Warning: Contains SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2, “Rhaenyra the Cruel.”
Summary
House of the Dragonseason 2 does a good job of developing its main characters, but I’m particularly surprised at the direction it’s taken King Aegon II Targaryen in. With theDance of the Dragonsproperly beginning, Aegon is getting more focus than before. While the show’s real “main” characters are still Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, the fact that Aegon is the one on the Iron Throne as the civil war begins demands he has more to do.
Aegon was fine inHouse of the Dragonseason 1, but a combination of time jumps, recasts, and other characters - such as his father, King Viserys I Targaryen - meant he didn’t get the same amount of depth as the likes of Rhaenyra and Alicent. That’s changing in season 2, though. This is not me saying he’s a good person - he’s still a bad husband, a bad father, a bad king, and generally a piece of s**t - but it makes me likewatchingthe character far more than I expected, especially afterHouse of the Dragonseason 2, episode 2’s ending.
House Of The Dragon Season 2: 25 Biggest Book Changes
House of the Dragon is back with season 2, and there are already significant changes to the source material in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood.
House Of The Dragon Season 2 Shows Different, Better Sides To King Aegon
He’s A Much More Rounded Character In Season 2
With King Aegon taking more of a central role in things - rather than the war just happening around him and in his name - it means getting to see different sides to the character. Some of these were present in season 1 - his reluctance to be king, for example - but season 2 is able to expand upon and add to them in fascinating ways.
His grief manifesting as rage is brilliantly done, and while, yes, he does viciously murder Blood, it’s clearly portrayed as a very human response.
House of the Dragonseason 2, episode 2 is a particularly great example of this. Following on fromBlood and Cheese killing Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen, we get to see Aegon run through a variety of emotions. His grief manifesting as rage is brilliantly done, and while, yes, he does viciously murder Blood, it’s clearly portrayed as a very human response.
Even better (and more surprising, to me) is Aegon’s tearful breakdowntowards the end of the episode. It balances perfectly with the fury from earlier on, showing just how far his grief extends and that, while he may be the king leading a civil war, he’s also still very young and in no way prepared for any of this.
He’s surrounded by people but incredibly isolated at the same time - a wife he can’t communicate with, a brother who believes he should be king instead, a mother who can’t even comfort him when he’s crying. Again, I’m not saying this makes his deeds forgivable in any way, but it makes him into a much more layered character.
What King Aegon’s Massive Otto Hightower Decision Means For House Of The Dragon
House of the Dragon season 2, episode 2 ends with King Aegon making a harsh decision about Otto Hightower’s role, which has huge consequences to come.
Tom Glynn-Carney Is Giving One Of House Of The Dragon Season 2’s Best Performances
The Actor Has Stepped Up To Become One Of The Best Parts Of The Cast
Tom Glynn-Carney didn’t leave much of a mark on me in season 1. That’s not meant as an insult, he certainly wasn’t bad, butHouse of the Dragon’s castdelivered so many great performances. Even among the younger ones, it was Ewan Mitchell who really stood out and caught the eye as Aemond Targaryen, as he was the more immediately compelling and entertaining of Alicent and Viserys' children.
House of the Dragon is pretty self-serious and often grim (understandably so), but Aegon - like Viserys before him - brings in an element of comedy that’s much needed…
That’s changed in season 2, andGlynn-Carney is giving one of the best performances of the entire season- second only, I’d argue, to Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra. The actor is nailing every aspect of the character so far, and finding lots of little nuances within them, giving him a much greater emotional range. He’s great when portraying Aegon’s anger, because he’s never really frightening (unless you ask Blood, I guess), but instead you can see the cracks of vulnerability he’s trying to cover up.
He’s also bringing out one of the most important parts of the show, which is humor.House of the Dragonis pretty self-serious and often grim (understandably so), but Aegon - like Viserys before him - brings in an element of comedy that’s much needed, and a lot of that is down to Glynn-Carney’s performance and line delivery (his"abed?!“is a prime example). Crucially, like Paddy Considine before him, he finds the right balance between comedic and tragic, with a bit of pathetic thrown in, that makes him so enjoyable to watch, without needing to root for him, exactly.
Who King Aegon II’s Heir Is & How Many Kids He & Helaena Have In House Of The Dragon
Following Blood & Cheese, Aegon II Targaryen is left without a son. So, who’s his rightful heir to the Iron Throne now? Here’s what we know.
House Of The Dragon Needed More Balance Between The Greens And The Blacks
The Blacks Were Too Obviously The “Good Guys” Coming Into Season 2
If I’ve got to pick a side betweenHouse of the Dragon’s Greens and Blacks, then I’m with the latter. Rhaenyra has the rightful claim based on being named Viserys' heir, and she’s long been the most sympathetic character. The show has continually widened that gap, too: Aemond is great to watch, but he killed Lucerys, which makes the Blacks more sympathetic. The likes of Jacaerys Velaryon, Corlys Velaryon, and Rhaenys Targaryen are “good,” while Otto Hightower, Aegon, Alicent Hightower, et al, are “bad,” and Ser Criston Cole is the most loathsome character on TV right now.
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However, good storytelling needs balance and nuance.Game of Throneswas at its best when it found moral conflicts with gray characters, rather than black and white, good vs. evil (though it had room for those).House of the Dragonis no different. The more complex and empathetic it can make the Greens, the better the show will be, and I think its characterization of Aegon - alongside more obvious tragedies such as the impact of Blood and Cheese upon Helaena - goes a long way to doing that, and makes it a much more interesting watch.
New episodes ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2 release Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and Max.
House of the Dragon
Cast
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.
