Max (formally HBO) rolled out the second season of their juggernaut show House of the Dragon this summer and reminded audiences why Max remains the pinnacle for watercooler television. No other television network has matched Max's chokehold regarding weekly viewing formatted shows. While Netflix has faced criticism for splitting its largest shows into two parts and Prime has confused viewers with its two-episode premieres, Max has consistently created shows that globally grasp audiences' attention unlike any other, making household names out of iconic characters such as Tony Soprano, Carrie Bradshaw, and Jon Snow. Despite their past success, many worried they would be unable to recreate that watercooler magic after the Game of Thrones final season. Two years ago the gamble Max took on adapting Martin’s work Fire & Blood into House of the Dragon seemed to pay off; the show earned Emmy nominations, captivated audiences, and brought back author George R. R. Martin’s world of Westeros. This summer, new showrunner Ryan Condal and his writing crew led by Sarah Hess attempted to recreate the magic of two years ago. Whether or not they succeeded at that has certainly been a debate since the curtains fell on the final episode of the season. With a finale that felt surprisingly droll and rumors that the show was forced to condense the season to eight episodes, audience members went from a high on dragons to worries that we were once again in for disappointment in Westeros.
While I was amongst those disappointed at the end of the finale, after some time for thought, rewatches, and a few podcasts (if you are not already listening to the House of R podcast for deep dives, run to catch up), I have begun to think of season two in a more generous light. While it certainly was not the jaw-dropping finale that season one gave us, I would argue that the season as a whole is an improvement. After all, while the big moments made Thrones memorable for most fans, what caused us to invest on such a deep level for so long was the characters. While season one of House of the Dragon had a lot of work to do covering almost two decades' worth of story that included multiple main character recasts and reintroducing audiences to Westeros, season two had its own struggles as it attempted to find its pacing. The season slowed down to explore the desires of each main character before they flew headfirst into the “Dance of Dragons” in a manner that felt similar to Thrones. Many characters seemed to have succinct arcs that altered their perspectives in the calm before the storm. Rhaenyra, who opened the season in shock over losing her father, daughter, and son, ended the season with triumph. Daemon, who began the season undermining Rhaenyra, has been humbled and bent the knee. Aegon went from King of Westeros to fleeing King's Landing. Aemond went from untouchable to vulnerable. Otto went from running the kingdom to being held captive. And Alicent went from being caged in by the patriarchy to setting herself free.
If season three uses these iterations of the characters properly, season two will prove invaluable, and audience members may look upon its subbed tones with more fondness once the carnage of season three hits. Specifically, the juxtaposition of Rhaenyra and Alicent’s parallel storylines seems more compelling on a rewatch. It is clear the show considers Olivia Cooke and Emma Darcy their show leads and will do just about anything to get the characters in a room together. Despite the frustration it caused many fans, the final scene of them together this season is some of the best work the show has done. The characters' inability to detangle themselves from each other has already been the catalyst for much of the hardship they have faced and I expect much more in the future. As a book reader fan, the show’s relationship between Alicent and Rhaenyra is appealing because it is so far removed from the book iteration of the two women. The show has always played with the idea that history is often matriculated by men in power and how those who operated in the margins often were misrepresented, and Alicent and Rhaenyra are at the heart of that sentiment. The show made the insightful decision to alter the ages of the women so that they grew up together and were friends before Alicent’s marriage to Rhaenyra’s father; this change has given the show much more runway for the relationship. Where the book posits them as complete opposites, the show makes it a point to emphasize what the two have in common. This season both women fought to hold onto the power they had worked so hard to grasp in the first season. Daemon’s betrayal of Rhaenyra in episode one and his subsequent abandonment of her in episode two leaves her vulnerable amongst her council members who refuse to see her as their leader. Alicent, on the other hand, has every semblance of power she once held stripped from her: her sons spurn her advice and she is ultimately thrust out of the council room, the one place where she held power. Alicent and Rhaenyra collided not once but twice this season, with the last time being the climax of the finale episode. This scene will prove vital going forward as it posits the two women on the same side for the first time since the beginning of the show. This positioning of the two women as tentative allies gives the show more space to explore the relationship without having to create outlandish scenarios to get them on screen together.
While Emma Darcy and Olivia Cooke shined in their roles, Matt Smith’s Daemon had a particularly difficult and hotly contested storyline this season. Daemon’s arc in Harrenhall was one of the season’s most memorable yet not always in a positive manner. Condal and co. certainly had an intentional journey for Daemon yet, it felt flat by the end of the season. While some of the dreams were compelling, others seemed to be made just to get audiences talking (such as the scene where he performs oral sex on his mother). The fact that, in the final episode of the season, Daemon still needs one more dream sequence in order to bend the knee to Rhaenyra left me annoyed. It is not that Matt Smith wasn’t once again incredible in the role, oscillating between the many manifestations of the character with ease, but the arc itself felt forced to begin with, as Daemon had already bent the knee in season one. That is not to say the arc itself was wasted: it was a joy to see the return of Milly Alcock and Paddy Considine, and seeing Daemon face a reckoning for some of his more debased actions was at times enjoyable, but the length of the arc felt a little wasteful. Of course, if season three does not sweep it under the rug and continues to explore the unbalanced power dynamics in the marriage between Rhaenyra and Daemon or the cracks in Daemon’s psyche after spending so much time in Harrenhall, then this arc may prove more satisfying.
