“House of the Dragon” is back! Fans were finally able to see the first episode of the second season of the “Game of Thrones” prequel and the reactions were not long in coming on social networks. Small anthology.
Warning, spoilers. It is recommended to have seen the first episode of season 2 of “House of the Dragon” before continuing reading this article.
After two years of waiting, season 2 of House of the Dragon has finally arrived on your screens! The sequel to the series derived from Game of Thrones, which promises to be bloody, has started its weekly broadcast on the MAX platform, which has just arrived in France.
As a reminder, this adaptation of the novel Fire and Blood by George RR Martin is a prequel series centered on the tragic story of tensions, betrayals, jealousies and complex alliances of the Targaryen family, almost 200 years before the events of Game Of Thrones.
A first episode that sets the tone
After a first season of exhibition full of twists and turns, marked in particular by the tragic death of Lucerys, the son of Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), killed “accidentally” by Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), the son of Alicent (Olivia Cooke), as he pursued him on the back of his dragon Vhagar.
This event will change everything in the conflict between Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), who reigns on the Iron Throne thanks to the shenanigans of his Hightower family and their allies, and Rhaenyra Targaryen, the eldest daughter of the late king Viserys I.
The start of the war between the Green and the Black is proclaimed and after a necessary time of mourning, Rhaenyra wants blood: “a son for a son”. She wants revenge and for the person responsible for the death of her son Lucerys to be killed too.
Her husband (and uncle incidentally) Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) will take her at her word and will pay small mercenary rodents to kill Aemond in his sleep. But the henchmen will make a mistake – an event called “Blood & Cheese” in the novel by George RR Martin – and will attack the children of Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban), the wife (and incidentally sister) of ‘Aegon II.
The unfortunate helpless woman will witness the murder of her son, and therefore Aegon’s heir, and flee to find her mother Alicent, sharing an intimate moment with the Knight Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel). A very hypocritical behavior on the part of the two protagonists who had previously criticized Rhaenyra’s attitude.
Most fans are won over by this first episode of season 2 of House of the Dragon, although some are disappointed with the turn of the “Blood & Cheese” event in the series, which differs from the book.
“I’m sorry but Blood and Cheese was adapted horribly and the scene relied solely on Phia Saban’s acting (and she GAVE EVERYTHING). Too bad the writers thought a sex scene between Alicent and Cole was more important .”
With this first episode of season 2, House of the Dragon has just gotten to the heart of the matter and started the famous “Dance of the Dragons”, a bloody war lasting several years that devastated the Targaryen Empire. And the next episodes promise other twists and turns and especially other deaths.
The first episode of season 2 of “House of the Dragon” is available on the MAX platform.