House of the Dragon season 2 was a bit of a mixed bagged when it came to storytelling. The first half of the season was outstanding, climaxing in the thrilling Battle of Rook's Half. The second half left something to be desired.
There are some moments throughout the season that I wish I could forget, but there are others that I will happily watch over and over again, even through the heartbreak.
I’m not going to compare book to show for this. I’m not going to talk about how changes have affected things to come, or how I disagree or agree with some changes made. This is all about the moments within the TV show and the impact they have had.
Best moment in House of the Dragon: Rhaenyra and Mysaria kiss
I’ll admit that I didn’t see this coming at first, but the minute it happened, it made so much sense. There was a lot of tension between these two women. At first, they were distrustful of each other, since Mysaria was one of Daemon's ex-paramours and had a hand in the death of Helaena Targaryen's son Jaehaerys. However, they come to form a working relationship and show us what can happen when women support women. The kiss bubbles up in a moment of connection between the two women, surprising us and them both.
Do I trust Mysaria? Hell to the no! Do I enjoy her working with Rhaenyra to put her back on the Iron Throne? Oh yes! My only wish would be that after the kiss, the show did more with them. I’m ready for House of the Dragon season 3 to see where this can go.
It creates a complication for Rhaenyra and her husband Daemon, but it also makes so much sense. After being abused by men all her life, of course Mysaria would end up using her skills to get a woman on the Iron Throne.
Worst moment in House of the Dragon: Daemon’s house of nightmares
Daemon spends most of the second second in the crumbling castle of Harrenhal, where he gets a series of strange visions. At first, Daemon getting his visions made sense. Harrenhal is supposed to be haunted. There is certainly an element of magic to the place. This storyline just dragged on way too much, and it’s part of House of the Dragon season 2 that I wish we could forget.
What was with Daemon sleeping with his mom? What was with his cutting a young Rhaenyra’s head off? I enjoyed seeing some of the actors from the first season get cameos in these visions, but this could have all been condensed; we didn’t need a new vision in every single episode.
Seeing it all come to an end with Daemon touching the weirwood tree for one last super-vision made up for things the tiniest bit, but that’s only because it seemed to mark the end of this thread. Hopefully Daemon will get out of Harrenhal next season!
Best moment in House of the Dragon: Rhaenys turns back during the Battle of Rook's Rest
I told you that some of the most heartbreaking moments were also some of the best. I adored watching Rhaenys Targaryen turn back during the fight at Rook's Rest, where she flew in on her dragon Meleys to defend Rhaenyra's forces against the Greens, even though it would cost her life.
At Rook's Rest, Rhaenys fought against her cousins Aemond and Aegon, flying on their dragons Vhagar and Sunfyre. She had to make up for not taking down the pair of them when she had the chance at the end of the first season. She couldn’t turn back from the fight, despite knowing that Vhagar was much bigger and stronger than her dragon Meleys. Arguably, Meleys could have won had it not been for Aemond's sneak attack.
The battle was beautifully crafted. Watching Meleys as she realized she was done for and then Rhaenys relax into death were two of the most outstanding moments from the entire series. In fact, the entire franchise. That scene lives rent-free in my head.
Worst moment in House of the Dragon: Alicent and Criston together
Look, I’m all for a woman finding happiness and pleasure. I’m all for no-strings attached moments in TV shows, especially when it comes to women in power who would usually be expected to remain celibate. However, the idea of Queen Mother Alicent Hightower and Ser Criston Cole of the Kingsguard together just gives me the shivers. It’s nothing that I needed to see onscreen.
The part that really irks me is the storyline went nowhere. It was a ship that didn’t need to happen, and it was a storyline that served no purpose except to show us just how hypocritical Criston has always been and will always be.
Even when Alicent's daughter Helaena caught them in the act, nothing was said or done about it. Sure, it meant that Alicent and Criston felt some guilt over the whole “son for a son” incident, but it didn’t exactly stop them from continuing their relationship.
Best moment in House of the Dragon: Seasmoke choosing Addam
Riders and dragons have a special bond. We usually see or hear about dragons submitting to their riders. In a way, rider and dragon choose each other. Or the rider is able to form a bond through force and determination. That’s not what happened with the dragon Seasmoke and Addam of Hull.
The look of fear on Addam’s face told us everything. He was terrified of Seasmoke coming for him. Little did he know that Seasmoke had a reason, and it had nothing to do with wanting food. He wanted a rider, and he made his choice.
There’s a beauty in Seasmoke choosing Addam. In House of the Dragon season 2, it was made clear that Addam was the illegitimate half-brother of Laenor Velaryon, Seasmoke’s former rider. Well, Seasmoke kept it in the bloodline when we went out in search for a new bond, even though Addam had no idea what was happening.
Worst moment in House of the Dragon: Rhaena’s trip through the wilderness
I feel like the House of the Dragon writers didn’t really know what to do with some characters. Rhaena was one of them, especially once she went to the Vale. She was there to be a nanny to her step-siblings because she offered no value to Rhaenyra in any other way.
Of course, that led to Rhaena wanting to prove herself. The problem is the writers did it in the worst way possible. She went off into the wilderness in search of a dragon with no means of survival. This is a woman who has grown up with servants around her. She would have had no idea how to survive, making her moments at the end completely unrealistic; and yes, you still need realism within a world that involves dragons!
To make matters worse, House of the Dragon season 2 ended with the dragon Sheepstealer and Rhaena just coming face to face. We didn’t get to see if Rhaena would be able to train or convince a wild dragon to bond with her. It became an unrealistic waste of time.
Best moment in House of the Dragon: Helaena’s vision
It’s been clear from the start that Helaena Targaryen has visions. She sees things that will happen, but the way she tells people doesn’t always make sense. She was worried about the rats in the castle, only for the rat catcher to be one of the people hired to kill her son.
Well, things became much clearer at the end of the season. As Aemond Targaryen tried to force his sister Helaena to ride Dreamfyre and join the fight against the Blacks, Helaena made it clear that it was all pointless. She doesn’t care about what happens to her. She knows that Aemond will die and Aegon will sit on a wooden throne, which might set off alarm bells in the heads of those fans who have read George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood. Now we're ready to see how these visions pan out in the seasons to come.
The first two seasons of House of the Dragon are available to stream on Max. The third will likey hit HBO and Max in 2026.
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