House of the Dragon 2x2 Reaction: Otto Hightower's "Genius" Pivot and a Fight Scene Called "Cinema"

House of the Dragon season 2 episode 2 gave us plenty to react to, from Otto Hightower turning a child's murder into political leverage to a twin sword fight we called some of the best television of the season. Overall we came away still firmly on Team Black, but genuinely impressed by how well the show writes the Greens too.

This episode matters for fans because it sets up the next moves on both sides of the war, from Aegon's disastrous handling of his own council to the twin knights Arryk and Erryk being pulled into a plot against Rhaenyra herself.

Otto Hightower's Funeral Procession Is Called a "Genius Pivot"

After the murder of the young prince, we watched King Aegon spiral into rage, demanding war and blaming Rhaenyra outright. Otto Hightower's response, walking the boy's body through the streets in a funeral procession with the queen and the boy's mother riding behind, struck us as both awful and effective. "It truly is like a genius pivot," but at the same time, "it's so awful." We noted the plan worked exactly as intended, turning public grief into sympathy for the crown, even as Helaena clearly wanted no part of being paraded as a grieving spectator.

Aegon Fires Otto and Makes Criston Cole His Hand

The goodwill Otto built collapsed almost immediately when Aegon, humiliated by Otto calling out his behavior with Sir Erryk, dismissed his own grandfather as hand of the king and named Ser Criston Cole as Hand in his place. We were floored by this decision, saying "the stupidity" of undoing all that careful political work in an instant. We also called out Criston Cole directly, saying he has "become so awful" since his earlier season one dynamic with Rhaenyra, arguing his guilt over his own failures is what's driving him to project blame onto everyone around him rather than take accountability.

The Arryk vs Erryk Duel Gets Called "Cinema"

The fight between the twin knights, one loyal to Aegon and sent to kill Rhaenyra, the other sworn to protect her, was singled out as a highlight. We loved that the fight carried real emotional weight beyond choreography, pointing to the moment one twin says "I still love you brother" mid battle. "This is [surprising] Cinema to me," was the reaction, specifically because the stakes were personal, not just plot mechanics.

Two Shots We Loved: A Rack Focus and a Dolly on Otto's Badge

We picked out two specific pieces of direction as standouts: a rack focus shot moving between Mysaria and Rhaenyra during their conversation, and a dolly-in on Otto's hand badge as Aegon forces him to remove it, which we described as feeling "like cutting off a piece of himself."

Our Verdict: Still Team Black, But the Writing Sells Both Sides

Despite being staunchly Team Black, we admitted the episode is written well enough that "I almost forget which team I'm rooting for because it's so well done," specifically citing Otto Hightower's scheming as impressive even while disagreeing with his cause.

Do you think Otto Hightower's funeral procession plan was smart strategy or a step too far, and should Aegon have kept him as hand?