Culture news House of the Dragon Season 2: I saw episode 2 and I can tell you that it will be debated, even if there were three crucial references that you probably missed!
After the long-awaited return of the House of the Dragon series, we couldn’t wait to devour the 72 minutes of entertainment promised by this second episode. Today, we are discovering the consequences of a finale which left more than one person shocked or, conversely, skeptical. Here again, House of the Dragon gives cause for debate! I saw episode 2, it won’t please everyone, but I found it breathtaking and important: there were three important references, and I’m telling you about them! Final reminder, as always: do not read the following if you are not up to date.
Let’s admit it, we are not going to shy away from our pleasure of resuming this good old habit of episodes from the universe of Game Of Thrones that we devour every Monday. Admittedly, last week I was a little naughty about the ending of the first episode of season 2 of House of the Dragon. But, for those who have read the book on which this season is inspired, you will agree that the impact was much less significant. In any case, this new burst of episodes began in a rather quiet manner with the direct reaction to the tragic events at the end of the first season. Like the previous week, I didn’t hang around to watch this new episode – which is rather long, 72 minutes – in the hope of being more convinced. Once I arrive at the end credits, I only have two things to say: the first is that this second episode will be debated and the second is that there are three more or less hidden references which are of the utmost importance for the future of events!
House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 2 Takes Too Much Time, and It’s Double-Edged
Perhaps a little less virulently than last week, the episode of House of the Dragon, broadcast during the night, risks spilling a lot of ink. Here, it’s not so much one of the events of the episode that fans and viewers will have something to complain about but rather the pacing of the episode. As we know, this second season was cut by two episodes compared to season 1, bringing the total to only eight episodes for this season 2, or almost two hours of show less! Obviously, this is news that can be a little sad for some, and even more so when the series allows itself to go… rather slowly. Yes, these 72 minutes of House of the Dragon risk being debated throughout the week because not much happens in this second episode… Really?
Some will surely think that when they see it, but there are also many reactions on social networks which highlight the fact that this is perhaps one of the best episodes in the universe of Game Of Thronesi.e. all series combined. I must say that I rather agree with this version since the slowness in the series does not bother me in the least, even less when it allows the talent of the casting to be highlighted. For this second episode, the performances are up to the series and the stakes of the plot: there is tension, anger, heated exchanges and slightly lighter passages, but overall, It’s very high quality! Once again, the series takes its time and decides to show us how this great war is set up, and it’s worth a watch.
Here, each person faces the sordid events and the consequences of their actions and decisions. Queen Helaena is moping after she chose to sacrifice her heir son, Dowager Queen Alicent (less cruel than in George RR Martin’s work) believes she is being punished for something she did, Daemon realizes that his plan has gone awry and that he has done more harm to Rhaenyra than anything else, Sang is captured during the escape before being killed by King Aegon himself – in the book, this is not specified, except that he underwent several days of torture without dying – and Criston Cole, himself, regrets his fault and having tainted his oath so much that he takes out his anger on his troops and, mainly, Ser Arryk Cargyll, twin brother of Ser Erryk Cargyll, ally of Rhaenyra. Rather than devouring the pages of the book to make a script, the series takes (too much?) its time, and this may displease some, but this second episode was, in reality, of capital importance!
You probably didn’t notice these three references in Season 2, Episode 2
As we said, this second episode did not adapt a large portion of the book Fire & Blood – around ten pages, at most -, had fun tinkering with the chronology – for example, it is only when Criston becomes the Hand of Aegon I who suggests that he send Ser Arryk to kill Rhaenyra, and not before – and to extrapolate the events with scenes created for the occasion (in particular around Aegon and Rhaenyra/Daemon who are not supposed to confront each other at this moment). In short, we are shown, with very beautiful staging most of the time, the way in which this war is taking place. Now that the low blows have been dealt, it’s time to move on to a full-on feud. In this major confrontation, three characters play an important role and we have already seen two of the three!
So, in this second episode, we quickly made meeting Hard Hugh, presented in the book as “a bastard blacksmith”, “a colossus” who also had the name of Hugh the Hammer. In the same way, but having the right to a few more scenes compared to its counterpart, we also witnessed the presentation of another young man named Addam de CarèneWithout revealing too much at this time, it should be noted that these two characters will be central to what is called the unfolding of the “seed launch” or, more frequently, ” the red season “. This is an important detail since it is one of the major strategies (with multiple twists and turns) applied in this war between the Blacks and the Greens. We will wait for the series to reveal more to you but we will most certainly be led (it’s even certain!) to talk about it. Please remember that the appearance of these two characters is not insignificant…
Finally, the last important mention of this second episode was made directly by Otto Hightower during a discussion with Alicent. He points out to her that one of her sons is safe in Vieilleville, the family stronghold, and this child is none other than Daeron Targaryen, the fourth and last heir she had with Viserys Targaryen. We will surely have the opportunity to see him in the next season, but this last son will play a key role in the confrontation against Rhaenyra and represents a powerful ally for the Greens since he will ride the dragon Tessarion to which he is linked. since he was six years old. If we have not yet seen this child, for the moment, it is because he was sent at the age of 13 to Vieilleville to be the cupbearer and squire at the court of Lord Ormund Hightower . From now on, we will have to keep this in mind since the Dance of the Dragons should, from Monday (with the consequences of Moulin-Brûlé and Sombreval, perhaps) and the next, take a hell of a turn : we’re not making this up, the showrunner of the series had teased “two of the biggest sequences we’ve ever filmed in House of the Dragon”, and the battle at the Siege of Rookrest, surely planned for the episode 4, has a very good chance of being one of them!