‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 finale: What is Sharp Point, and why does Aemond burn it?

Ever the dramatic loose cannon, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) realises he’s outnumbered by Team Black’s new scaly recruits in the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale — so he decides to torch a town instead.

But where is this place that Aemond decides to burn, and why does he choose that poor town of all places? Let’s break it down.

What does Aemond do in the finale?

Early on in the House of the Dragon finale we see a shot of Aemond on mighty dragon Vhagar, watching on as a coastal town burns in the distance. There’s a close-up shot of the flames and we hear people screaming in pain as Vhagar takes wing and flies off.

Soon, when Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) visits Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) in his sick bed, we find out what’s happened.

“He has gone in fury to Sharp Point and laid waste to the whole of the town,” says Larys.

But what is Sharp Point, and why does Aemond specifically target that place?

What is Sharp Point?

If we take a look at the official map of Westeros, we can see Sharp Point on the very edge of a peninsula surrounding the Blackwater Bay. It’s probably the closest mainland town to Dragonstone, which is where Aemond was flying at the end of episode 7 when he got rebuffed by Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy’s) new dragons. Because of this there’s a clear geographic reason why it might have fallen victim to his anger — simply put, it’s one of the closest places for him to burn.

But as showrunner Ryan Condal explains in a YouTube breakdown of the finale, there’s more to it than that.

“Aemond lashes out,” says Condal. “It’s also a strategic act because Sharp Point is the seat of House Massey, who serves on Rhaenyra’s council. It’s a punishment to them for siding with the pretender.”

So there you have it. Aemond, even in his rage, isn’t just wildly levelling random towns. Gormon Massey (James Dreyfus), who sits on Rhaenyra’s council is the target of the attack.

House of the Dragon Season 2 is streaming now on Max.