House of the Dragon Season 2 Sees the Targaryens at Their Breaking Point

The Targaryens are on the brink of war. Here’s our review of House of the Dragon Season 2.

The History of the Iron Throne has been steeped in violence and the greed of people for power and wealth, and that remains the case for the continuation of the Game of Thrones prequel series. Surprisingly, this season is a lot tamer; there’s still a lot of violence and (somewhat needless) nudity, but the focus is a lot more on the political machinations that are breaking the kingdom apart, which actually makes it so much more entertaining.

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Backstabbing, politicking, actual stabbing, and… dragons. Here’s our review of House of the Dragons Season 2.

Season 2 starts off with an angry and despondent Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) who is stewing in anger and guilt at the death of her son. Daemon (Matt Smith), meanwhile, is itching for revenge. In true Daemon fashion, he seems ignorant of consequences, which will be a delight for Rhaenyra and her court. 

Meanwhile, on the other side, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) is enjoying being able to sit on the Iron Throne, but his mother, Alicent (Olivia Cooke), and grandfather, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), know that the Petulant king needs guidance. But everyone knows it’s only a matter of time before everything, well, turns into crap.

Violence and tension

Let me be clear: when the show decides to turn violent, it really turns violent, so don’t go thinking because I said it’s “tame” that means showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik have decided to go easy on us. In fact, the very first episode shows just how utterly bloody it could be. So fret not, GoT purists. There are plenty of scenes that will have you squirming or looking through your fingers because of the violence.

As brutal as it could get, it’s in the tense scheming and plotting where the show really shines, and this only work thanks to the writing and the actors pulling it off. Emma D’Arcy continues to be, as one internet meme astutely puts it, “monarch” (because “queen” isn’t applicable since she’s non-binary). They effortlessly relay Rhaneyra’s woe and anger wordlessly, and as much as everyone else gives top-notch performances, D’Arcy once again takes the cake. 

The million dollar question

Condal and Sapochnik have shepherded the show’s writers masterfully. Instead of falling into the HBO cliché of shock value explicitness and confusing plotlines, they were able to keep things straightforward and focused. On top of that, they’ve also managed to make this series stand by itself. While it is the prequel to Game of Thrones, those like me who haven’t watched the show (please don’t send a dragon after me) can easily just start with House of the Dragon.

However, that doesn’t mean that its predecessor’s shadow hangs above it, for better or for worse. The show hasn’t had the same impact GoT had, at least not yet, but the vast majority agree that the show is doing good so far.

And that’s exactly why people are wary. Everyone knows of GoT’s infamous eighth season; and I do mean everyone, because even I know about it and I didn’t even watch it. The million dollar question fans now have is whether the plane will be landed properly this time. Unlike its predecessor, House of the Dragon’s source material is already fortunately available, so that might make the difference.

Looming doom

House of the Dragon Season 2 sets alight a powder keg in Westeros that will definitely cause bloody repercussions throughout the kingdom and the next season, which was just announced before the second season’s release. That’s not to say you won’t see those repercussions play out in this season. There’s a foreboding sense of doom that hangs all throughout, but what do you expect from a Game of Thrones prequel? Anyways, it’s that doom that fans keep coming back to. 

Rating: 4/5 

The first episode of House of the Dragon Season 2 is now streaming on HBO GO

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Bangkok