TV Review: ‘House Of The Dragon’ Is Off To A Slow But Brutal Start In Season 2
by Frank Martin
Given the way the previous season ended, season two of House of the Dragon was always going to start in a very dangerous place. This spinoff of Game of Thrones had a very high bar to hit while also checking off certain boxes. It had incest, dragons, political infighting, and tons of irredeemable characters. GoT is also known for its violence and brutality, which the Dragon second season debut managed to have on a particularly strong note. But it took a while for the story to get there. Granted with the short nature of the season (only 8 episodes for Season 2), it should be viewed more as an extended film rather than individual episodes. So perhaps some of the show’s slower and character-driven scenes can be forgiven if it moves the narrative towards escalating conflict.
After the death of her son, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) searches for proof of Hightower involvement. Thus leaving Daemon (Matt Smith) and the others to prepare for war in her stead. Meanwhile, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) sits the Iron Throne, but is pretty apathetic about being king. His mother, Alicent (Olivia Cooke), and grandfather, Otto (Rhys Ifans) — who also serves as his Hand — try to use him to hold onto power. But tensions are rising and it is only a matter of time before both sides are going to face each other in open battle. The episode ends as Daemon sends agents into the castle in order to kill the heir to the throne, thus escalating the situation even further.
For all the controversy it generates, Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon are two very slow-moving shows. In both shows, there was a lot of talking and politics involved. The sex and violence happen in relatively short bursts compared to the character drama. This opening episode was no different. The dragons were barely present and both sides were simply trying to employ their strategies in preparation for war. Even the gruesome scene that ended the episode didn’t have any actual violence on screen. The worst of it happened off camera. It was still a tension-filled scene that no doubt left audiences wanting more, but the show is definitely going to need to pick up the pace for this short season to have an impact.
House of the Dragon streams Sundays on Max.
