A lot can happen in two years. A major streaming service can inextricably rebrand its name. Actors and writers can band together and strike in protest of Hollywood’s voracious capitalistic greed. And, in the midst of all this change, the second season of HBO’s House of the Dragon can continue to film unperturbed. When it was announced that production on the Game of Thrones prequel series would continue on schedule due to the scripts having been completed before the strikes, many fans celebrated — and why wouldn’t they? The show’s actors were part of a different union than SAG, and the writers involved were still able to strike in solidarity with the WGA. Seemingly, the situation was a win-win for everyone involved. However, now that House of the Dragon Season 2 has arrived, perhaps, like House Targaryen in these latest episodes, it’s time to reconsider what it means to “win.”
Previously on the show, House Targaryen was on the precipice of an inevitable civil war following the death of King Viserys I (Paddy Considine). A crown usurped, a prince murdered, and lines drawn in the proverbial sand. Only days have passed at the start of this new season. Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) is aggrieved and in search of Prince Lucerys’ remains while the rest of the realm readies for war. For House Targaryen, all of Westeros is a game board and each side is readying their pieces to play. In the north, Jacaerys Targaryen (Harry Collet) attempts to persuade Lord Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor) to declare his support for his mother. In the south, Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) and her father, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), attempt to rally their own allies while moving their forces into place throughout the Reach and the Riverlands.
But as the season progresses, both Alicent and Otto come to understand the cost of crowning a feckless king. If there’s one thing House of the Dragon does especially well in this latest season, it’s highlighting how the reckless actions of the ruling class, be it their quick tempers or blood-soaked feuds, serve only to inflict continued suffering on the smallfolk. This is incredibly savvy on showrunner Ryan Condal‘s part as this is one of the major themes of the “Dance of the Dragons” civil war in A Song of Ice and Fire lore, and it will likely rear its head in later seasons. There’s plenty of this foreshadowing present in House of the Dragon Season 2. Seeds of lore or future outcomes are planted in clever and interesting ways — such was the case with the last season’s utilization of the disputed histories from author George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.
However, just like last season, there are some adaptational choices made here that are… puzzling, to say the least. There are several instances in House of the Dragon Season 2 where characters make decisions or take actions that contradict the narrative arc that the show’s writers had set them on previously. These decisions range from being questionable at best to being straight-up nonsensical or confusing, feeling like a tedious wheel spinning more often than not. Maybe the shortened season length is to blame? There are only 8 episodes, and after all, the original Game of Thrones series never fared well when it had less than 10 episodes to work with either. Nonetheless, a lot of the issues present seem like they could have been resolved with another script pass-through, which simply wasn’t possible due to the sensitive time when House of the Dragon Season 2 went into production.
Courtesy of Ollie Upton/HBO
All of this isn’t to say that House of the Dragon Season 2 is without any meaningful creative choices, though. Tom Glynn-Carney’s King Aegon II levels up almost immediately this season as he sits on the Iron Throne next to Queen Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), becoming more complex and “tortured” the closer we get to where his insecurities lie. Ewan Mitchell’s Prince Aemond Targaryen also gets even more depth than his elder brother, delivering some vulnerable and truly moving scenes scattered throughout the first four episodes. Mitchell manages to balance Aemond’s multifaceted character wonderfully, concealing and revealing his ever-turbulent emotions as the scenes call for them.
Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower also goes on an interesting emotional journey, indulging in vices that fans might not have imagined her being tempted by. In this respect, Cooke portrays Alicent’s desire and helplessness with sharp precision, giving one of the season’s best performances by far. It’s fair to say that, at least in the first half of House of the Dragon Season 2, the Greens get most of the compelling storytelling we have come to expect from a Game of Thrones series. Showrunner Ryan Condal, who took over sole duties this season following the departure of previous co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik, choosing to focus on the Greens in this first half is slightly unexpected but not at all unwelcome. This kind of spotlight serves the overall purpose of painting House Targaryen with the tragic Shakespearean brush they deserve. Though fans of the Blacks might not see it that way.
It’s quite disappointing to report that many of those on Rhaenyra Targaryen’s side of the conflict have little to no dimensionality in comparison to their Green counterparts in this new season of House of the Dragon. Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra is obviously given most of the focus and even then, the writing for the usurped queen leaves much to be desired. Gone is the fire in her eyes from the finale of the previous season, and instead, she is written to be calm and rational in her demeanor, the writers refusing to let the character be flawed or make ugly decisions.
Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen is the one made to sully his hands from Team Black, as that is exactly what audiences have come to expect from him. Daemon’s presence in the first half of the second season is scarce in comparison to Season 1, but where the series leaves the character in Season 2, Episode 4 could lead to greater overall development later on. As for the rest of Team Black, there’s not much going on with the players in these first four episodes. Eve Best’s Rhaenys Targaryen gets a few key moments to shine that are honestly quite tense and thrilling, yet just like with her dragon pit escape from the first season, poor writing decisions weaken the intended impact.
Despite these issues in Season 2, House of the Dragon is still, by far and away, the best live-action fantasy series currently airing on TV. As always, composer Ramin Dajwadi’s roaring score goes above and beyond, managing to find new ways to create distinct themes and motifs that find their way into your head and heart. The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros feel lived in and expansive, the show’s visuals often instilling awe in the audience as events unfold on the screen. Costuming for several characters has improved in House of the Dragon Season 2 as well, and all of this added detail works to further immerse viewers in the world. The high level of craft on display alone makes a show you don’t want to miss if you adore the fantasy genre or Game of Thrones in general.
Time will tell if House of the Dragon Season 2 will stick the landing. It’s off to a somewhat shaky but not unrecoverable start. Certainly, fans of the previous season will enjoy it; how could they not? House of the Dragon continues to have its strengths and pulls off a level of cinematic spectacle only a Game of Thrones show can achieve on television. Though, perhaps, some fans will wonder how much tighter the writing could have been this season had script supervisors been available and ready to, well, supervise on set. As the remaining four episodes of House of the Dragon Season 2 come, hopefully, the issues that arose in this first half will be eclipsed as the conflict between the Greens and the Blacks begins in earnest. If not, at least the dragons still look cool, right?
House of the Dragon Season 2 premieres on Max on June 16, 2024!
Created by Ryan Condal & George R. R. Martin.
Showrunner: Ryan Condal.
Based on Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin.
Executive Produced by Ryan Condal, George R. R. Martin, Sara Hess, Alan Taylor, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, & Vince Gerardis.
Main Cast: Emma D’Arcy, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Tom Glynn-Carney, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Sonoya Mizuno, Harry Collett, Graham McTavish, Matthew Needham, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, Abubakar Salim, Gayle Rankin, Freddie Fox, Simon Russell Beale, Clinton Liberty, Jamie Kenna, Kieran Bew, Tom Bennett, Tom Taylor, & Vincent Regan.
Composer: Ramin Djawadi.
Production Companies: GRRM, Bastard Sword, 1:26 Pictures Inc., & HBO Entertainment.
Episode Count: 8 (Season 2).
