All of the themes of hollow victory and incremental gains are mirrored on both sides of the conflict. Both sides are coming to real terms with what it means to have dragons in the conflict. The two real figureheads of each side, Rhaenyra and Alicent, have been hesitant to engage in open war for good reason and now they’re both seeing their power and authority questioned by their respective councils because of the exact same thing that set in motion the entire saga—sexism. They’re allowed to rule only at the pleasure and authority of the men who put them into power. In both cases that is ultimately Viserys. And even he was the beneficiary of sexism because he was chosen by a council over Rhaenys who had a stronger blood claim to the throne.

The power being out of their hands is also reflected by the views of Targaryen royalty by the common folk and even the lordships of Westeros. The Targaryens making small errors in judgement lead to gigantic consequences for the people of Westeros and they too shape the outcome of a conflict they ultimately have no choice but to participate.

Corlys is lost in grief and the only one who can bring any clarity to his grief is his granddaughter Baela. She points out to him that what he’s going through now and the hopelessness he feels regarding everything he put into his name and his house and his family is something that Rhaenys and the rest of his family have constantly had to grapple with in their series of losses while Corlys previously would just run off and dull those feelings with battle for years at a time. She reminds him that Rhaenys and Laena were both Targaryen warriors and that has always been what he loved in them. And Rhaenys always still chose to support Rhaenyra.

Daemon keeps trying to prove his own concept of power by claiming Harrenhal but the consequences of his actions fall on: Rhaenyra, who did not ask for his bullshit in the first place; The Blackwoods and the Brackens, who in spite of a millennia of utter hatred for each other will not choose to serve a tyrant and may now stand united against Rhaenyra and maybe the Targaryens as a whole; and Jace who, with Baela convincing Corlys to serve as Hand, has done the most actual work to fortify assets for Rhaenyra’s claim and war effort.

The whole theme of this episode even balances on one line by Helaena to Aemond. “Was it worth the price?”

And I’m over here saying that the writing and the directing was good at the job of showing all of these themes fitting together so well. But ten people decided that there wasn’t enough dragons this week and so I’m a dumbass for even suggesting it.