House of the Dragon (2×01) A Son for a Son Review

The first Game of Thrones spinoff, a prequel coming off the heels of a divisive final season, had some big shoes to fill but House of the Dragon, takes the franchise in a different direction that worked more often than not. Season 2 is now upon us (while the series has already been renewed for Season 3). As tensions continued to flare between the splintered Targaryen and Hightower factions over control of the Iron Throne, it was only inevitable that that tension would evolve into war. The first shot was of course taken in the Season 1 finale at the hands of Aemond Targaryen, whose dragon Vhagar devoured Rhaenyra’s second-born son Lucerys. Leaving her distraught and enraged, she stormed off on her dragon and suffice it to say that her mood has not changed come the Season 2 premiere as Aemond remained the focus of her rage. Picking up the pieces following the aftermath of last season, the aptly-named A Son for a Son, saw the characters plotting a way forward as they prepared for what was to come. If the episode title was of any indication, we know what some had on their minds, as far as the end of the episode was concerned. Let the games between Team Green and Team Black officially begin!

The episode opens with Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, still on his journey to convince other Houses to join Rhaenyra’s effort against the perceived usurpers occupying King’s Landing. His next stop was the north. Speaking to Lord Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor), he got a history lesson and a pledge of support. Meanwhile, the other side were doing much of the same to varying results, as Aegon’s inexperience and immaturity showed. Neither he nor Aemond could control their impulses, leaving Otto the challenge of keeping at least one of them reigned in. The biggest hurdle at the moment was a sea blockade led by Lord Corlys Velaryon which threatened to put further strain on King’s Landing but Alicent’s believed her voice being drowned out by Otto set a bad precedent for her children now and in the future. Though she had hoped that Rhaenyra would simply surrender and bend the knee to Aegon because she still had love for her, Alicent would need to eventually come to terms that the only answer may be through war and violence.

Sitting on the sidelines, Daemon grew restless, as his impulses also needed to be put in check. but an opportunity soon fell in his lap as he looked to leverage Mysaria (a.k.a. The White Worm) for a way into the Red Keep. Faced with a rat problem, this just happened to present the perfect way in, therefore he paid operatives to enter the Red Keep and kill Aemond. Failing to find him, they found Queen Helaena Targaryen and her twins, brother and sister Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. Making sure to not leave empty handed, they killed Jaehaerys, the heir to the throne. In what was a son for a son after all, this shock value moment is only going to add more fuel to the fire.

The MVPs of the episode are easily Matt Smith and Tom Glynn-Carney, and Olivia Cooke as Daemon, Aegon, and Alicent. Smith’s effortless charm goes without saying. He doesn’t have to do much to be captivating and this was the case here, showing just enough cunning and edge to get by while orchestrating the attack in the Red Keep. Glynn-Carney and his youthful energy as Aegon were a delight to watch. Still young, he was finding his way and developing his resolve, presumably before being corrupted by the pressures of the Iron Throne. Alicent found herself between two allegiances, to Rhaenyra and her family and kingdom. Wanting both, the revelation that one would likely come at the expense of the other weighed on her and she did not want her children to be corrupted but feared that her influence was waning. Another strong moment came from Emma D’Arcy’s Rhaenyra, over the course of her time away, finally finding Lucerys’ body and bringing him back to Dragonstone before sharing an embrace with Harry Collett’s Jacaerys and then giving her son a proper funeral. 

At the end of the day, the evolving character drama between Team Green and Team Black, as each were on the brink of war, is off to a promising start as everything is about to slowly get worse for them (and better for us).  

still courtesy of HBO

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.