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Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
Following the character actions and decisions made last weekend, this past weekend’s episode of HBO’s House of the Dragon is one that audiences have been waiting for. This episode features one of the first on-screen battles of the war, and in fact, the first major fighting loss for both sides. The Dance of the Dragons has begun in earnest, and the repercussions for this week will be the heaviest thus far.
“The Red Dragon and the Gold” is written by series showrunner Ryan Condal and directed by series executive producer Alan Taylor. This episode features the Battle of Rook’s Rest, while Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) continues to nearly lose his mind in Harrenhal. Meanwhile, Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) continue to strengthen the divide between King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) and his small council.
Small Preparations
In the time between episodes, Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) and Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) have led a campaign through the Crownlands in the name of Aegon II. They have taken nearly four castles and put those who did not bend the knee to the sword. They could easily move towards Harrenhal and take it, but Cole and Aemond have other plans.
Meanwhile, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best) and Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) attempt to help Prince Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon (Harry Collett) and Lady Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia) keep the Black Council in check. At the same time, they await word from Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) on the final preparations. The best part of these scenes is seeing Jace reinforce his mother’s word and shut down these lords who just want to put the realm to the torch. Corlys seemingly reminds everyone of their duty while the Queen is away.
In King’s Landing, the Green Council continues scheming behind Aegon’s back. Aemond reveals his and Cole’s plan to march on Rook’s Rest, which is a dense plan in the mind of the King. The best part here is seeing Aegon begin to question himself, as Aemond embarrasses him while speaking High Valyrian, the language of their ancestors. The weakness in Aegon’s rule can be felt throughout the whole room, and his council has little to no respect for him, and quite frankly, it is just sad. Cole and Aemond use this plan to draw out a dragon from the Blacks, which works almost perfectly in their favor.
Reflecting on Their Choices
Speaking with Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham), Alicent seems to finally understand the error of her ways. The war is in motion, and nothing can fix what is now broken. No one will ever know Viserys’s true intentions for his successor, and those intentions die with him, whether it matters or not. This is particularly a good step for Alicent, as she has never truly taken accountability for what she did. Likewise, Larys knows he can continue to use everyone’s shifting feelings to his advantage, so these events will be interesting to see as they play out.
Alicent also speaks with Aegon, which even further strengthens his weaknesses and his innate need to prove himself. In this scene, it feels like Aegon truly begins to question whether Viserys wanted him to inherit the Crown to begin with. After all, Viserys held true to Rhaenyra’s claim, whether anyone but them two know it or not. Alicent almost goes so far as to tell him that he is undeserving of the Crown, but she stops herself short. Aegon starts to spiral here though, and readies to intercept Cole and Aemond at Rook’s Rest.
Meanwhile, Daemon continues to have hallucinations of Young Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and becomes acquainted with Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) while in Harrenhal. Harrenhal itself is filled with mystery. Alys is a witch who may or may not have been at Harrenhal for hundreds of years, similar to another character from Game of Thrones. Alys acts as the maester of Harrenhal, but her presence is not coincidental this season. It could be inferred that she is a premonition of death for Daemon, but she becomes an important player in the events that come to Harrenhal. Daemon has been mildly successful in raising more troops for Rhaenyra. Although, he will continue to deal with the sins of the past throughout his time in Harrenhal. It feels abnormal for Daemon, and he will have to unpack his complications, whether he wants to or not.
The Battle of Rook’s Rest
Each passing battle will become a favorite among every audience member. Being that this is the first on-screen battle between dragons, this will easily become one of the most iconic battles in television history. The execution of this battle was nothing short of epic. Rhaenyra finally sees the only path to victory. After some debating amongst the dragonriders, Rhaenys humbly volunteers to go. The lead-up to this battle was quite stellar as well. Rhaenyra finally tells her heir, Jace, of The Song of Ice and Fire. Their conversation is played out over scenes of the Blacks and the Greens preparing for the first true battle of the war. It is quite a visual set piece and much more cinematic than expected, amazingly edited by Katie Weiland. The sequence is shot as if some characters know they are going to their fate, and the atmosphere is perfectly tense.
It was present with Daenerys and her dragons in Game of Thrones, but the bond between dragons and their riders is one of the strongest character moments felt within House of the Dragon. Rhaenys and Meleys charge in, while Aegon and Sunfyre meet them above the battle. Meleys seems to be winning against Sunfyre, but Aemond and Vhagar arrive and he seizes the opportunity to essentially kill two birds with one stone. Sunfyre and Aegon fall from the sky, while Rhaenys makes the honorable decision to stay and fight Vhagar. Rhaenys’s dedication to the war is felt exponentially here, and it makes her fate even stronger subtextually. She is the first dragonrider to perish to Rhaenyra’s cause. It also feels like in some way, Rhaenys is attempting to prove a point to the Greens, who are full of younger characters, that the Blacks will stand and fight.
Technical Details
“The Red Dragon and the Gold,” referring to Meleys the “Red Queen” and “Sunfyre the Golden”, respectively, feels like one of the biggest episodes ever. Alan Taylor’s direction is some of his best on the HBO series thus far, and the best television program ever. Not only that, but Ryan Condal’s writing continues to get better with each episode he helms. Considering he created the series with Fire & Blood author George R.R. Martin, Condal seems to know the source material best among those who have brought the series to life on screen. P.J. Dillon’s cinematography and Weiland’s editing are another superb element of this episode. This continues to show the high caliber of television that the HBO show is crafting.
Final Thoughts on HBO’s House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4
With the first major battle of The Dance of the Dragons resulting in a relative victory for both sides, each week has kept a great pace. For those inexperienced characters, now the chaos of dragon war will be properly seen. Rhaenyra is one of the few who knows the devastation that will occur in each battle involving a dragon. Once the dragons begin to fight, the soldiers on the ground become nothing more than cannon fodder.
Next week should continue this quick decision making by characters. It is welcoming to see Rhaenyra finally embrace what must be done. It will also be worthwhile to see characters such as Cole and Gwayne truly reckon with their own small decisions and see how valuable they can make themselves. As the season progresses, it will also be great to see what Daemon deals with each week, as he is one of the few characters away from most of the chaos of the war for the moment. House of the Dragon Season Two is only getting more exciting each week.
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Lead Critic for the site, as well as serving as an editor when needed.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.