More of the cast show off their acting chops as Westeros moves closer to not-so-civil war. Here’s our spoiler-free review of House Of The Dragon’s episode 2.
Spoiler warning! These reviews are spoiler-free for the week in question, but will discuss previous episodes in detail.
Emma D’Arcy really is brilliant, aren’t they?
After a season debut which largely pushed Rhaenyra into the background (she had lots of staring into the sea to do), House Of The Dragon episode 2 serves as a handy reminder of how D’Arcy manages to elevate every scene they find themselves in.
Understandably miffed at Daemon’s spectacularly awful cock-up at the end of the last episode, the wannabe ruler of the Seven Kingdoms is forced to switch from grieving the loss of her son to preventing the continent from hurtling into full-fledged civil war. Matt Smith, too, is on particularly hateable form here. Though, as we’ve said before, House Of The Dragon hews closer to grey moralities than black and white ones, his character might be the closest thing we’ve got right now to a straight-up scoundrel (though a few of the House Green kids certainly give him a run for his money).
Speaking of kids, Tom Glynn-Carney continues to impress as Aegon II. His first scene reacting to last episode’s murder proves an emotionally powerful opener, and his performance takes the brunt of that. Again, it’s refreshing to see his character evolve beyond the Joffrey-lite he seemed to be set up as by the first season (even if, like most of the ruling class of Westeros, he’s still pretty awful).
His wife, Helaena (Phia Saban), also gets more to do this episode than she has previously. Last episode hinted at it pretty strongly, but her carriage ride through the city cements just what a vulnerable position she’s in. That she spends so much time with Olivia Cooke’s Alicent – the two could hardly be more different – only makes her stand out more. In their chats, Cooke increasingly seems to be looking at her like she’s a member of a different species.
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The translation of personality flaws into political disasters, too, continues to play to Thrones and House Of The Dragon’s strengths. At their best, both series have managed to capture George RR Martin’s knack for the historical tragedy. No spoilers here, but one decision Aegon makes in episode 2 feels like it has the potential for consequences far beyond his expectations. It’s like watching both sides having a clapping competition on a snowy mountain – this doesn’t look like it’s going to end well…
Episode Two is available on NOW and Sky Atlantic.
