House of the Dragon (2×02) Rhaenyra the Cruel Review

For our review of the last episode of House of the Dragon, click here.

Returning to form with a shockingly brutal to end last week’s episode, it is safe to expect some sort of response but this latest episode, the longest episode of the series thus far, is a mixed bag that attempts to pack too much into its near 70-minute runtime. An episode full of highs and lows, they fail to match up into a cohesive whole. Simply, trying to do too many things meant that any one thing was not utilized to its full potential. Had it cut down the number of subplots and given the remaining ones time to breathe, it would surely have fared better. Addressing the aftermath of the murder of Jaehaerys Targaryen from the perspective of Team Black and Team Green, they took it differently and the longer the episode went, the more those paths began to fall apart. While their final trajectory is inevitable, they sure did fumble their way there as some inconsistent writing stands out and does sully a few moments.  That being said, in spite of its issues, the performances across the board help to make up for many of those faults.

Starting where the last episode left off, Aegon was particularly triggered by the incident, showing his youth and lack of impulse control in his response. He wanted to strike back even if it was probably unwise to do so. As he and his inner circle plotted what to do next, the search for the killers was on, putting the entirety of King’s Landing on notice. Consumed by rage, Aegon was driven by his need for revenge, so much so that he threatened to alienate those closer to him. Rather, the plan was to leverage Jaehaerys’ death to turn sentiment in their favor through a public funeral procession. A scenario that both Alicent and Helaena were both uncomfortable with, that overwhelming unease could be felt strongly through Olivia Cooke and Phia Saban’s performances in what was the strongest scene of the episode. Meanwhile, that level of emotion was carried over in a heated confrontation between Rhaenyra and Damon about what had happened. Something that she definitely did not ask for, she questioned his motives and true intentions that may very well go beyond Daemon’s relationship with Rhaenyra. Once it got too much for him, he left.

Criston Cole, however, took the reaction to his perceived inaction very personally and those feelings led him to be more proactive and wildly overcompensate. Also driven by emotion, he had to keep up appearances and perpetuate a vision of strength, even though he wasn’t at least at the moment. Losing his sense of control, much like Aegon, their spiralling risked putting the Iron Throne in jeopardy. Cole’s biggest fumble was enlisting Ser Arryk Cargyll (Luke Tittensor) of the Kingsguard on a solo mission to kill Rhaenyra, using the ruse of impersonating his twin brother Ser Erryk Cargyll (Elliott Tittensor), a member of her Queensguard. The furthest thing from a foolproof plan, the result of that went as well as expected, but it made for an exciting climax as the two brothers duked it out with Rhaenyra essentially right there between them.

In the end, whatever was going on within the Red Keep, Alicent was on her own. Processing her feelings, she encountered Aegon, for whom grief finally set in (kudos to Tom Glynn-Carney’s range), before resisting and then falling back into the arms of Cole. When it comes to the latter, there’s a lot to unpack there, perhaps more than what one episode could handle. Similarly, Rhaenyra and Daemon have some issues to iron out as well. Truly a wildcard in the entire proceedings, though he may very well have shown his true colors here, that’s another nut left to crack. Another interesting facet is how the gearing up towards war affects other key characters on either side. Seemingly just holding on, the outcome of the inevitable war could rely on them. Wrapping up the performances, Rhys Ifans and Sonoya Mizuno also deserve mention. Ifans, as Otto Hightower, made sure to get his money’s worth after unceremoniously being shown the door as Aegon’s hand. Mizuno, as Mysaria, was equally as impressive as she defended herself to Rhaenyra well enough to be released.

Picking up the pieces after the shocking final moments last week, the focus here was repositioning Rhaenyra and Alicent for what was to come. Each side has their own moving pieces but the season has found a way to still let that pivotal relationship shine through, even though the latter side was on the messy side. More isn’t always better.     

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.