House of the Dragon episode 2 picks up six months after it left off in the premiere episode, and the plotting has already begun.
House of the Dragon kicked off with record viewership last week and without a doubt, it will continue to do so as the season goes on. Game of Thrones have shown up in droves to watch this series and the best part is — it delivers.
For those who were satisfied with the ending of the long running series, and for those who were not, House of the Dragon offers a way to step back into Westeros. Here viewers find everything they loved about Game of Thrones — deceit, blood, gore, backstabbing, and a whole lot of family drama. The mentions of fan favorite last names and locations is just the icing on the cake. And don’t get us started on the incredible visuals and score.
House Of The Dragon Episode 2 Review
House of the Dragon episode 2 takes place six months after the events of the first episode. This is confirmed when someone quickly mentions that it has been half a year since the Queen’s death. As we saw previously, Princess Rhaenyra has been named heir to the Iron Throne over her Uncle Prince Daemon Targaryen, and she is determined to prove that she deserves it.
The men of the realm aren’t exactly thrilled about a female heir, as they expressed when they refused to name “the Queen that never was” as the heir. So of course this means the plotting and backstabbing has already begun. That is what makes this episode so interesting.
We have Rhaenyra doing everything in her power to show the kingdom and the council that she is worthy of the throne, while many others are working against her in the shadows to have a new heir named. House of the Dragon episode 2 feels like peak Game of Thrones with all of this going on — and then we add in Matt Smith.
Matt Smith isn’t in a whole lot of this episode but when he is there he steals the show. His story is very much setting up for the future of the season — and perhaps the entire show. He is not giving up his fight for the throne easily, and he is clearly willing to do almost anything to get back his title as heir.
While there is a little bit of action and gore in House of the Dragon episode 2, it is nothing like we got in the first episode. Heck, it might be a while until they top THAT scene (you all know what we are talking about). Still, there are some moments of bloodshed and yes, we get some great dragon footage as well.
The main focus of House of the Dragon episode 2 is King Viserys Targaryen and his duty to remarry and produce heirs in order to keep their bloodline strong. There are many different characters approaching him with their ideas of what he should do and why. In true Game of Thrones fashion everyone wants to set their families up for access to the throne.
We won’t get into details in an effort to avoid spoilers, but just know that this is where things get juicy — and by the end of the episode fans will be giddy to see what is going to happen next week.
House of the Dragon episode 2 is more about the story than the action, but it is completely captivating from start to finish, leaving no time for the pacing to drag or things to feel slow and dull. There is drama and deceit around every corner, in true Game of Thrones fashion.
This episode has proven that the success of the first episode of House of the Dragon was not a fluke. The writing is smart and familiar enough for Game of Thrones fans without feeling like a carbon copy. Things are sure to get even more intense as the season goes on, and we cannot wait to see what is in store for House of the Dragon episode 3.
Rating: 5 out of 5
NEXT: House Of The Dragon Review: It’s Good To Be Back
About House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins. House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, airs Sundays on HBO and HBO Max. Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” the series, which is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, tells the story of House Targaryen.
House of the Dragon airs on HBO & streams on HBO Max weekly on Sundays at 9pm.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.