House Of The Dragon premiered on June 16th and the well-known notes of the acclaimed theme song pull us through a brand new season 2 opening credit scene!

A beautiful work of embroidery (perhaps one being stitched by Helaena?) comes together, each stitch weaving the horror that surely awaits as we follow along on this re-telling of one of the deadliest wars in Westeros history. The first episode picks up only days after the incident in the season one finale, the death of Lucerys Velaryon, as we are taken back to one of the more familiar places in the Game of Thrones universe; Winterfell! We are placed into the immediately recognisable setting of the North. The summer snows are already grazing the landscape and we are officially introduced to Cregan Stark, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.

Image courtesy of HBO.

Across the land, Rhaenyra is stricken by crippling grief, battling against sense and safety as she tries to work through the death of her son. Daemon and Rhaenys run into some tension, both of them bearing a heavy brunt of the slowly building war. While in King’s Landing, Otto Hightower struggles with Aegon II, and his inexperience as a ruler. Aegon himself is having a hard time trying to find his footing in his very rushed ascension to the throne, and despite having been a prince (and to some, even the presumed heir) for years, he quickly realizes that being the ruler of the seven kingdoms, may be hard work after all.

Image courtesy of HBO.

This episode takes us on a ride that encompasses all the different corners of the building conflict, and we are presented with a point of view of each side pondering their next steps in a way that mirrors a chess game. The tone of inevitable war is very strong, there is a clear thirst for vengeance, but also the deafening silence of waiting, and most of all, not knowing. Criston Cole and Aemond Targaryen make plans of their own battle, sparking a relationship of mutual respect and perhaps even, a wicked taste for power.

The season opener packs on with incredible set design and locations. The Red Keep, but especially Dragonstone, are noticeable in terms of ambiance and aesthetic, perfectly capturing the tone of dread and the brewing rage. Costumes are of course always of great focus in any period piece. But House of the Dragon elevates the meaning of bringing each character to life through what they wear. One example of this can be found in the little easter egg for long time fans (both of the previous show and the books), as we see ‘Ice’ towering over Cregan Stark in its sheath in one of the earlier shots in the episode. As many of you know, this is the Valyrian steel sword that would later come to belong to Ned Stark, which he is seen wielding in season 1 of ‘Game of Thrones’.

Image courtesy of HBO.

Stand out performances of this episode are Emma D’arcy, in their nearly wordless (only one line in the entire episode!) but extremely readable anguish. Here, less was truly more. We are shown yet again why Emma D’arcy was the perfect choice for Rhaenyra. Second stand out goes to Tom-Glynn Carney (Aegon Targaryen II) who seems to be having a lot of fun with his character, and finding that balance between complete delusion, embarrassment and humor. His ability to add an element of laughter into a very solemn plot with heavy themes is admirable, and although the humor works to lighten the audience’s heart, it also translates well into the complete hopelessness of the path he has been led down. Aegon clearly, not only has no idea what he’s doing, but can’t seem to do anything right.

Image courtesy of HBO.

Packed with more focus on plot and tension than visuals, the episode still manages to give us a few glimpses of stunning visuals. Most noticeable to myself, those that bring fire into focus. The funeral pyre of Lucerys, and the shots of Alicent praying in the sept around the dais decorated with an abundance of candles, serve to remind us of both the cleansing and destruction that is brought upon this story through fire. The boldest choice for this episode is by far, having the audience follow two largely unknown characters that are briefly introduced, and tasking them with closing out the story. Here, both cinematography and direction by Alan Taylor truly enunciate the feeling of impending doom and horror that surely awaits as we watch two people sneak their way into the Red Keep to claim the life of one of the royal sons. The shocking conclusion is truly one that could only be expected in the world of ‘A song of Ice and Fire’, as the last event of the season premier adds onto the unraveling that would eventually become the destruction of house Targaryen.

This episode strikes at a 4/5 for me. It has all the elements that we love about George RR Martin’s world, combined with solid writing and a very strong cast. It feels good to be back in the land of dragons!

RATING: 4/5