Monday, October 24, 2022

My Kingdom for a Dragon

So now we have look over at Team Black and Red in last night's House of the Dragon. It's also the season finale, though it somehow didn't feel like it. Still, I'm puzzled as to why some people feel the episode was disappointing.

I liked the big action sequence at the end. Those two dragons fighting was pretty great. I still wish they had arms and lances (yes, I'm still holding out hope for a good Dragonlance adaptation). But that huge, elder dragon contrasted with the little whippersnapper dragon, stalking each other in the storm like Kirk and Khan, was terrific.

But the episode began with another grueling stillbirth scene and I thought maybe they should call this House of the Miscarriage. Once again, it seems like the showrunners are presenting an argument for why it's more practical for men to rule. First Rhaenyra going into premature labour prevents them from immediately fleeing Dragonstone, then she emerges from her physical trials to demonstrate she shares Princess Rhaenys' wishy-washiness. I think Ryan Condal tried his hardest to explain why Sara Heiss didn't have Rhaenys kill the Greens last week--Rhaenys says something about how it wasn't her war to start. But, as Daemon more shrewdly sees, the war has clearly already begun and that was actually Rhaenys' opportunity to put an end to it.

Rhaenyra, surprisingly, is shaping up to be more Henry VI than Henry V. Hopefully by next season Emma D'arcy will be able to work up some of that old aggressive Milly Alcock magic.

House of the Dragon is available on HBOMax.

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