The second season of HBO’s House of the Dragon is a heartfelt apology to any fans disappointed by the final seasons of A Game of Thrones, and puts detail, splendour and drama at its forefront.
This review contains spoilers for HBO’s House of the Dragon seasons 1 and 2, what is to come in future seasons, and its inspired book Fire & Blood.
Reflections on A Game of Thrones
Fans of A Game of Thrones will remember the outrage and overwhelming disappointment felt and expressed due to the writing and conclusion of the final seasons of the show. Basic world-built rules were broken, characters time travelled, and cities were destroyed for no apparent reason. The resounding apology for the conclusion of the Emmy-award-winning show can be found in the House of the Dragon.
Showrunner Ryan Condal and writers have retconned plenty of the mistakes made in season 8 – the dragons being willing to cross the wall being the first corrected; the differences in dragons that isn’t just colour but is build, age, and lineage; the fatal impact of dragon fire to boil blood and ashen bodies; and the confirmation of Daenerys Targaryen as ‘The Prince Who Was Promised’ being the final correction.
What’s New this Season
This season features a diverse and fierce display of dragons and their power, with the additions of Silverwing, Vermithor, Tessarion, and Sheepstealer to the mix. We see the true power of Vhagar and Meyles at the Battle of Rook’s Rest as they demonstrate the effects of giving the war to the dragons.
In comparison with the time-skip of season 1, season 2 takes things slower, perhaps too slow. King Consort Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith, is having an intrusive, nightmarish experience in the accursed Harrenhal for a majority of the season, being babysat by Ser Simmon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) and mentally tormented by Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin).
However, this is where the season adds in the small details that define both Harrenhal’s suspicion and Daemon’s reasoning for standing with Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy). As mentioned before, Daemon is tormented by dreams, both prophetic and others deeply disturbing and unimaginable – he dreams of the late King Viserys and what could have been had he been a better brother, has an extremely upsetting scene with his dead mother Alyssa, and is violent and terrified toward the younger Rhaenyra, played by Milly Alcock.
This season there is more attention to other Westerosi houses and the effectiveness of them, with keen focus on House Tully and the Riverlords. Houses Bracken and Blackwood give us a glimpse of their war, and the Lady of the Vale Jeyne Arryn (Amanda Collin) hosts Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) and the young princelings in the Eyrie. The season starts with introducing us to Lord Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor), who is a notorious player in the Dance and the aftermath of it. The cast is larger and spans all of Westeros this season.
Additionally, the power and combined strength of the ‘smallfolk’ of King’s Landing is truly felt – there are revolts and rumours spread, Rhanerya plays to them by providing food and sending whisperers to preach about how the ‘Greens’ are feasting and revelling while the poorest starve and scrape. Dowager Queen Alicent and her daughter Helaena are mobbed by angry crowds after leaving the sept.
Acting
Alicent Hightower, played by Olivia Cooke, becomes an ever-more complex character in this second season. Beginning the season, Alicent’s hypocrisy is revealed with Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and continues throughout the first few episodes of the season until she is scorned by Cole after he becomes Hand of the King. Olivia perfectly displays Alicent’s inner conflict over the season – she drifts in and out of trust in Aegon’s (Tom Glynn-Carney) rule after a disguised Rhanerya visits in the Sept and the true inheritance of the Iron Throne is discovered as Alicent realises she has misunderstood Viserys’ last words.
Helaena Targaryen, played by Phia Saban, has truly been through it this season. First, her son is murdered by Blood and Cheese, she is then swarmed and overwhelmed by the smallfolk, and then is stormed and attacked by them. This all leaves a lasting affect on Helaena, who is slowly losing her mind to grief and prophetic dreams. Book readers know the fate of Helaena Targaryen, and can see the signs of her madness already.
Fabien Frankel has truly made Sir Criston Cole the most hated character in the show, his hypocrisy and hatred for Rhaenyra consumes him and getting revenge on her becomes all of his motivation. Cole is known as the ‘kingmaker’, and is one of the main players in the show that is purely against Rhaenyra and not under Alicent’s misunderstanding.
Emma D’Arcy as the star of the show perfectly encapsulates the drive and motivations of Rhaenyra Targaryen, her grief in losing her father and her children and how protective of them she becomes after the tragedies that befell Luke in season 1. Rhaenyra is angry and driven, but surrounded by those who would keep her hidden and wrapped in bubble-wrap if they could. Anything she wants to do must needs be done without her council’s knowledge – her venture to King’s Landing to appeal to Alicent and her confrontation of Addam and Seasmoke. She speaks fluent High Valyrian while her half-brother Aegon speaks to his dragon in the Common Tongue.
