With a triumphant first season under its belt, House of the Dragon has returned for its long anticipated sophomore outing. This is very much a season of two halves, showcasing some of this franchise’s greatest strengths as well as some concerning weaknesses.
The first episode picks up right where we left off, with war looming on the horizon after Team Black’s devastating loss. The momentum is upheld from season one, with pieces quickly falling into place, as both sides scramble to plan their next move. The first four episodes are phenomenal, with brilliant pacing, exceptionally written dialogue, and shocking narrative turns. Based on those episodes, I was ready to score this season with near perfect marks.
In many ways, the first half of season two feels like a direct extension of season one, culminating in one of the greatest on-screen battles in television history. Naturally, there was going to be a comedown from something so grand, but I didn’t expect that comedown to consume the entire back half of the season. Now, don’t get me wrong - there isn’t a single bad or even mediocre episode in this batch, but the final few hours play more like setup for season three, which leads to this season feeling incomplete. There’s a final montage that cues up an exciting future for the series, but those events should’ve been spread throughout the last four episodes instead of crammed into the last five minutes.
The dialogue continues to be a series highlight, offering consistently tense, funny and engrossing exchanges. Yes, there’s spectacular action too, but much of the dialogue is just as engaging. The politics resemble a slow burn game of chess, with character motivations continuing to grow increasingly twisted. I especially enjoyed the building rivalry between Aemon and Aegon, as their polarizing personalities lead to some big confrontations. The writing is brought to life through outstanding performances from the entire cast, with plenty of superbly performed monologues.
With the source material being more of an overview than a proper story, there’s a lot of creative liberty taken to flesh out the story. For obvious reasons, that makes me nervous, but for the most part the writers do a great job. There will always be purists complaining about the show straying from the book, but it does wonders for character complexity. Sadly, some characters do get sidelined, as they don’t play an important part in this chapter of the story.
The production design is awe inspiring, marking a massive improvement in every area. The visual effects get a big upgrade, and if you’re here for the dragons, you’re in for a treat. The sets, costumes, makeup and props are rich with detail, rivalling the very best of Game of Thrones. Ramin Djawadi’s score continues to impress, with character and house themes being a major highlight. The cinematography team outdid themselves too, with some of the most stunningly composed shots I’ve ever seen.
Does season two of House of the Dragon suffer a sophomore slump? I don’t think that really paints a fair picture. This is still event television at its finest, but these eight episodes don’t form a wholly satisfying story of their own. It serves as a spectacular conclusion to the events of season one, and an intriguing, but slightly underwhelming, setup for things to come.
4/5
Review by: Benjamin Garrett