Alicent – Simon’s Incoherent Blog

House of the Dragon: Season 3, Episode 7 – The Dragon in Winter

“You now have many dragons. Are you yourself not altered?”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

For a show with the word “dragons” in the title, about a royal dynasty who maintain power through their exclusive control of them, House of the Dragon is usually quite sparing in its use of the titular beasties. Not so this week. If it’s dragons you want, this ep is chock full of them, hence the title (presumably a riff on The Lion in Winter, the 1966 play about Henry II). There may not have been any major battles, but the dragons were front and centre in an episode that focused on them more than any previously.

House of the Dragon: Season 3, Episode 5 – Unbowed and Unbent

“There is good in Rhaenyra. But the crown is a weight that crushes.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

If you’re one of those fans who wishes the plot of House of the Dragon would just get on with it, this episode was probably immensely frustrating. Focusing as it does principally on character rather, it was an hour of people sitting down and soul searching, usually in two handed scenes, during which the overall plot advanced by maybe a couple of inches. But these are good characters, and I’d guess showrunner Ryan Condal is banking on viewers being invested enough in them by now to be gripped by an episode that focuses almost entirely on enlarging them.

House of the Dragon: Season 3, Episode 2 – Queen’s Landing

“The boys who clung to me, who hid their little faces in my skirts – dead, so that I might sit on a throne of swords.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

It’s been a busy week, so I’m just now getting on to catching up with House of the Dragon – the very day the next episode goes out!

Continuing straight on from last week’s epic battle, this ep opens with a striking shot of its conclusion from below the waves; dragonfire flying everywhere, debris and bodies floating in the sea. But the battle’s nearly over – who has survived, and who has been horribly killed?

House of the Dragon: Season 3, Episode 1 – Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood

“We will all become beasts before our end.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

It’s been early two years since last we caught up with the ever-quarrelling Targaryen factions of House of the Dragon; and in the interim, its attempt to recreate the vibe of the original Game of Thrones has been challenged by the less complex (and more fun) Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Can the more dour original spinoff still compete?

House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 8 – The Queen Who Ever Was

“The dragons dance, and men are like dust under their feet. And all our fine thoughts, all our endeavours, are as nothing.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

House of the Dragon wound to the finale of its second season with the same mix of moments of brilliance and frustratingly uneven pacing that have characterised it this time round. This was a good episode for character development, nicely tying up some arcs that have been seriously dragging for most of the season, but in terms of advancing the plot it mostly meandered along setting up pieces for next season before suddenly dropping a plot bomb in our laps with an excellent final montage and cliffhanger.

House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 6 – Smallfolk

“There are older things in this world than you, or I, or living memory. You are not the player, but a piece on the board.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

It was another… shall we say, leisurely paced episode for House of the Dragon this week, which may not win it many more admirers from those who find the show very slow going. To be fair, this week, even I had my reservations. I’d expected a lull in the pacing after the Big Battle of ep4, but with only two episodes of the season to go, it feels like the show should be upping its pace.

House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 5 – Regent

“Do not underestimate your subjects. They are a thousand thousand living in the shadow of the Red Keep, and forgotten for too long.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

After last week’s Bloody Big Battle, it was back to House of the Dragon’s trademark political scheming this week – but with some justification. The fallout from the Battle of Rook’s Rest is seismic, and even if you find the show’s predilection for men with beards arguing in dark rooms tiresome, given last week’s events it was entirely necessary dramatically.

House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 4 – The Red Dragon and the Gold

“Rhaenyra’s supporters will believe what they wish. And so will Aegon’s. The war will be fought, many will die, and the victor will eventually ascend the throne.”

(SPOILER WARNING!)

If it was a Bloody Big Battle you were waiting for, this week’s episode of House of the Dragon delivered in spades. For many people (though not me), the show’s deliberate, sometimes slow pace has been its weakness. For myself, I’ve enjoyed all the political skulduggery that’s characterised this more thoughtful prequel to Game of Thrones thus far. But even I enjoy some carnage-based medieval spectacle now and again. Especially if it involves dragons.