HBO’s return to Westeros continues to build up steam
The first season of House of the Dragon had a lot to achieve. Not just in terms of planting audiences in a time 200 years prior to the events of Game of Thrones, but also with having to introduce a sprawling dynasty in House Targaryen, it’s fragmentation, and a time jump needed to make the whole setup and payoff work. With a lot of the heavy lifting done, Season 2 sees somewhat freed up to get to the meat of the story, but as anyone with a sense of history knows, a war doesn’t start overnight, and (to the chagrin of some, and delight of others) the show continues to build for it’s future.
At the end of season one we were on the brink of war. House Targaryen had split into two factions, the Blacks and the Greens. Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy), the usurped (and named heir) of King Viserys has gone into exile while her former friend (and current stepmother) Alicent (Olivia Cooke), has played a role in elevating her own son to the throne as Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney). Season two continues this dance between the two sides, each accumulating allies, adopting strategic positions, and strengthening their positions for a war they (or at least most of them) seek to avoid. Why? Dragons. The nuclear weapons of the age that are guaranteed to cause wanton destruction and death if unleashed, the only problem is that now emotions are heightened after the death of Rhaenerya’s son by his cousin Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) as their dragons sparred at the end of season one.
You left season one with the sense that something had been awakened and unleashed, and its somewhat true. There is no going back, the emotions and fury that consume Rhanerya add to the propulsive air of the show, and give D’Arcy plenty to sink her teeth into. But largely, it is more of the same. Caution and tactics still come to bear even if decision making of individuals are clouded. Wars are not often won with a single battle and so the long game needs to be considered, including things like supply lines and fortifying positions. Simply put, this isn’t meant to be just an action spectacle, or dragon battle royale. Like Game of Thrones before, it’s about power and privilege, and about those without either being used as fodder. When the action does ramp up, the scale and sense of awe are certainly there, but this is more of a slow grind towards an inevitable doom. The show does suffer from a lack of levity at times, something that Games of Thrones was always able to deliver. A serious tone encircles the family strife, with foreboding, prophetic dreams, and even with the introduction of a witch of sorts heralding even darker turns ahead. No real respite is found within each faction either, as Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) contends with the ambitions of his brother Aemond and Rhaenerya butts heads with her husband (and Uncle) Prince Daemon (Matt Smith, who gets all too sidelined this season). There’s nowhere really to hide from all the doom and gloom. This dramatic fare gives the superb cast plenty to work with, and quieter moments are often the most impactful parts of the show.
The first season was saddled with a lot of setup, as well as the complications of a necessary time jump (and recasting of several younger players). Even with that settled, there are still more characters to introduce, stakes to be raised, meaning season 2 elicits some of the same criticisms. Even the closing shots tease of a battle to come, seeing the march of a number of forces (notably those of the Starks in the north) toward battle. Again, it speaks to setup rather than something more dramatic or conclusive. Some recent interviews have outlined how the season was originally planned to run 10 episodes, rather than the 8 we got. The logistics of pulling off such large scale battles, involving both hands on efforts as well as CGI make this sort of choice more understandable, and it’s arguable that the end does work with the ongoing undercurrent of the season being about the machines of war cranking up. Its likely that season 2 will be more appreciated within the context of the show as a whole when all is wrapped up.
The Package
Oh Sunday night streaming on HBO. A much maligned affair as for all too long the drop in quality combined with compression left these forays to Westeros to be all to dark and murky affairs. Watching Game of Thrones, and now House of the Dragon, on physical media really allows the whole production to shine. In 4K, this is one of the most resplendent TV shows on air right now with the level of texture and detail in this transfer showing off the costumes, set design, set dressing, and more. Colors pop, with strong representation, and the overall image quality is consistently high. Even the CGI heavier moments don’t show any drop in quality or offer up any artifacts.
The package itself contains 4 discs hosting all 8 episodes of the season, across 4 discs. A Cardboard coverslip encloses this, along with an envelope housing 8 collectable character cards showcasing the main cast from the show.
As with the old Game of Thrones home video releases, House of the Dragon is replete with Extra Features:
- Family Tree: A good recap/introduction to the various factions (and their ancestry) involved in the show
- Divided Kingdoms: Showrunner/co-creator Ryan Condal, along with select cast/crew members give their overview of the season and what it’s setting up for the future
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #1 Extended Version – an “inside the episode” featurette which cuts together interviews, analysis, and behind the scenes footage. This is what you see on HBO if you let the credits run after the show ends. A similar feature is present for the other 7 episodes in the release
- Defend Your Council outlines the makeup of, and rivalry between “Team Green” and “Team Black”
- Character Spots Rhaenyra and Aegon – brief overviews of select characters
- Fire Hot Takes: Team Green vs. Team Black is another look at the warring councils.
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #2 Extended Version
- Return to Winterfell: A short showcase for the rebuilt/revisit to the home of house Stark
- House Who? (House Stark): A recap on the famous family and the North
- Return to the Realm: Complements the above featurettes
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #3 Extended Version
- House Who? (Bracken & Brackwood) A short intro to these two waring houses
- Fire Hot Takes Case for Ruler and Daemon vs. Aemond playful interview segments to share opinions on posed questions
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #4 Extended Version
- Eve Tribute Piece – bids farewell to one of the main cast/characters
- House Who? (House Tully & House Frey) – Another look at the history between two rival houses
- Guess That Line – Eve & Steve – A little competition between two of the show’s stars
- Character Spots – Daemon and Corlys
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #5 Extended Version
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #6 Extended Version
- Character Spots- Alicent and Aemond
- The Curse of Harrenhal – Extended – A look at location and new character Alice Rivers
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #7 Extended Version
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #8 Extended Version
- Family Tree – offers some lessons in ancestry. This is actually a great place to start for those unacquainted with all the ins and outs of the series.
- Divided Kingdoms – is another “history lesson” of sorts concentrating on what is called an “arms race”, albeit with dragons.
The Bottom Line
For fans of the show, this is a no brainer purchase. Combining the best way to see the level of detail and high production values that go into the show, as well as getting a wealth of extras to help you dive even deeper into the lore of Westeros and how it was brought to life. House of the Dragon is a flawed but compelling show, and season 2 shows it’s clearly picking up steam and setting up some big payoff for its slow burn setup.
House of the Dragon Season 2 is available on 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD via WB/HBO now