Due to Fire & Blood being a fantastical historic book meant for world-building and sheer curiosity, there is very little personality description and many of the events reported are from the perspectives of very different sources – a maester, a septon, and a fool being the most common sources, and because of this, actors have very little information from the original source to work with. Yet each and every member of the cast is flawless, Rhys Ifans, as always, puts on an excellent performance as Otto Hightower, and Paddy Considine returns this season as King Viserys in Daemon’s dreams.
For the readers!
House of the Dragon has truly become a show for the Fire & Blood readers and the dedicated fans, and many plot points and dialogue may not be understood by casual watchers – readers saw Blood and Cheese coming, casual fans did not. Likewise, the visions and prophetic dreams had by both Helaena and Daemon were developed upon and made key persuasions for both characters.
Costume is an excellent storyteller and the team on the House of the Dragon truly utilised every bit of it. There are small details such as Alicent’s seven-pointed star necklace getting smaller and eventually she stops wearing it as she loses her faith in Aegon’s reign while Aegon’s chain gets larger as he is pulled down by the responsibility of ruling and the consequences of his poor decisions.
Both Rhanerya and Aegon have beautifully embroidered dragons on their outfits, Rhanerya with Syrax and Aegon with Sunfyre. The attention to detail in the costume department is key to story points, character motivations, and general lore – Daemon’s sword Darksister; how Alicent’s outfits deter away from the Hightower green; maester chains; and the proud embroidery of house sigils.
image credit: HouseoftheDragon instagram
Main Critique
While this season wasn’t particularly low on action – the Battle of Rook’s Rest was heartfelt and detailed in how men turned to ash under dragon-fire and we saw the death of the major player Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best), the Queen Who Never Was and the mutilation of Aegon, but it does however feel like it is holding back slightly. Episodes begin and finish with threats of death and destruction, yet lead to very little in the next episode – episode 7 ended with the threat of three more dragon-riders added to Rhaenerya’s power, and episode 8 began with the aftermath of Aemond’s (Ewan Mitchell) fiery destruction of Sharppoint, which we didn’t get to actually see happen.
The season felt like it could have had one more episode to it – for those who have read the books, the Battle of the Gullet could have been a greater ending to mirror the promise of violence and vengeance from season 1’s finale. The ending for this season left some fans dissatisfied and served only as a reminder to the failings of the Game of Thrones ending.
Readers of Fire & Blood will know the terror and destruction that is in store in seasons to come, and showrunner Ryan Condal has explained that all the pieces have now been brought up to a climatic point, everything is teetering on the edge of the real dance of the dragons beginning. However, with season 3 likely two years away, the ending of the finale did not feel all that final – there are questions surrounding Rhaena and Sheepstealer; the appearance of Alicent’s youngest child Daeron and his dragon Tessarion. How Alicent will fare in her established quest in King’s Landing? Will Helaena fight alongside her brother on Dreamfyre? All are still unanswered to show-watchers.
What’s to come
Without a doubt, the answers will present themselves in season 3, which was greenlit before season 2 even premiered, and A Song of Ice and Fire fans are no strangers to waiting a few years, 14 years even, as they have waited for George R. R. Martin’s next instalment of the original series, The Winds of Winter.
House of the Dragon is predicted to have four seasons, and will likely stick to 8 or 9 episode maximum with episodes running over an hour. Season 3 will definitely get more into the violence and dragon fire that we know is in store, but viewers will likely have to wait until late 2026 for this excitement. And then onto 2028 or 2029 for the fourth and final season.
Despite the long wait, I would much rather wait years for a good quality, thoughtful, and detailed season than receive something rushed and careless. How many times can I mention how poor season 8 of Game of Thrones was?
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, House of the Dragon season 2 has been extremely detailed and an ode to the bookish fans with an eye for the small things. The cast truly pour all of themselves into their roles to bring characters we know so little about to life and give them depth and sticking characteristics.
It has been worth the wait, I was leaping out of my seat every single episode. Viewers asked for more dragons last season, and season 2 delivered almost all of the dragons. The future seasons will hopefully give us better looks at Sheepstealer, Tessarion, Dreamfyre, Morning, Grey Ghost, perhaps even The Cannibal – all the dragons that Fire & Blood readers know all about.
Both seasons are extremely rewatchable, more and more small details can be noticed each and every time and after finishing Fire & Blood, and both season together truly compliment on another. The attention to detail in every aspect of the show production has paid off incredibly, from soundtrack to scenery, everything has been taken into consideration. The love and dedication poured into this second season has made it thoroughly enjoyable and edge of your seat watching.
Feature image credit: nowtv
