House of the Dragon Episode 2, ‘The Rogue Prince’ assuaged the fears my previous column had about the new Game of Thrones prequel series.
First, the pacing was exponentially better. The glacial pace of the premiere coupled with the sheer amount of exposition dumped into an hour runtime made sent up a red flag. Is this series just going to be a lot of talking with a couple explosions of violence? House of the Dragon Episode 2 answered this question with a resounding “no.”
The historical groundwork was laid in the first episode really served as a refresher to everyone who likely hasn’t rewatched Game of Thrones since — more than likely — they were burned during the final season. With these shackles gone, the second episode was allowed to jump into the heart of the story, that being … the game of thrones. Yes, political moving and shaking and machinations were ran rampant (in the best way possibly) thus making for a wildly more interesting episode.
Second, the series convinced me that Matt Smith truly was the right choice for Daemon Targaryen. The fear here was that Matt Smith was put in this role of being an absolutely unredeemable, vile villain. For many who haven’t watched him post-Doctor Who in which he’s played a string of horrible men, we only know him as the genial “Boyfriend Doctor.” It was a shock to the system to see him drenched in blood, sex and treachery in the premiere. Yet, in the second episode we see the snarling, sniveling, petulant, yet still malicious and dangerous side of Daemon. The character feels more lived-in and Smith easily seems more comfortable in the role. Next week’s episode, where we see him in battle will be a huge one and given the improvement in the character, the emotional engagement will be there.
Finally, Rhaenyra Targaryen comes off less like a clone of Dany in the episode than in the premiere. The comparisons will likely always be there for the character, but there was so much more depth to the heir to the throne. Her scene where she completely shows the men how to resolve a conflict (with words and a dragon) was one that should be thrown in the GoT Universe highlight reel. Milly Alcock was tremendous in this role — outshining Matt Smith and Rhys Ifans — with almost effortless charisma. Alcock’s scenes with Paddy Considine were the perfect additions of warmth and humanity these episodes needed. The show has been very serious and at times a little too dour. A genuine scene of father/daughter warmth was 100% needed.
Especially for the shocking turn at the end.
Watching Viserys defy the Small Council and announce he was marrying Otto’s daughter instead of Velaryon’s daughter was a huge “WTF” moment (and in the best way possible). Not only did he defy the council, but he made an enemy of his strongest ally, and he betrayed his daughter’s trust (and broke her heart). It’s highly intriguing with the much-talked about time jump, how this will all play out.
One week ago, House of the Dragon premiered with an interesting, albeit question-filled episode that wasn’t as gripping or compelling as it probably should have. If the series had retained that tone and tenor, this reviewer probably would’ve punched of the series. Yet, House of the Dragon Episode 2 proved this series has a lot up its sleeve and is now appointment television.
House of the Dragon Episode 2, ‘The Rogue Prince’ is now streaming on HBO MAX.