While Daemon’s positioning this season felt detached from the rest of the characters, many side characters became more entrenched in the main storyline, giving the show a larger ensemble feel. Characters such as Mysaria, Larys, and the newly introduced Alys Rivers cemented their roles as advisors to those in power. Larys particularly stood out, as a more vulnerable and nuanced depiction of the character came to light. His discussions with Aegon concerning his recovery and new life outlook after his accident were compelling, and despite getting more of Larys, much of his motivations remain unknown, creating intrigue for audiences going forward. Mysaria won the “most improved” medal for the season as the character was brought back from the brink after being seemingly written off in season one. Despite Daemon’s machinations, Mysaria managed to prove herself invaluable to Rhaenyra this season, advocating for the small folk and providing much-needed damage control to Rhaenyra’s reputation after the “Blood and Cheese” scandal. Mysaria and Rhaenyra’s kiss in episode six remains to be a question of whether or not it was an incident of queerbaiting on the show’s behalf or if it is an actual plot point going forward as the two subsequent episodes ignored it entirely. Alys Rivers was a counter to Mysaria and Larys, as she did not advise Daemon to power but away from it. She took Daemon on a spiritual journey and, considering the season ends with Aemond flying to the Riverlands, viewers can assume Alys will continue to be a player in the game going forward.
Other characters that stepped into the spotlight this season include Prince Jaceaerys, whose pouting prince routine was at times frustrating but mostly entertaining to watch; Princess Baela, who is shaping up to become a brazen miniature of her grandmother; and the introduction of the dragon seeds Ulf, Addam, and Hugh. Each of the dragon seeds have the potential to shine within their storylines in season three, and they should certainly be a storyline to pay attention to going forward. Other side storylines fell flatter, such as Princess Rhaena’s storyline in the Vale: despite the show’s painstakingly slow setup, it still has yet to yield her a dragon. In a similar vein, the show failed to showcase the talent of Phia Saban as Queen Helaena. Despite her standout moments in the premiere and the finale episode, Helaena was often sidelined or relegated to small one-liner moments during the rest of the season, which seems a mistake considering her ability to not only see the future but also “dream walk,” as we saw her in Daemon’s vision as well. Whether or not every storyline was successful, the fact that season two emphasized the importance of the ensemble cast as a whole is a great sign for the health of the show going into season three and beyond; all-out war has been promised, and investing in these characters beforehand is likely to increase the payoff.
Overall season two of House of the Dragon may have been imperfect, but if season three uses these storylines to its advantage, it may cement itself as a fan favorite. Episodes four and seven may have been some of the best episodes created not only in House of the Dragon but also in the entire Game of Thrones universe, as they were the perfect blend of action, fantasy, and palace intrigue. If the show does not veer from its course with some of these storylines and sees them through in season three, some of the lower points of season two will prove invaluable. If Rhaena does indeed claim the dragon she found in the finale, if Daemon does change his outlook on power, if Mysaria is not sidelined once again, if Helaena’s dreams become more important, and perhaps, most importantly, if Alicent and Rhaenyra continue to collide, then fans will certainly look back on season two as the catalyst for the events to come. For fans of Game of Thrones, I would caution against comparison to later seasons of Thrones despite House of the Dragon’s shaky finale. House of the Dragon has a finished product with Martin’s Fire & Blood, it has cemented its leading actors, and it simply has more dragons. In many ways House of the Dragon leans more into the fantasy elements of the world of Westeros than Thrones did, and I would wager that season two of House of the Dragon will be the most Thrones-like season when the series ends, as it leans more into the palace intrigue, politics, and scheming that made Thrones such a hit years before Dany’s dragons ever took flight. I think unfair expectations were laid on House of the Dragon to dive headfirst into all-out war after season one’s finale. Yet, before season two began, we had only been with the main actors Olivia Cooke and Emma Darcy as Alicent and Rhaenyra for five episodes, so it is no surprise the show wanted to slow down things to be sure that audiences are connected to these characters before they rip our hearts out with the war to come. House of the Dragon has allowed fans to be in Westeros once again, and with the end of a season that saw us through dragon fights, weirwood tree visions, and the red sowing, I would say that House of the Dragon is perfectly poised to once again captivate audiences in two years for season three.
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