Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 6.
Summary
House of the Dragonseason 2, episode 6 continues the fallout from Rook’s Rest and the gradual build to the finale with another solid, if unspectacular, outing. TheGame of Thronesprequel has settled back into the same slower, early season rhythm it had before theDance of the Dragonsexploded into life in episode 4, but that’s not a bad thing.There’s some intriguing setup and strong character development in King’s Landing, Harrenhal, and on Dragonstone, although not everything works.
The King’s Landing Drama Is Great In House Of The Dragon Season 2, Episode 6
It’s Similar To Game Of Thrones Season 2 In This Regard
Similar toGame of Thronesseason 2 (and other seasons, but that was particularly peak for it),the King’s Landing storylines are whereHouse of the Dragonseason 2 is doing a lot of its best work. That’s not too much of a surprise, as it’s the capital where so many of the political machinations happen, and where many of the most complex characters are situated.
Elsewhere in King’s Landing, the riots are a brutal turn that add a jolt of urgency to the proceedings.
There’s lots of great character work and interplay between different pairs of actors here. That goes from Alicent Hightower and her son, Aemond, on to Aemond and his brother, King Aegon, and then Aegon and Larys Strong. Each of these adds to the drama and intrigue and builds on their existing relationships.It’s these kinds of small conversations where power is decidedand where real change can happen, so while each is relatively small, they’re fascinating to watch as the various schemes and political battles unfold.
Elsewhere in King’s Landing, the riots are a brutal turn that add a jolt of urgency to the proceedings. The show has been increasingly setting this up with characters such asHugh Hammerand Ulf White, and it finally boiling over allows for a powerful depiction of the smallfolk’s struggles. It does a good job of making you worried for Helaena, in particular, because she’s so decent, but without taking away from the plight of the people, such as the horrifying shot of the man’s hand being cut off, and it’s all staged really well by director Andrij Parekh.
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House of the Dragon is set before Game of Thrones, but time jumps left some confused about how long it will cover. Here’s the HotD timeline explained.
The Return Of Viserys Was Needed For Daemon’s Story
Although there have been complaints, I’ve mostly enjoyed Daemon Targaryen’s story in the past few episodes, with an interesting dive into his psyche (and some questionable bedroom antics). However, I think another episode of that could have been stretching it a bit too much, if not for the return of Paddy Considine as King Viserys I Targaryen.
Viserys was the best character in season 1, andConsidine gave one of the best single-season performances I’ve seen in theGame of Thronesfranchise, so it’s great to see him back and not having missed a beat with his return. Viserys is the defining person in Daemon’s arc. Everything has been because of or in response to him in some way, so it was very important to see him once again.
I’m not sure if there should be more visions for Daemon, as this feels like a strong closing point for them.
Daemon’s visions of Viserys are great for bringing his arc full circle. There’s clearly a huge amount of regret and sorrow felt for how he behaved and that he wasn’t there for his brother when he could’ve been, and how that, in turn, helped cost him the crown he’d wanted. I’m not sure if there should be more visions for Daemon, as this feels like a strong closing point for them.
Daemon’s Harrenhal Visions In HOTD Explained: All Scenes, Returning Characters & What They Mean
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The Team Black Storylines Are More Of A Mixed Bag
There’s A Lot Going On, And It Doesn’t All Work
Daemon aside, things were mostly solid elsewhere forRhaenyra’s Team Black.Having poor Steffon Darklyn attempt to claim a dragon was destined to end in tragedy, but it’s a strong scene and, while we’ve not spent much time with him, does make you connect with and feel for his character. It also works well to set up the events at the end of the episode, with Addam of Hull becoming Seasmoke’s new rider.
Speaking of Addam, I thought the climactic sequence with Seasmoke was well done and pretty entertaining, but I wouldn’t say the same for the earlier scenes with Alyn. I like both of the characters, butthere are only so many times we can see Alyn and Corlys having more or less the same brief conversationabout working for him, in the exact same shipyard setting, before it starts to become really repetitive.
I do think the episode ends on a strong note, and not just with Addam and Seasmoke, but with Rhaenyra and Mysaria.
Similarly, so far, the Vale storyline isn’t doing much for me. I feel a bit for Phoebe Campbell, as they’ve not been given a huge amount to do out ofHouse of the Dragon’s main cast members. Their performance as Rhaena is good, but the character has been underdeveloped, so a story wherein it’s just them, some young kids, and a new character who has yet to really shine means there’s not a lot to engage with there.
Episode 8
August 4
I do think the episode ends on a strong note, and not just with Addam and Seasmoke, but with Rhaenyra and Mysaria. Their conversation, and Mysaria’s backstory in particular, adds a lot of depth to the characters, and their kiss was unexpected but makes a lot of sense and, again, works to give them more layers. I’m not sure where that’s going to go, and it’s strange to think there are only two episodes left, but I’m intrigued to see it play out asHouse of the Dragonseason 2 begins to wrap things up.
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 release Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and Max.
House of the Dragon
Cast
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
