Here is my House of the Dragon Season 2 finale review and I have to say, for a season finale it was all a bit Meh! Yes, there are some good moments in this finale that are a natural progression of the characters and the plot. However, for me there was also a few bad moments that I’m really unsure why they were added. I’ll also point out that the finale is getting a lot of heat from fans online. However, I would not say I’m as negative as some of those voices. I’m lukewarm on it, not cold.
A lot of fans think Season 2 really slow, and I don’t really agree. Yet there are a few criticisms I have of my own and some common critiques I do agree with. Let’s get into it. Oh, and this will be a SPOILER FREE review. Therefore I won’t quite get into the weeds of exact details in this review.
The Good
There are some good moments this week and I’ll start with one that seems to be disliked online. Without spoiling, we get what I think will be a final vision for Daemon. The content of this vision has some connections to the Game of Thrones show. You likely already know some fans hate any reference to future events. The prophecy of the Song of Ice and Fire from Season 1 was not a well loved choice. Equally, fans will hate Daemon (or anyone) having prescience in any way. My take is this. Whilst I don’t think it was necessary to close off Daemon’s Season 2 arc here, I think it was well done. It was a little on the nose, but not quite smashing it off your face as some fans are claiming.
I also enjoyed the awkwardness of the scenes with Ulf this week. It was almost cringey, but not quite in an uncomfortable way, because it feels genuine. Overall there were one or two other well crafted scenes/conversations. I particularly enjoyed our first scenes of Rhaenyra and Daemon since the early season. A moment between Corlys and Alyn was also worth the wait.
Not as big budget as the previous two episodes, and that follows a pattern from Game of Thrones. Yet, at the same time, I’m not quite sure they pulled off a satisfying Season finale.
The Bad
The worst offender for bad scenes in this finale for me is yet another meeting between Allicent and Rhaenyra. I already criticised the pair’s meeting earlier in Season 2, and I haven’t changed my mind. The first meeting made no sense and was just a way to have the actors interact. This finale meeting is equally as unnecessary. I feel like the events that will happen in Season 3 could take place just as well without either of these meetings.
Additionally, as a character, I find Allicent’s decision making laughable this season. A great character/actress who has been wasted because they have nothing for her to do.
Last week she went travelling for a swim to waste time. This week she’s off to Dragonstone and gets there in mere moments. That trip between Dragonstone and Kings Landing is getting shorter. You suspend some disbelief on how fast dragons can really fly, but on horse/carriage/boat that trip takes a lot longer. Season 2 would have been better spent seeing Allicent take the huff at what happened to her grandson and Rhaenyra at the loss of her son in Season 1. Have them grow to hate one another instead of this weird meeting up and flip flopping around.
Additionally, compare how the evil Cersei reacts to her even more evil son Joffrey then compare to this. No mother/grandmother would make some of the choices Allicent has made in Season 2. Just think Allicent’s role has been done dirty in Season 2.
Sadly There’s More
I also found a few other scenes just didn’t work for me in this finale. The entire story of what Jason Lannister was up to was, just weird. Jason was a character we’ve hardly seen at all in Season 2. The last time we did see him, he was leading an army that went nowhere, I think in Episode 1 or 2. This plot was set up in previous episodes, but unlike everyone else, it seems it actually took a while for Jason to get where he was off to. For me, either expand this story across a few episodes, or just cancel it and have someone announce that Lannister’s mission was successful. I really just didn’t like the scenes much, didn’t enjoy the writing, or a new character introduced.
RELATED: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episodes 6 & 7 Review – This Is Where The Budget Went
Then we have Rhaena, who has now for two episodes been running about fields with no dialogue. Exciting content I’m sure you’ll agree. Rhaena is looking for a dragon, and finally, she finds it… Wait, that should be cool right? To see Rhaena claiming a dragon, finally. Nope, we see the dragon and then the scene ends, making it all set up and rather pointless. It feels like such a waste to not show what happened next in Rhaena’s final scene.
Honestly, it feels like a set up episode for a proper Season finale if this had been 10 episodes instead of 8. It really does feel like they just stopped at 8 and decided to make the finale of Season 2 the start of Season 3. It also means given the amount of action required, I could see Season 3 being only six episodes with the same budget as 8 for Season 2.
The Season as A Whole
In some ways it feels like there was too much stretching out of plot in Season 2. Probably to preserve the time some actors have left in their roles. If you know, you know, but no spoilers here folks. Season 1 was even lighter on action, but flowed much better in terms of a season of a TV series. Season 2 overall whilst still good,, isn’t quite as good and feels like an incomplete season somehow.
Overall Season 2 still has some great episodes and some standout moments. As a complete season though, narratively, It’s just not on the level of Season 1. Does that ruin the franchise and kill the show? No, of course not, despite what you may hear online. This is till a more enjoyable watch than 80% of anything else in TV.
Season 2 Finale
GRADE: B-
Season 2 Overall
GRADE: B+
That is still a damn good TV series folks, but just not on the level of Season 1, or early seasons of Game of Thrones.
Tell me what you think of my House of the Dragon Season 2 finale review. Or, as always, leave your own thoughts on Season 2 below. I’ll see you back here in around two years time when Season 3 is out.
Oh and here is a small teaser for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, HBO’s next Game of Thrones spin-off show. Enjoy.
Meet Dunk and Egg.
A sneak peek of the @HBO Original Series #AKnightOfTheSevenKingdoms, coming in 2025 to Max. pic.twitter.com/n3GrJShydY
— Max (@StreamOnMax) August 5, 2024
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