In my review of the first episode of House of the Dragon, I wrote how Aemond, "like a White Walker, brings intense cold and darkness with him. Whenever he appears on the screen, the surroundings seem bleak, as if the air has turned to ice." You find a completely different Aemond in Episode 2. The one-eyed prince looks like a child as he lies on a woman's lap and talks about his regret for killing Luke. His injured eye, without an eye patch, doesn't look horrendous. Aemond, in other words, doesn't appear as a demon. His vulnerability takes you by surprise, and you notice something innocent within him, craving acceptance and affection from the world around him. For now, the woman will satisfy his needs.
Jaehaerys' death fills the characters with pain and anger, and it further fuels the desire for vengeance. Some men like Otto Hightower use the funeral as a political strategy to blame Rhaenyra and build an army. Others like Aegon and Ser Criston Cole make rash decisions, which end up undermining Otto's schemes. The Hand's real enemies might just be very close to him. One of the pleasures of watching the second episode is to see Otto get what he rightfully deserved for a long time: Humiliation and a (figurative) slap on his cheeks. If only someone would give a similar treatment to Criston. Look at him talking about honor in front of Ser Arryk. Maybe we should start calling him Ser Criston Cole the Hypocrite.
There is a scene in Episode 2 involving Rhaenyra and Daemon. The press notes don't want me to spoil what occurs between these two characters, so I will just say that this scene is shot wonderfully. Every cut is timed well and precise. The camera's movement, along with the actors', generates uneasy rhythms that make you want to sit closer to the screen. The atmosphere becomes too palpable, and you realize how good this show can be.
But let's talk about death scenes. Compare the killings in House of the Dragon to those that take place in the early seasons of Game of Thrones, and you will find the former to be less effective. House of the Dragon can go in unexpected directions, but so far, it hasn't shocked you as intensely as a Ned Stark beheading or a Red Wedding. These moments were not just shocking; they took you by surprise, pulled the rug from beneath your feet, infuriated you, and rendered Game of Thrones enormously unpredictable and rich. You cared about the characters more and feared for their safety because you never knew when somebody would die. House of the Dragon isn't as exciting as GOT, which, of course, you somehow didn't expect it to be (it's impossible to recreate that magic). But when the characters meet their makers in House of the Dragon, you only experience shock for a while. Once things settle down a bit, you see the deaths as a predetermined path on which the story rides to fulfill its objectives. The murders lack the spontaneity of GOT. Even that death, which arrives near the end of this episode, comes across as well-planned and logical, not emotional or thrilling. House of the Dragon can seem cold to the senses for a show that consists of dragons breathing fire.
Final Score- [7/10]