This Tiny Detail In HOTD's Latest Ep Is Actually Super Important

Like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon has a lot of characters and alliances to track. Unlike GoT though, the characters aren’t easily trackable by house or hair color, as 75% are platinum blonde and almost all answer to the name of Targaryen. And yet, even the ones who aren’t dragon-riding, incest-having backstabbers can get lost in the shuffle of those who are. That’s why it’s essential to follow those like Mysaria and Talya, and their connection in House of the Dragon.

Warning: Spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 1, Episode 8 follow. It was a busy day in King’s Landing when the new episode began, having skipped forward five years from the end of Episode 7 with Rhaenyra and Daemon’s hasty marriage. Alicent was running around putting out fires over Driftmark succession rights, wars in the Stepstones, and her son’s appalling abuse of the staff. Also, the Hightowers were using Viserys’ inability to rule to their advantage, forcing Rhaenyra, Daemon, and their entire blended family to travel from Dragonstone to the Red Keep. The latest move: the consideration of discrediting Rhaenyra and Laenor’s children by passing over Prince Jacaerys in the line of succession for Driftmark. That would imply he and his brother are bastards, putting the whole Iron Throne line of succession into question, with the ultimate goal of putting Alicent’s son Aegon on the throne.

The plan failed, and for a moment, it seemed Viserys had even undermined the Hightowers’ entire revolt by convincing Alicent to back Rhaenyra. But it was not to be, as Viserys’ mental deterioration in his final hours accidentally led Alicent to believe he wanted Aegon to rule, not realizing he was mumbling about the original King Aegon I, not her son.

With all the goings-on, viewers were probably a little confused when the series suddenly cut to a space they hadn’t seen since Episode 4, Mysaria’s house. The last time she’d shown up since becoming Daemon’s discarded mistress, she’d been reporting to House Hightower. Viewers saw her dispatching one of her “little birds” to Otto to tell him of Rhaenyra’s brothel adventures with Daemon all those years ago.

Now, with Daemon back in King’s Landing, having been happily married for five years, it might seem like Mysaria was still going to be working the Team Green side of the aisle. But her “busy day in the castle” remark wasn’t to someone looking for dirt on Team Black. Audiences might not have immediately recognized the hooded figure, but she was in fact someone introduced only a few scenes earlier. Her name is Talya, and she was the one who accompanied Alicent to Aegon’s chambers to deal with “the Dyana situation.” She was the one who fetched the moon tea for Dyana, showing herself to be a trusted member of Alicent’s circle, one who sees all the goings on with Team Green.

Talya bringing Mysaria gossip of the highest order straight from Alicent’s rooms is a massive development, even if it might not seem so right away. House Hightower, especially Otto, believes they have the upper hand because they have control of the small council. They can strike before Rhaenyra even knows what hit her. But if there’s a leak from that high up, coming straight to the White Worm, as Mysaria is now known, Daemon might discover that rekindling his relationship with Mysaria to be very beneficial to Team Black taking the throne.

House of the Dragon Season 1 continues with episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.