House of the Dragon season 2’s biggest criticism could turn into its greatest weapon in comparison to Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones’ ending was six years ago, and no matter how many TV shows HBO produces, every title set in that world will live in its shadow, faced with constant pressure to live up to what once was.
House of the Dragon is the first of multiple prequels to come, and while it got off to a successful, critically acclaimed start, season 2 was less spectacular. Still, with two potentially massive seasons to go, House of the Dragon season 3 and beyond can still win audiences back with one crucial ingredient.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Didn’t Have Enough Battles
One of the most common critiques of House of the Dragon season 2 was its lack of battles. The appeal of the Dance of the Dragons was the possibility of seeing the great houses of Westeros go head-to-head in a massive-scale war, represented by factions of the Targaryen dynasty and their respective dragonriders.
This show was never going to have as much to offer in terms of the addictive plot twist aspect Game of Thrones had, just due to the difference in source material. That’s not to say House of the Dragon doesn’t have an excellent narrative, but the fact that one can so easily access the story’s ending detracts from the element of surprise.
What House of the Dragon can, alternatively, offer is an exhibition of George R.R. Martin’s breathtaking fantasy world at its most vibrant and ambitious extent. This isn’t the weakened Westeros we see at the start of Game of Thrones; this is the peak of the Targaryen dynasty, when the Seven Kingdoms’ greatest potential foe was itself.
There’s hardly a better way to demonstrate this than battles. Battles are an exhibition of Martin’s world, and they also make for an exhibition of production value and television quality only HBO can offer. When a network is producing blockbuster TV at a value far greater than any other, it’s hard to go wrong with a flaunting display of that superiority.
House of the Dragon’s Battles Can Be Better Than Game Of Thrones’
Game of Thrones has some phenomenal battles, and they’re undoubtedly the peak of fantasy warfare on television. The Blackwater is likely still my favorite, due to how dynamic it was and the emotional weight on all sides. The Battle of the Bastards is widely perceived as the best in the series, and there’s nothing to be said for it that hasn’t already been repeated dozens of times.
The prequel has one tool that can make its battles superior: dragons. Game of Thrones had dragons, but the Battle of Winterfell is widely ridiculed, and the Battle of the Goldroad wasn’t as extensive. House of the Dragon can win audiences back with one extended, breathtaking, indisputably excellent dragon battle sequence.
House of the Dragon
8/10
- Release Date
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August 21, 2022
- Network
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HBO
- Directors
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Clare Kilner, Geeta Patel
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Fabien Frankel
Ser Criston Cole
