House of the Dragon’s Crabfeeder brought Game of Thrones power struggles

This is the third episode House of the Dragon certainly puts the “fire” in A Song of Ice Fire. The episode begins with a tableau that’s equal parts Pirates of the Caribbean and Texas Chain Saw MassacreAs injured soldiers of Prince Daemon Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), lie howling in low tide mud, One of the writhing men is approached by a horrifying figure. He’s masked, lumbering, and has a long, greasy, and hunched gait.

That masked man’s name is Craghas Drahar (Daniel Scott-Smith), also known as “The Crabfeeder” for his propensity to leave his enemies staked to bloodstained shores so they can suffer a long, painful death being eaten alive by sea creatures. Craghas Drahar (Daniel Scott-Smith) is the fallen soldier who defies his monstrous appearance and tells him to wait for his prince with a dragon to set them all to dust. And Daemon Targaryen does indeed come through in a flaming blaze of glory — but not before his poor, loyal swordsman gets nailed to a piece of driftwood and left to die.

Although it is easy to forget, war and military strategy are just as important as palace intrigue and pornographic descriptions of delicious food-filled feast tables. Legends are created on the battlefield, where alliances are tested and reputations of queens and kings are built and destroyed. Game of ThronesThis took place during a time of violence upheaval where everybody was constantly watching their backs, and power dynamics were susceptible to being upended anytime. House of the Dragon, on the other hand, takes place in a climate that’s more like our own: The late days of a decaying dynasty, where those in charge have become complacent enough that they feel they can simply ignore any threats to their power, no matter how violent, until they go away.

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

There’s a popular notion that guerrilla warfare was not practiced in medieval Europe, the basis for Westeros and Song of Ice and Fire. Und Game of ThronesCraghas and his army of mercenaries defaulted to lengthy lead times in formal clashes, which was more common than not. Craghas, his army of mercenaries and nomadic Viking and Mongol bands used unorganized tactics and surprise to attack castle towns across Europe. Craghas and his army of mercenaries do this to allegedly charge merchant ships that pass through these rocky islands while they travel to the Free Cities. But they fight with a ferocity and sadism that suggests that there’s more going on here than simple greed.

The Targaryens’ fleet of dragons make them the most powerful force in the known world, and centuries of power have made them arrogant. But despite possessing this ultimate trump card — not to mention more ships, weapons, and soldiers than their opponents — the war in the Stepstones has dragged on for three years. The key to the Crabfeeder’s strategy is to neutralize the Targaryen forces’ most valuable weapon by retreating into the caves that dot the rocky shoreline of the Stepstones, eliminating the Targaryens’ ability to wipe out his entire force with one whispered “Dracarys.”

And yet, King Viserys (Paddy Considine) refuses to engage with news about the war during his son’s name day celebration, telling concerned envoys that “it’s been three years. Surely this can wait three days.” He’s so sure that the Targaryens’ military might (i.e. Dragonfire is impossible to contain. It is really He dismisses any threat from the outside, even though he is being challenged. And, to be fair, the Targaryens are quite good at tearing themselves apart from the inside, too — there’s plenty to keep a king, particularly a soft-hearted one who tries to please everyone, busy at court. A few sellswords and an unnamed prince, with nothing to gain and little to lose, could hold two large houses of Westeros and several dragons at bay for decades. What could an even more powerful and organized enemy accomplish with the same tactics?

Photo: Ollie Upton/HBO

The proud Prince Daemon, however, has much at stake. The stakes are high for his title, wealth, reputation and, perhaps most important, his pride. This entire war was spurred on by Targaryen pride, the result of an alliance made out of spite (another Targaryen character flaw) when Viserys married Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) rather than his 12-year-old second cousin Laena Velaryon (Nova Fouellis-Mosé). And it’s spite that pushed Daemon to end the war himself before his brother’s forces could arrive, resulting in the chaotic impromptu skirmish that closes the episode. Daemon wins, at least for this episode, thanks to his Valyrian steel, and fiery Targaryen blood.

Although his stomach is being pulled through the mud by the Crabfeeder, House Targaryen has been weakened and House Velaryon remains in a state of flux. They’ve exacerbated existing tensions within the ruling houses, and demonstrated a method for combating what otherwise appears to be an undefeatable force. And the ruling houses of Old Valyria are too busy fighting amongst themselves to spare a thought for the people who are dying on their behalf — not a great strategy for winning loyalty in the long term. Take the loyal soldier at the beginning of the show: Cackling with relief, he cheers on Daemon as the prince swoops over the battlefield incinerating Craghas Drahar’s allies and ships. “Save me, my prince!” he cries — only to be crushed under the mighty foot of the prince’s dragon.

They have become blinded to their arrogance and complacency by treating this war, its men, and most of the wider world as disposable. They only hold on to their petty grievances. Their wounded pride is all they have. And, as a result, lack the ability to imagine a future where someone might take the Iron Throne. Whether they tear each other apart from within, or are ambushed by enemies from without, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that Crabfeeder has been removed from their lives. It is the Stepstones that have given rise to the Targaryens’ ultimate demise.