Review: House of the Dragon 1×02 – The Rogue Prince

Can’t wait for the storm!

second episode Dragon House brought what the franchise started on HBO game of Thrones to make better: complexity for its characters and a lot of political intrigue. It’s another hit for the series and remains on track to create a great story.

With a short time jump of six months, the series plays with some of the dynamics introduced in the first episode. If the closeness between Rhaenyra and Alycent remains strong, Daemon’s quarrels with the rest of the family will grow, as will Corlis Velaryon’s ambitions.

Again, new characters conquer their spaceleaving no room for nostalgia for the heroes of the past series. All this is complemented by a construction that is often subtle but deepens them without needing to explain too much.

It’s all about the details, such as Alicent’s injured hands, giving vent to feelings that she couldn’t express because of her position and the expectations surrounding her. It’s a delightful way to learn more about this new cast.also demonstrating the care the series has given its characters so far.

Otto questions Alicent’s motive for harming her, not realizing that the pressure he is putting on her is part of the reason. (Reproduction: HBO)

That’s where episode two shines: developing your characters. Whether it’s showing different sides of them when they interact with different people, or showing what makes them react like anger and what calms them down as well as what motivates them, the main cast of the show becomes more interesting and difficultboth for individual construction and for the studied relationships.

• Summary: A summary of everything that happened in the House of the Dragon 1×01 – Descendants of the Dragon.
• Review: House of the Dragon 1×01 – Descendants of the Dragon

More than adding more layers to characters, Dragon House the preparation of the board for the future is already beginningcreating ever more complex intrigue, whether through their alliances or the apparent conflicts that arise.

This is another highlight of the second episode. Despite the fact that Game of Thrones has its own memorable battles, and Dragon House will surely come to this the main conflict is not just a spectacle of war. George R.R. Martin’s work excels in dealing with power struggles far beyond swordsmanship, and that’s the main focus at this point in the series – something I’ve personally been with. missing You after the end of the previous HBO series treating this side of the story with such disdain.

In addition to the tremendous work the series does in placing its characters at the center of the story, it’s also worth noting how sophisticated the setting can be. It is impossible not to notice the mood of the scene (no spoilers!) in dragon stonewith an atmosphere that promotes tension while at the same time creating a very beautiful panorama and an atmosphere that actually resembles a volcanic island in the middle of the ocean.

Even inside the castle, the series manages to beautifully and interestingly recreate an already well-known scenario. (Reproduction: HBO)

The location also appears in Game of Thrones, but it has never stood out so much just by building the environment, which makes it an even more commendable job. Dragon House. The new HBO production is not only a worthy continuation of the legacy of the previous series, but also shows that it has a face of its own and manages to explore similar development paths. interesting and fresh optics.

Actors are also praised. Matt Smith’s Damon Targaryen steals the show whenever he’s on screenand even if it doesn’t come out as strongly as the title of the episode suggests, its presence is such that you don’t feel it.

In this episode Paddy Considine also stands out, giving more layers to King Viserys I, a character much less “likeable” and charismatic than his brother. However, due to his grief, his disgust at what needs to be done, his relationship with Rhaenyra, and dynamics with Alycent and the Small Council, he becomes much more than just a weak king.

Steve Toussaint it also shows all of his presence and the reason why he was chosen to play Corlis Velaryon. In that Good that he was despite all the controversy and racist criticism. The actor demonstrates a lot with his very appearance, and easily pretends to be very impressive presencesometimes even threatening.

Paddy Considine and Steve Toussaint are some of the highlights of this episode. (Reproduction: HBO)

Scenes designed to create discomfort are still present, and the presentation of Kragas Drahar as a threat is even funny in the middle of it all (why choose that look instead of just letting it be human?). But the series shows that discomfort is something more than blood and violence, in which DB Weiss as well as David Benioff relied on PRT, as well as the ability to criticize the treatment of women in this society, without forcing viewers to watch numerous scenes of rape.

If Episode 1 highlights Emma’s violence in the birth scene, the shock here doesn’t require blood: one just has to propose a 12-year-old girl in marriage to a man who has a much older daughter, let the girl they want marry. The production is not afraid to be an adult and provoke this criticism, without having to talk about it expository or revel in violence against women.

The Laena moment Velaryon manages to impress without resorting to overt violence and insults just to shock. (Reproduction: HBO)

After all, as Corlis Velarion warns Viserys, you can get through or bypass the storm, but you can’t wait for it to come. However, this is exactly what the audience will have to do: anxiously wait for the denouement of all the events of the second episode, which give delicious taste of a destructive storm now that certain parts are beginning to be positioned for the narrative’s central confrontation.

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