House of the Dragon season 2’s explosive start and stellar fourth episode built up my expectations for the final. Unfortunately, it ended with a whimper rather than a bang.
The series wrapped on HBO last night and is due to air on Sky Atlantic tonight in the UK – although the episode is available on demand already. It also leaked earlier this week, so kudos if you managed to avoid spoilers.
Speaking of which – spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 and Game of Thrones follow.
With the promise of three new dragon riders and battalions forged on land and sea, I thought we’d get to see at least some action. However, the last episode was nothing but a build-up to a war that we never got to witness properly.
We went right back to the early season 1 days, with characters discussing battle strategies and court etiquette for far too long. There was even a bizarre mud-wrestling scene with Ser Tyland Lannister thrown in, presumably to break up the endless chitter-chatter.
Theo Whitman/HBO
Theo Whitman/HBO
Theo Whitman/HBO
Arguably the biggest moment of the episode came during a scene with Daemon Targaryen, who was brought to the Godswood to see his true purpose – to fight for Rhaenyra rather than against her and ensure that she ends up on the Iron Throne.
During this sequence, we saw snippets of what will presumably be The Battle Above the Gods Eye, a crucial fight in the series that may be the climax of the show, full stop. It’s also the key to Daemon’s character arc, which he has been trying to discover during his bizarre hallucination-filled time at Harrenhal, with Ser Simon Strong casually roasting him in the background.
However, we also saw a flash-forward to the distant future – one where the dead walk beyond The Wall and a singed blonde woman sits with her three baby dragons.
Game of Thrones fans will immediately recognise the Night King and Daenerys Targaryen, two of the biggest characters from the original show. While this moment was meant to hype up fans for the finale, it did the opposite for me.
When I saw Daenerys, all I could think about was her terrible character arc in season 8 of Game of Thrones, where she decided to burn King’s Landing to a crisp, seemingly on a whim, before being anti-climatically stabbed by her lover. This was all after seasons of build-up, and the promise of liberation for the people from years of tyrannical Lannister rule that never came to pass.
Are we really supposed to believe that Daemon’s higher purpose (from the Old Gods, no less) is to ensure that this future happens?
Warner Bros. Discovery/HBO
Warner Bros. Discovery/HBO
Warner Bros. Discovery/HBO
This moment may be more intended to bolster the lore of the show, possibly implying that Daenerys was the ‘Prince Who Was Promised’ from ancient stories, a saviour of the land – so Daemon must protect his lineage. But again, if that’s the case, then in what world does this prophecy come to pass? Not in the ending of Game of Thrones, that’s for sure.
He even utters the ominous line, “Winter is Coming” to Rhaenyra, but again – we know how that ends. In a battle far too dark to be visible on most TV screens, with writers D&D ‘subverting our expectations’ by making what should have been the biggest battle of the show far from the bloodbath we were led to expect, and the man we thought would be the saviour – Jon Snow – not figuring in any shape or form.
This scene felt like it was only included because the finale was short on set-piece moments. Time was instead wasted with Rhaena Targaryen running around the Vale, and Jacaerys Velaryon getting annoyed about commoners being rude at the dinner table.
But above all, it wasn’t needed. House of the Dragon has now proven that its characters have the strength to stand on their own. It has the potential to have a more satisfying ending than the original show ever did, and dredging up the past and the disappointing conclusion of its predecessor doesn’t do it any favours.
Despite the flat ending, season 2 had some incredible moments – let’s just hope that the next instalment ends on an action-heavy high.
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source: https://www.techadvisor.com/article/2416543/house-of-the-dragons-biggest-fan-service-moment-is-redundant-heres-why.html
