Last week, House of the Dragon perfectly introduced a new set of characters some 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen took power. Offering something familiar but new, the series aims to be a bit more like Succession than an action-first drama. After a solid and efficiently crafted opening episode, can House of the Dragon maintain our interest?
The “game” of thrones is running on high heat in this second episode titled “The Rogue Prince,” thanks to Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (Eve Best). She is bitter for being skipped as leader many years before the events of this series. Now that Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) is being considered as ruler by some, Rhaenys is planting the seeds to make her bitter and possibly do something rash.
Fans of the deeper set lore of Game of Thrones should enjoy this episode of House of the Dragon, which opens with a reference to Crabfeeder. It seems King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) is getting thrashed by pirates, which has created an uproar within his court. If the showrunners want us to see how Viserys isn’t the violent type, this did it right out of the gate. Much of this episode is devoted to Viserys and the ongoing desire for his allies to get him wed and make heirs.
In possibly the creepiest scene in all of Game of Thrones, Viserys takes a walk with a girl no older than ten. This helps reveal a bit of history on Viserys’ dragon, but it’s about the girl trying to convince him they should marry. Luckily he’s not a creep, further making the viewer like this kind man who is a bit over his head. Considine plays the character well, though, as he’s overly busy and unsure, but you still get the sense he’s got most things handled and runs a tight ship. Problem is, there are some that smell blood in the water, plus he’s got a wound that may end his reign sooner than he’d like.
Meanwhile, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen learns a little bit about the functions of a kingdom. Having lost her mother in the last episode, she’s still reeling, but with her father busier than ever, she’s mostly on her own. One can see the makings of a hero’s origin story as she is practically an orphan.
Photograph by Ollie Upton / HBO
About midway through, the title of the episode becomes more apparent as Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) enters the narrative. Cast away from the kingdom, he has taken a dragon egg and makes it clear he believes he should be the rightful heir to the throne. With a wedding in order — and we all know how well those go in Game of Thrones–trouble is afoot. Since Daemon is set up in Dragonstone, one can imagine some epic macabre scenes are in order.
Speaking of Dragonstone, the environments shown off are incredibly dramatic and well done. Cast in a fog that makes the entire scene feel uneasy, the size of the castle and its winding staircase is epic. We haven’t seen this location like this before, which helps convey something about Prince Daemon and his intentions. Plus, we get more dragons on the screen, so that’s a plus.
Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) continues to peek into the narrative as a common-born knight who seems to seek out heroic valor. Given that he defeated Prince Daemon in the last episode, it’s interesting to see him pop up for a line. Speaking of characters with more minor roles so far, Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) is quite good as Prince Daemon’s chosen bride. Many times a slave, viewers can see how she, and people like her, forever slaves, will one day owe their lives to the Targaryen line. She has a powerful scene that’s well acted with Prince Daemon.
The sequence at Dragonstone ends up being the crown jewel of the episode, thanks to Princess Rhaenys showing up with her dragon. She’s bolder than her father, plus she defies him by even showing up and putting herself in danger. The most intriguing thing about this scene, however, is how Prince Daemon almost respects her boldness and is fond of her. Given the scene with Mysaria, one can see he’s the weaker of the two, and both actors play out this scene to perfection.
Ultimately “The Rogue Prince” solidifies House of the Dragon as a good show if you like to watch characters backstab, meddle, and otherwise gain favor through words. Like other shows known for this kind of thing — I’m looking at you, Succession, and maybe even Downton Abby — you’ll love how this episode unfolds. For fans of fantasy and dragons, you get some nibbles, but this episode is all about laying the groundwork for a fight within the family.
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