As per last week, this is as early as I can deliver my House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 review. This week, I feel like this episode is best described as a collection of great scenes. Does that make for a satisfying episode? I think that depends on your own tastes, so for me, yes. Yet, if the smaller character moments are less your bag, this may not rank among your favorite episodes.
Back to normal this week, and the review will be,
SPOILER FREE
So, with no spoilers, what is this episode about? Given the shocking events of last week’s premiere finale, Episode 2 deals with our main characters reactions to those events and the ramifications for the story being woven. As one would imagine, we spend most of our time with the Green’s who have just suffered a major loss.
That being said, there are two wonderful scenes with the Blacks I loved in particular this week. That’s not to say there were not great scenes with the Green’s though. I think Rhys Ifans as Otto was my standout performance of the week. As an actor he really got to show so many sides of Otto in this episode alone. The wise and cunning hand, always pragmatic, to a broken man looking back on potential regrets. Yet perhaps my favorite was the ‘give no f***ks Otto’ who didn’t hold back where normally he would.
Aegon was great again, and like his grandfather was this week able to show the different sides of his character. Some of which were notable by their absence in last week’s premiere.
There were just so many well written and well performed scenes between 1-3 actors in a room. Aegon, Criston and Otto, Otto and Alicent, Rhaenyra and Daemon, Rhaenys and Corlys in bed for less than a minute was class, Baela and Jacaerys, Rhaenyra’s chambers at the end. Probably others I’m not mentioning that deserved mention also. So many of them are the kind of scenes which win actors Emmy’s. That’s great writing/direction, photography, lighting, acting and the rest all coming together.
RELATED: House Of The Dragon Season 2 Premiere Review: Great – With One Big Criticism
There was one scene which was more ambitious in scope. A funeral procession through Kings Landing, Haelena and Alicent were brilliant here, though there were crowds and guards who all did a great job in making the scene feel bigger than it really was. That’s the thing about House of the Dragon. It always looks like it cost even more than it did to make these long episodes. Episode 2 is almost 120 minutes with commercials. Yet in reality, there isn’t much more being spent on this show than there is your average 30 minute episode season of a Star Wars series. Yet, those invariably just look cheap (outside Andor).
Only one action scene in this one, if anyone is feeling the need for some combat in Season 2. I won’t get into how and why it happens. However, I will praise the choreography of the fight in question which was minimalistic. Instead of fancy swordplay at work, we see just a raw and bloody scrap, filled with emotion and absent of any noticeable strategy. That felt more realistic and painful for me than a fancier piece of choreography would. Less is sometimes more, and more is quite often less, in the wrong hands.
Criticism? Erm……
I’m not sure what criticisms, if any I have? Some other critics may say this was a slow episode? However, when the drama is this good, you don’t need excitement to fill your time. Some critics may say Episode 2 was fundamentally too similar to Episode 1, with a slightly different exciting climax? I’d argue that works FOR the episode. It shows the symmetry of how both kin slayings change the dynamic of this war going forward. Things are going to heat up, dramatically in the weeks to come. Therefore, I say let’s enjoy this deep breath before the plunge. This how to make us care about the horror which will come soon enough.
In my mind, House of the Dragon is the best show on TV right now, period. And I enjoyed Episode 2 even more than I did Episode 1.
GRADE: A
As always, let me know what you thought of my House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 review. Let me know what you thought yourself, SPOILERS allowed in comments. Read them at your own risk.
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