Includes SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4.
Summary
House of the Dragonseason 2, episode 4, offered redemption to theGame of Thronesfranchise for one of the original show’s silliest episodes.Game of Thronesseason 8 was widely criticized, leaving any future spinoffs with a daunting responsibility.House of the Dragonhas constant pressure to maintain a certain level of quality for the franchise to move forward after audiences nearly lost interest after the Game of Thrones ending. The series has been a tremendous success so far, with the recent “The Red Dragon and the Gold” receiving the prequel’s highest reviews yet.
Following theBlacks and Greens splitand the start of the Dance of the Dragons, the recent episode sees Criston Cole leading his troops through the Crownlands, taking castles loyal to Rhaenyra. His goal is to lure the Blacks into sending out a dragonrider to combat him, where he can match them with the Greens' larger Vhagar, hoping to take out an enemy dragon. What ensues isthe first proper dragon clash of the war, with Vhagar, Sunfyre, and Meleys all contendingin a sequence packed with drama and riveting plot twists.
Alan Taylor’s Last Dragon-Centric Episode Was Game Of Thrones' “Beyond The Wall”
“Beyond The Wall” Was Widely Divisive For Its Plot Holes
Alan Taylor has directed some phenomenal episodes in theGame of Thronesfranchise, but the last one that featured a significant dragon battle was season 7’s “Beyond the Wall.” It has one of thebest dragon scenes inGame of Thrones, but theoverall episode was widely divisive and an early sign of season 8’s decline. The concept of sending Jon Snow with a Suicide Squad-like team of characters beyond the Wall to retrieve a wight to show Cersei was ridiculous, to begin with, but what ensued continued to push the show’s boundaries.
“Beyond the Wall” was packed with the clichesGame of Throneswas known for subverting.
Arguments could be made about the episode’s many supposed plot holes and inconsistencies, butthe bottom line is thatGame of Thronesearned its reputation as being a fantasy grounded in realism. In Westeros, any beloved character could die, and no one was ever truly safe. Therefore, an episode where the main heroes continuously ward off herds of wights while the unnamed background characters get killed was quite ridiculous and tonally disparate from the elements that made the show successful. “Beyond the Wall” was packed with the clichesGame of Throneswas known for subverting.
House Of The Dragon Makes A Big Part Of Jon Snow’s Story Worse With New Character Twist
House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4’s book change & character twist makes a tragic part of Jon Snow’s Game of Thrones story even worse.
Alan Taylor’s Work On “The Red Dragon And The Gold” Is Stunning
The Battle Of Rook’s Rest Is One Of The Best Battles In Either Series
House of the Dragonwas right to bring Alan Taylor back to the franchise in season 2, as he’s proven capable of directing outstanding episodes when offered the right material. “The Red Dragon and the Gold” holds the series' top-rated score on IMDb with a 9.6/10, with critics and audiences praising far more than just the beautiful dragon action. It’s one thing to make dragons fighting dragons look stunning, butto fuel the action with meaningful storytelling is an entirely different achievement.
There’s so much at stake between the thematic depth of dragons going to war, the relationship between Aemond and Aegon, and the eventual death of Rhaenys Targaryen.
Not only does season 2, episode 4, have one of thebest battles in theGame of Thronesfranchise, but it’s arguably one of the most emotional episodes in the series. There’s so much at stake between the thematic depth of dragons going to war, the relationship between Aemond and Aegon, and the eventual death of Rhaenys Targaryen. Splicing Rhaenyra’s conversation with Jacaerys into the release of the dragons was awe-inspiring and perfectly encapsulates the profound impact of the episode. Alan Taylor absolutely nails every decision.
Alan Taylor Has Directed Some Of Game Of Thrones' Best Episodes
His Credits Include “Baelor,” The Ned Stark Execution Episode
Alan Taylor has directed seven episodes ofGame of Thronesand now two episodes ofHouse of the Dragon. Before “The Red Dragon and the Gold,” hismost outstanding episodes were “Baelor,” the penultimate episode ofGame of Throneswhere Ned Stark is executed, and “Fire & Blood,” theGame of Thronesseason 1 finale. The Ned Stark beheading scene is iconic, and the delivery of such a challenging scene could only be trusted to the most worthy hands. Alan Taylor carefully directed one of the most pivotal moments in television history.
Aemond’s “Dracarys” Moment Proves A Major Retcon Of Game Of Thrones' Daenerys Was Right
House of the Dragon season 1 retconned an important piece of Daenerys Targaryen’s story, but Aemond’s new “Dracarys” moment proves it was worth it.
He continued his work with some excellent episodes inGame of Thronesseason 2, including the season finale, before returning in season 7 for “Beyond the Wall.“He then made hisHouse of the Dragondebut with the season 2 premiere, transforming another of the book series' most challenging moments into engaging television. After all that,House of the Dragon’sRook’s Rest episode may be his most outstanding work yet.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
