A disappointing end despite an otherwise good second season.
After House of the Dragon’s stellar debut in 2022, it was not hard to imagine why people were eagerly anticipating its next chapter. The first season perfectly set up a brewing conflict over the course of 20 years involving family drama and royal succession. The second was expected to have more of the same, with the bonus of the start of a bloody civil war fought using dragons. So does Season Two live up to the hype? Well, sort of.
The end of the last season promised an all-out war between the Blacks and the Greens, two factions that splintered from the Targaryen dynasty. The Blacks rally behind Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy), whose father chose her to succeed him following his death, as the rightful queen. But because she’s a woman, her claim to the throne is disputed by the opposing side. The Greens believe Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) is the true heir, all because of a misunderstanding of the dying king’s last words. Thus, in the form of a Shakespearean tragedy, a conflict ensues.
However, instead of diving headfirst into the long-promised war, the follow-up season pumps the brakes. In the first four episodes, we’re led through a setup of sorts that culminates in the first battle. This is followed by another setup in the last four episodes as both sides ready themselves for the next battle to come in the third season. While the prolonged buildup is disappointing, there are moments throughout this season that make up for its slow pace . . . at least until the finale.
Tensions certainly come to a head in the long-awaited war’s first dragon-on-dragon battle, and it’s about as gruesome as one might expect. The attention to detail in this visceral fight sequence is fascinating, from the dragons spewing fire while clawing at and spinning around each other (aptly giving the war its name, the Dance of the Dragons) to dragon’s blood burning the armies down below. Seeing his men reduced to bone and ashes, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), commander of the Green army, despairs. “The dragons dance, and men are like dust under their feet,” he says, almost wistfully. “And all our fine thoughts, all our endeavors are as nothing. We march now toward our annihilation. To die will be a kind of relief.”
The fallout of this battle develops other characters as well. Aegon is scorched and deformed, forcing him to recuperate while his brother, Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), rules in his stead as prince regent. Aemond grows bolder and more volatile after his dragon’s victory. Rhaenyra, on the heels of defeat, is desperate to find more dragon-riders. What comes next is the second highlight of the season.
Rhaenyra considers letting bastards try out to become dragon-riders, which is unthinkable to her allies. In Westeros, dragons are viewed as gods, and it is believed that only the purest Targaryens can mount the beasts. But as long as an illegitimate descendant has some royal blood, he can theoretically claim a dragon. Following through with this hypothesis, Rhaenyra finds two more dragon-riders as dozens of contenders are eaten alive in Jurassic Park–like fashion, which shows how far Rhaenyra is willing to go to defeat the Greens. The penultimate episode ends with an epic shot of the aspiring queen in front of the two newly claimed dragons and her own, staring defiantly into the distance as all three dragons roar.
It would have been a great moment to end the season. However, the finale loses momentum and ends with a four-minute trailer-like montage of each side preparing for battle. Instead of closing at a high point, like the previous season (which ended with the shocking death of Rhaenyra’s second son during a dragon chase), the finale leaves us underwhelmed as we wait another two years before the war kicks into high gear.
While its last episode falls below expectations, the overall season remains an enjoyable watch primarily because of its strong character development. Daemon Targaryen (portrayed as a fascinating enigma by the talented Matt Smith) wrestles with his lifelong desire to become king during his stay at the haunted castle of Harrenhal, where he witnesses visions of his past sins and his family’s connection to the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy. The hallucinations humble Daemon and fortify his loyalty to Rhaenyra. On the opposing side, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) suffers an identity crisis of her own. Once resolute in Aegon’s ascension to the throne, she comes to realize that the war could have been avoided if she hadn’t misinterpreted her ailing husband, who she thought wanted their son to succeed him. This revelation, among other things, weighs on her conscience, and Alicent wishes to wash herself of her failures.
Rhaenyra is the weakest character this season, which is a shame because she was previously one of the best. Though it’s difficult to pin down exactly why her character isn’t as interesting anymore, part of the problem lies in the fact that she doesn’t have much agency. Most of the season shows her reacting to events instead of taking initiative. Rhaenyra can’t ride into battle because if she dies, her cause is lost. As a result, she’s relegated to a much more passive role. Also, she tries repeatedly to avoid, or at least delay, war. Her motivation is frustrating, considering how the previous season ended with her vengeful gaze into the camera following the death of her son. This suggested that all hell was about to break loose in the coming episodes, but it never does. While it’s understandable that the writers want to shed light on her primary flaw, her inaction is boring.
House of the Dragon’s sophomore season aims high with its writing, world-building, and visual effects, but it lacks the momentum needed to propel the story in a satisfying way. The debut season, in comparison, was more fleshed out, and it had ten episodes instead of eight. The Game of Thrones spin-off should have upped the ante and action this time around. But now that the chess pieces are laid (once again), let’s hope the third season kicks off with a bang.
