House of the Dragon season 2 Reviews (original) (raw)

If that first series was merely the warm-up, then this second feels like the whistle has just blown on the main event.

Even when it too closely resembles its legendary predecessor, Condal’s series is a gripping portrait of the eternal hunger for wealth, pleasure, power, and supremacy.

Loved the second episode! Best TV show out there with beautiful cast according to the book.

Set 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” the prequel focuses on House Targaryen that includes King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), his younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and the king's daughter Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).

Showrunner Ryan Condal’s talky, character-driven approach has its downsides. There are still too many names and subplots. To let so much political and personal friction develop requires slowing the action to a pace that might frustrate anyone who’s mostly here to watch dragons brûlée people. (For those who might be wondering, the dragon riding still looks as goofy as ever.) But by de-emphasizing—and deglamorizing—combat, in favor of enriching central characters, closely tracking each side’s machinations, and questioning the very premise of a just war, the series harkens back to the early seasons of Game of Thrones.

Even when things slow to a crawl as one side or another plots, schemes, argues and/or tries to make alliances, the production values are never less than excellent, what with all the cavernous interiors and the abundance of candles and ooh, they have such great maps.

The show’s second outing is both more cohesive and more disappointing, based on the four episodes I’ve seen—as if it’s either biding its time or preparing a launch pad for the back half of the season.

Shockingly, after almost two years since season one premiered, the show is off to another slow start for better, and sometimes for worse.

The best I could muster at the end of their sweaty, bloody passion play was, "Ouch." Again: the subpar writing deserves the blame for that, not the performers. .... We may find that the back half of this one finds ways to remedy the diluted storytelling leaving us cold. The fourth episode fuels that hope even as the action within drains whatever dregs of assurances are left for the realm.

What a first episode. I still trembling. Seriously, i had never been so exited for a show as i am with HOTD. This season is gonna be memorable.

Welp they fell into the last year of streaming shows where they supplement the next season rather than standing alone. if it wasn't for a really strong 1st season this might have gone down as the worst. I really liked the story telling and how they were leading to something, I just didn't know they'd rely on season 3 to get there. good luck moving forward, but you start off with a 1st season adapting a fast paced/time skipping season to a tit for tat, poking the dragon, season.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Extremely slow and boring.... LITERALLY a filler season. They could have wrapped up the whole story in 2 or 3 seasons max but they're going to drag it on to 4 seasons? I'm out

costume drama with dragons... nice setting but boring and slow plot and dialogues with no mysteries and no secrets to be revealed. huge urge to skip through many scenes of the 2nd episode