her character lash out for all the years of quiet suffering she endured.

Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen reveals that despite what we have seen in the last episode, she is still as ambitious and cunning as before, as he finally gets what he has been after all this time.

The episode ends with a surprising twist but on that was hinted at throughout the episode with small clues left by the writers and showcases the quality of the writing on display.

Overall with just three episodes remaining the series is shaping up to be a worthy successor to Game of Thrones and is a must-watch for fans of the franchise.

You can watch the first seven episodes of the series on Disney+, with new episodes every Monday.