Spoiler note: This House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 9 review discusses “The Green Council” in full. Mary & Blake cover the show as TV-first viewers and avoid future Fire & Blood spoilers.In our House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 9 review, we break down “The Green Council,” an episode where grief becomes procedure, prophecy becomes permission, and Alicent turns Viserys’ last words into a coup.That is the real tension of the episode. Viserys’ death does not create the Green coup. The coup was already waiting in the walls. Otto, the Small Council, and the men around Alicent had plans in motion before the body was cold. What Viserys’ final words give Alicent is something more dangerous: the ability to believe the coup is righteous.Alicent thinks she is trying to prevent violence. She thinks she can guide the men around her toward peace. But Rhaenys sees the prison clearly. Alicent is still working through her father, her husband, her son, Criston, Larys, and the machinery of male power. She does not want to break the wheel. She wants a window in the wall of her prison.Quick answer: House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 9, “The Green Council,” follows the immediate aftermath of King Viserys’ death. Alicent believes Viserys wanted their son Aegon crowned king, while Otto and the Small Council reveal they had already been planning to replace Rhaenyra. Criston Cole kills Lord Beesbury, Aegon is found in Flea Bottom, and the Greens crown him before Rhaenyra can respond. At the coronation, Rhaenys escapes on Meleys, confronts the Greens, but chooses not to burn them.Watch Or Listen To Our House Of The Dragon Season 1 Episode 9 ReviewWatch our full House of the Dragon Season 1 Episode 9 review for “The Green Council,” or use the podcast player on this page to listen to the full recap and reaction.In this episode, Mary & Blake discuss why believable characters have to do everything in their power to achieve their wants, why Alicent is still in service to men, why Rhaenys becomes the episode’s moral center, and why Ser Harrold Westerling is a good boss because he always gets the Starbys for his crew.Watch the House Of The Dragon Season 1 Episode 9 review on YouTubePrefer audio? Use the podcast player on this page to listen to the full episode.House Of The Dragon Season 1 Episode 9 CoverageUse these links to move through Mary & Blake’s House of the Dragon coverage in order.Season 1 Hub: Full recap, episode guide, podcast coverage, and war setupPrevious Episode: Season 1 Episode 8, “The Lord Of The Tides”Next Episode: House Of The Dragon Season 1 Episode 10, “The Black Queen”Season 2 Guide: Recaps, reviews, podcast reactions, and fallout from the warSeason 3 Guide: Teasers, explainers, and the next stage of the DanceHouse Of The Dragon Season 1 Episode 9 Recap: What Happens In “The Green Council”?“The Green Council” begins in the quiet aftermath of Viserys’ death. A young servant discovers the king is gone, the news moves through the Red Keep, and Alicent quickly tells Otto that Viserys changed his mind before he died. She believes he wanted Aegon to sit the Iron Throne.The problem is that Otto and the Small Council were already prepared for this moment. They do not react like people shocked into action. They react like people whose plan has finally been unlocked. Rhaenyra is not in the room. Daemon is not in the room. The named heir is not even told her father is dead. The Greens move first because the coup depends on speed.Lord Beesbury is the only council member who openly refuses the lie. He insists that Viserys never changed the succession and that what they are doing is theft. Criston Cole reacts, slams him down, and kills him. Whether Criston meant to kill him or not, the effect is the same. The first blood of the coup is spilled at the council table.Ser Harrold Westerling refuses to participate and removes his white cloak. Alicent tries to keep Rhaenyra alive. Otto wants Rhaenyra and