‘House of the Dragon’ – ‘A Son for a Son’ – Review
The second season of House of the Dragon roars to life with explosive energy, and the emphasis is one more. More scheming, more danger, more sex, more fire and more blood, as two sides of the House Targaryen play the game of thrones, and much will burn in their wake.
While Rhaenyra struggles to come to terms with her son’s murder, in King’s Landing, Alicent grows concerned that Aegon’s Small Council may lead them to an all-out war.
The first season of House of the Dragon was an unprecedented success for HBO Max and brought a renewed sense of energy and dynamism to the land of Westeros and the world of Ice and Fire after a lacklustre final season of Game of Thrones. Now showrunner Ryan Condal takes the reigns for Season Two, and winter is now upon the lands of Westeros as two warring factions, The Greens and the The Blacks, make their claim for the Iron Throne. Building on the momentum of Season One’s shock ending, Condal and his team move at pace as we move into Season Two and its first episode, ‘A Son for a Son’. Audiences are introduced to a larger and more lavish scale, and you’ll want an even larger screen to witness this next chapter in House of the Dragon upon.
Episode One, ‘A Son for a Son’ focuses on picking up immediately after the events of ‘The Black Queen’, and we see the lines being fortified and chess pieces being moved. For both sides to win this war, alliances will be needed, and the forging begins right away. One such alliance that is of such immense value is the strength of the North, and in the opening moments, we travel to open the stronghold of Winterfell and come to witness the young Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor), who travels to the Wall with Prince Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), and explains to him the dangers of the North and what lies beyond it. This interaction not only showcases the vast lore of Westeros, which will have long-time fans of the series salivating but also highlights the dangers of things to come in this series.
First blood has also been spilt in this baying war that will grow to be the ‘Dance of the Dragons’, and in ‘A Son for a Son’ we see the ramifications of the death of Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault) at the hands of Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell). While Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) grieves for her son in anguish and despair, we see the ramifications of Aemond’s actions reflect back on Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower, The Dowager Queen, and it’s clear that she is beginning to lose grip on her sons, the King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Prince Aemond. Her voice being diminished on the Council is not Alicent’s only problem, but we also see her torrid affair with Fabien Frankel’s Ser Criston Cole heat up. Nothing is off limits in this series, and this secret relationship will have dire consequences for both of them.
Coming into their own this season are both King Aegon II Targaryen, played by Tom Glynn-Carney, and Prince Aemond Targaryen, played by Ewan Mitchell. While loyal to their house, each could not be more different than the other. Glynn-Carney is particularly aloof, hedonistic and utterly degenerate in his portrayal of King Aegon II, who, while enjoying the great trappings of his absolute power, is utterly spineless and pathetic in both thought and action, and his showiness is sure to lead to ruin. On the other side is Mitchell’s Prince Aemond, the vengeful, almost psychopathic young prince, who is willing to go to any lengths to show how much of a great warrior he is and is well-balanced with. chip on both shoulders, his brand of terror will soon be let loose, and all will suffer for it.
Emerging from the shadows in ‘A Son for a Son’ is Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon Targaryen. Smith’s Daemon was far and away, the scene stealer of Season One of House of the Dragon, and his aggression and intensity make him make a dangerous choice in ‘A Son for a Son’ that will send a shiver down your spine. Using his vast knowledge of the city and his thirst for blood, Daemon devises a plan that is in keeping with the devilish mind of Richard III, and this is very much a ‘Princes in the Tower’ moment that will leave audiences in severe shock and silence. It’s this one moment in the culminating moments of this new season of House of the Dragon that spins the series into an almost horror genre moment, and its chilling conclusion will leave all audience members in a hush and showcases just how scary this new season is about to become.
Blood is drawn in Season Two of House of the Dragon, and it matches a moment of pure horror that will shape the coming narrative in a dark and dangerous new way. We’re only at the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, but the fire will rage, and all of Westeros will burn!
Season Two of House of the Dragon is now streaming on Neon and SKY TV.
Image: SKY TV
