Sigh. House of the Dragon season 2 has officially crossed the finish line, and we can now set our timers for what we can only assume will be another two-year gap between seasons. So what went down in last night’s divisive finale, and how does it set up future plot points of the Targaryen Civil War?
HBO Sunday nights are something of a cultural phenomenon, with the network dropping fan favorites like The Last of Us and The White Lotus during this time slot to help cure those good ol’ Sunday scaries. And in this regard, perhaps no TV show has been as influential as Game of Thrones, which saw disgruntled fans live-reacting its eighth and final season in real time, leaving an endless pit of Twitter memes and online discourse in its wake. Now, it seems its spinoff, House of the Dragon, is following suit.
Despite its first season garnering near-universal acclaim back in 2022, many viewers believe that House of the Dragon has struggled to recapture the same magic as its predecessor in its sophomore run—and a lot of that criticism stems from its finale, “The Queen Who Ever Was.”
Warning! Spoilers ahead for all episodes of House of the Dragon season 2.
So, about that House of the Dragon season 2 finale …
Could this have been an email? Well, fans certainly seem to think so, because last night’s House of the Dragon episode offered a whole lot of setup … only for nothing to pay off, really. Bafflingly enough, season 2, episode 8 currently sits at a 47% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 6.6 on IMBd—one of the lowest-rated season finales in franchise history. You can guess which one snagged the number one spot.
So is it really that bad? Picking up immediately after the events of episode 7, the episode kicks things off by hanging out with Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall), an ambassador sent by Prince Regent Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) to Essos to gain the favor of The Triarchy and raise swords for Team Green. It’s an odd way to get things going, and ends in Tyland mud-wresting Commander Sharako Lohar (Abigail Thorn) and being … invited to an orgy, I guess? Ultimately, we see Lohar and Tyland sailing off to war, presumably to break the blockade that’s leaving the commonfolk of King’s Landing hungry—and furious.
Back at Dragonstone, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) trains her new riders: Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew), Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty), and Ulf the White (Tom Bennett), the latter of whom has a serious ego problem. This doesn’t exactly fly well with Rhaenyra and her son Jacaerys (Harry Collett). While they’re not quite ready to take to the skies, back at the Red Keep, word is spreading of The Black Queen’s new dragons. Aemond, fully aware of the disadvantage this gives him, tries to recruit his sister Helaena (Phia Saban) to ride Dreamfyre into battle, but my girl’s a lover, not a fighter.
Meanwhile, after who knows how many “I see dead people” hallucinations, Daemon (Matt Smith) has a real “come to Jesus” moment at Harrenhal thanks to Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin). The witch gives him the ability to look into the future, not unlike Luke going into the dark side cave on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. It’s a cautionary tale warning for Daemon to get his s*** together and accept his destiny, which is by Rhaenyra’s side. His lofty ambitions to betray his wife and become king will only backfire if this prophecy is anything to go by. Rhaenyra Ubers over to the Riverlands to ensure her husband’s loyalty, and it’s here that he finally rouses his troops to war—“No mercy!” They kiss and make up.
And where do we find our fave queen dowager? Alicent (Olivia Cooke), reeling in the aftershocks of anti-feminism, decides to pull an Uno reverse card and sail to Dragonstone. Here, she makes a deal: Rhaenyra can fly to King’s Landing and reclaim the Iron Throne by killing Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney). All she wishes in return is to “leave it all behind.” You see, Alicent has had a change in heart and doesn’t want to rule. Instead, she wants to honor her late husband by seeing his chosen successor wear the crown. But is it too little, too late? In the end, we don’t see any fighting. All season, the dominoes have been set to fall, but the “Dance of the Dragons” is still, much to some viewers’ disappointment, very much on the brink.
Suffice it to say, House of the Dragon season 2 has left fans with more questions than answers, as nothing was really resolved. Does Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) claim Sheepstealer? Are we seriously going to have to wait two years to see Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) take to the battlefield in season 3? And what of Rhaenyra’s role in the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy?
What’s in store for House of the Dragon season 3?
Although we don’t have an official release window yet, it’s safe to assume that the third season of House of the Dragon will land on HBO and Max sometime in 2026. This means that we’ll just have to wait patiently to see how things pan out—and if all this setup was worth it. We now know that the series will end with season 4, so expectations are even higher for the penultimate batch of episodes to deliver.
I feel like this has been the year of prestige series going into defense mode (i.e. House of the Dragon, The Boys) after some truly impressive debuts, setting up future storylines in a scramble for ensured studio survival. Is this a side effect of the 2023 Hollywood strikes? Or simply the result of an ever-shifting TV landscape? It’s hard to say, but I feel like showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik really have to bring their A-game in House of the Dragon season 3.
Personally, I don’t mind slower, more methodical storytelling. However, I think this approach is best reserved for later seasons. House of the Dragon really jumped the gun by giving audiences a lot to keep up with in season 1, from Rhaenyra being named Viserys’ (Paddy Considine) heir to her eventual fallout with Alicent and that, ahem, killer season finale, which ended with Rhaenyra vowing to take “a son for a son.” Of course, the show does have George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood to use as a reference point, and maybe its sluggish pacing is simply a byproduct of adapting the novel. Either way, it’s still wildly entertaining, but in comparison, it’s not nearly as action-packed as season 1.
In the end, House of the Dragon is a masterclass in TV writing despite its shortcomings. Even in its slower moments, it’s still a captivating look into this vast world, and its characters are troubled, messy, and complex enough to be compelling in their own right—so maybe it’s for the best that we wait until season 3 to see more battle and bloodshed. We’ve certainly met some interesting new faces this season, who will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in what’s to come. All I hope is that what’s next to come is the very thing we’ve been waiting for: the Dance of the Dragons and all-out war.
Published: Aug 5, 2024 02:55 pm