House Of The Dragon Season 2-Episode 1 Review : A Son For A Son

The New House of the Dragon season aired this Sunday night. 

House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones are both shows set in similar settings but are very different at their core. In Game of Thrones, we know who the bad and good guys are. Here in *House of the Dragon*, we are left battling to choose between Team Black and Team Green, both of which are vicious to their core, motivated by their pride and misunderstandings.

The first episode of House of Dragon S2-

Starts with Jace Velaryon (Harry Collett) in Winterfell with Lord Cregan Stark (Leo Suter) by his side, showing him the Wall. Watching Winterfell and the North after the last episode of Thrones was like coming back home. It was a very good start to the episode where Prince Jace has gone to the North to ask the Starks to be on his mother's side in this civil war.

This episode was mostly focused on the Greens and how Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) dealt with the new responsibilities of being a king. Aegon is not as cruel as you would expect, especially in comparison to Joffrey from Game of Thrones. Aegon is somewhat kind towards the smallfolk in the Small Council, where he meets with common people to solve their problems. He tries to be affectionate like his father, but the ever-scheming Hand, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), swoops in to teach him the bearings of a king.

We didn't see much of Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) in this episode; she was distraught by her son's death, a mother just looking for closure, hurt and heartbroken. She later returns after finding the remains of her son's dragon and demands Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell).

In order to fulfill Rhaenyra's wish, Daemon (Matt Smith) goes to King's Landing and hires two vagabonds to kill Aemond, while stating, 'A son for a son.' The two vagabonds find Helaena, the Queen (Phia Saban), and kill her and the king's beloved son, Jaehaerys. This might be one of the coldest killings in the entire Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon saga. In Thrones, we see that all the killings were of adults with a proper motive for their death. Here, an innocent child is killed for vengeance, which would turn out to be fatal for the Blacks.

The overall episode was very good. Beautifully directed and excellently shown. The actors were amazing, and you can see the kick-start to the war for the Iron Throne."**

Read- HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON 2- EPISODE 2: BROTHERS IN ARMS REVIEW

Conclusion 

The first episode of the new season of House of the Dragon establishes the brewing conflict between Team Black and Team Green with intense character developments and moral ambiguity. The visuals of Winterfell and the interactions in King’s Landing set the stage for the impending war, while poignant moments like the aftermath of Prince Lucerys' death and the brutal killing of young Jaehaerys highlight the high stakes and personal vendettas driving the story forward. This episode successfully lays the groundwork for a thrilling continuation of the saga, blending political intrigue and emotional depth, promising an engaging and dramatic season ahead.