*Spoilers for the season 1 finale.*
House of the Dragon is back! …For eight episodes. After two years. That pretty much sums up the state of television right now—HBO/Max’s premiere series returns after an extended hiatus and offers even less. The episode is compelling, don’t get me wrong, and this is hardly just a House of the Dragon problem. But for whatever reason, this is the one that’s making me pause and say, “What on Earth are we doing here?” Be better, studios!
Way back when the season 1 finale aired, its brutal ending was the talk of the internet. Aemond and Luc, both on dragonback, scuffle in the air, with Aemond sending his dragon Vhagar after his young nephew largely to scare him/be a dick. But when Luc tries to fight back, Vhagar doesn’t get the message that they’re not supposed to be battling in earnest, and she kills both Luc and his dragon.
Season 2 picks up shortly where we left off. Both sides are still scrambling after the news of Luc’s death. While Daemon is itching to get out there and retaliate, Rhaenyra has gone out on her own to retrieve what’s left of her son. Her camp has established a blockade maintained by both ships and dragons. Over in King’s Landing, Otto Hightower and Alicent clash as each tries to address this escalation in different ways, and both of them are concerned that the newly crowned Aegon doesn’t really have what it takes to lead them into war.
As we get back into the swing of things, there’s a lot to establish, reminding the viewers of the new state of affairs while also moving the story forward. In an effective opening scene, we meet Cregan Stark, the current Lord of Winterfell, which brings some Game of Thrones feels flooding back—even aside from talking about honor and defending the Wall, the dude is just every inch a Stark. And in an episode where many characters are focused on their next move, whether that’s strategizing or impulsively acting, it’s also good to see some genuine feeling over the fallout from last season. My favorite moment in the episode comes in a short, beautifully emotional scene where Jace sees his mother for the first time since hearing the news about Luc. He does everything he can to hold it together and make his report for the mission she’d sent him on before Luc’s death, but he breaks down, and as Rhaenyra steps forward to comfort her son, both of them give way to their grief together.
On the Hightower side of things, Aegon is, shall we say, not up for the challenge of being king—just in general, let alone on the cusp of full-blown war. There’s a good scene where he’s listening to petitions from his subjects, and it’s a constant dance of him making the first response that comes to mind and Otto stepping in as Hand to temper/overrule his decisions. I haven’t forgotten how despicable Aegon is, so I certainly don’t feel bad for him here, but it’s an interesting dynamic. Meanwhile, Alicent fights to maintain any level of influence, either on Aegon or in the Small Council.
Daemon isn’t the most impulsive character in the episode, if only because there are people like Rhaenys to remind him that he can’t go around committing acts of war in Rhaenyra’s absence without her orders. But it’s clear that everything inside him is boiling. Despite his seemingly calm exterior, he’s desperate to act—and act rashly. The calmer heads around him can barely keep him restrained.
My favorite Daemon scene comes in a confrontation between him and Rhaenys, with Daemon eager to see Aemond’s head on a spike and Rhaenys reminding him that those decisions aren’t his to make. There’s a nice tug and pull with Daemon here, because he views his desired actions as being in Rhaenyra’s best interest. He’s the one who gives us our episode title, demanding “a son for a son.” But at the same time, he’s trying to support Rhaenyra in the way that he thinks she needs, rather than waiting to hear what she really needs. When Rhaenys urges him to give Rhaenyra time in her grief, Daemon insists, “The mother grieves as the queen shirks her duties!” Total bastard moment.
Matt Smith does well with this whole dynamic. Although his performance remains fairly even-keeled, never raging or showboating, you can feel Daemon’s fury and frustration radiating off him in waves. He wants to take charge, and he wants to get revenge, and at this point, he doesn’t really care about what consequences might arise from his retaliation.
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