‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 finale review: Thunderous, teasing dash to the finish

House of the Dragon's season 2 finale, 'The Queen Who Ever Was', offers intense drama and stunning visuals.

While there have been bellows of rage (quite like Vhagar) over the finale of season 2 of House of the Dragon being a whole lot of nothing and having to wait for another two or three years for season 3 to watch the battle royale, there is much to enjoy in ‘The Queen Who Ever Was’, the eighth episode of the hectically popular fantasy series.

Based on George RR Martin’s novel, Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones and tells of the decline of House Targaryen. ‘The Queen Who Ever Was’ opens in Tyrosh with Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) negotiating with the Triarchy to break the blockade. They drive a hard bargain including having to mud wrestle with Admiral Lohar (Abigail Thorn). 

In King’s Landing, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell), furious at Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) ploy of getting common folk to ride dragons, razes a city to the ground. Rhaenyra’s son, Jacaerys (Harry Collett), is also not too happy about having illegitimate Targaryens ride dragons. Ulf (Tom Bennett), a newly-minted dragon rider, does himself no favours by being rude to Jacaerys. Badly burnt Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), is convinced by Larys (Matthew Needham) to flee King’s Landing and live to fight another day. 

Corlys (Steve Toussaint), names his ship, “The Queen Who Ever Was” after his wife — the late Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) — and learns bitter truths about himself from his illegitimate son, Alyn (Abubakar Salim).

Two character arcs are satisfactorily closed. Daemon (Matt Smith) who after demanding “A son for a son” in the season’s opener, leaves Dragonstone for Harrenhal, where he is plagued by unsettling visions. In its finale, he realises his place in the larger scheme of things, and there is a foreshadowing of the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys and the three dragon eggs. Daemon kneeling before his queen closes a circle.

Alicent’s (Olivia Cooke) understanding of the futility of machinations, her decision to free herself from others’ expectations of her, as well as her secret meeting with Rhaenyra, has a fearful symmetry cemented by Rhaenyra’s coldly fierce demand of “a son for a son”. The warmth and affection as well as the hurt, grief and anger between the friends-turned-foes is clearly delineated.

Queen Helaena (Phia Saban), who Aemond tries to force to ride a dragon, sees a bleak future for the impetuous, wrathful Prince Regent. The episode ends in a montage of Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) finding the wild dragon, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) waking up in a cage and the hosts from the seven kingdoms setting out for battle.