House of the Dragon Season 2: What Went Wrong After a Masterclass First Season

House of the Dragon season 2 was a mess after a masterclass of a first season, and something clearly happened to make it that way. The season wasn't terrible, and I loved a lot of it, but here I want to go through the main characters, how their arcs compared with and built upon season 1, and the questionable decision to shrink the season from 10 episodes to 8.

The eight episode order left season 2 unfinished

It is no secret that cutting the season to eight episodes was a poor decision. Warner Brothers insisted it was for narrative reasons, but I don't think anyone buys that: "it's pretty obvious that they wanted to save some money." Usually when a season is shortened, the writers condense the story to fit. The seventh and eighth seasons of Game of Thrones both told a complete story and didn't end abruptly; they were just vastly rushed.

A few months before filming, Warner Brothers changed the order from 10 episodes to 8, but shortly afterwards the writers strike began, and during a strike writers can't write. So instead of condensing a 10 episode season, it appears to me at least that HBO simply made the first eight episodes of the original season 2 and called it season 2. The ending shows it. Episode 9 is usually the big battle episode, and episode 8 ended right before a big battle. The season arc is incomplete, and so are the character arcs, mainly Rhaenyra's.

Rhaenyra's season was about taking agency as queen

Rhaenyra had by far the most screen time, and she suffered most from the peculiar structure. The season opens with her mourning Luke. A big theme in this universe is balancing love and duty, and George R. R. Martin has always said his books are about characters in conflict with themselves. Rhaenyra never wanted to be queen, yet while war rages she takes time to grieve, which frustrates Daemon. Her only line in episode 1 is "I want Aemond Targaryen."

If I had to summarise her arc, it would be taking agency in her role as queen. All season she is doubted or told to do nothing, which sits badly given her sense of purpose around the Song of Ice and Fire. In episode 2, Daemon takes her line and has a four year old boy decapitated. She is furious because it makes her look bad and shows he doesn't respect her. She repeatedly asks whether he respects her as queen and ruler, and he never answers before running off to Harrenhal. Frankly, Daemon has never respected her, and she knows it.

Emma D'Arcy has repeatedly said that Rhaenyra is constantly at odds with her gender. Motherhood is part of that. In episode 1 she chose to be a mother and Daemon had a child killed behind her back; in episode 2 she was nearly assassinated in her quarters. So when she sends her youngest children away in episode 3, it is the first small example of her choosing to be a queen over being a mother.

The peace mission felt like a regression for Rhaenyra

Episode 3 seemed to frustrate people most. She sits around ignored by her counsellors, then, after consulting Mysaria, the only person who seems to listen to her, sneaks into King's Landing to sue for peace with Alicent. A big criticism of the season is that the women are all painted as good while the men wage war, whereas in Game of Thrones so many women were bloodthirsty and power hungry. I don't entirely agree, but I understand it, and I think it exists mostly because of this scene.

I find it quite silly that the first three episodes all ended with someone sneaking around, but my real issue is regression. Season 1 ended with her son murdered and Rhaenyra furious; season 2 has her still seeking peace, which made it seem she didn't care much about Luke. If someone murdered my son like that, especially when he was sent as a messenger, I wouldn't want peace at all. After that first episode she barely mentions Luke, and on the green side I don't know if Jaehaerys's death is ever mentioned in the second half.

The council's disrespect could have worked if Rhaenyra exploded with the built up anger over Luke that nobody allowed her to express, at Mysaria or at her council. Using Luke's death as a catalyst for becoming a more active queen would have been brilliant.

Rhaenyra should have been the one to send a dragon to Rook's Rest

When the talks fail, she returns in episode 4 declaring she will be queen or die trying, and I love how everyone rightly chastises her for the plan. The black council scene about Rook's Rest was close to perfect, from Jace telling his mother she can't be the one to go to her line that some may have mistaken her caution for weakness.

My one small change: Rhaenyra should suggest the dragon. In the show, Jace suggests it and she agrees and offers herself. Instead, a council member could call it a trap, and Rhaenyra, trying to prove herself, insists anyway; the council refuses to let her go, and Rhaenys goes instead. Then the fallout is on her, and the council can blame her or she can blame herself. I'm a big fan of characters driving the plot. Rather than making no decisions and growing tired of it, she could make bad decisions and then try to prove herself, which makes her more active.

The prophecy may be corrupting Rhaenyra, but it never paid off

In the second half she does little. Episode 6's feeding of King's Landing is more Mysaria's doing, and her first real attempt, having Steffon Darklyn claim a dragon, ends with his death and her council calling it stupid. Still, the writers might be setting up something I really like. Many fans dislike the prophecy because it robs her of agency, but what they have done is plant seeds of it corrupting her. How many people in history have used a larger calling to commit tragedy? Mysaria keeps telling her the gods are choosing her, and believing that makes you dangerous. People criticised the kiss with Mysaria, but it makes more sense if she is simply aroused that someone thinks she is so righteous. Even an unclaimed dragon seeking out a devoted rider looks like answered prayers.

In the final act she brings around 30 people to claim dragons; almost all die, but she gains two riders, so from her perspective sacrificing 30 to 40 people was worth it. She even ignores her son's pleas for her destiny, after spending the opening episode grieving a son.

The issue is payoff. In the finale she only suggests innocents may be killed; we need action, not suggestion. Seeing her kill a lot of people in a quest for the Iron Throne, not Daenerys level sacking but something smaller, would pay off her arc, and she never uses the dragonseeds she worked so hard for. With Jon's death, the cliffhanger comes after he is killed. "A good Cliffhanger is done right after something happens and we want to know what happens next." Rhaenyra got the bad kind. I don't hate her arc, and the prophecy path could dispel the criticism that all the women are good, but we haven't seen it pay off.

Alicent's betrayal was maybe the most disappointing arc

The marketing framed Alicent and Rhaenyra as the two main characters, yet by the end Alicent is willing to sacrifice her children to be free. It was set up in season 1, where making them same age best friends torn apart by a political and patriarchal system really worked, but you can explore that without making both so morally righteous.

Alicent's season 1 arc worked until the dinner where she hopes they can be friends again, misinterprets Viserys and installs Aegon. I feel they did this because they didn't want the two to be enemies, since that would mean the patriarchy won, so they built her support for Aegon on a foundation that could collapse with one conversation. I like the theme that it doesn't matter who was named heir, seen with the Brackens and Blackwoods fighting a battle with thousands of deaths for reasons they can't remember. But Alicent is the second most important character and she turned on her own side. Season 2 and the end of season 1 made it obvious the writers have a team black bias.

So she sleeps with Criston, forgets her grieving quickly, learns the truth from Rhaenyra, is passed over when the council names Aemond regent, is removed from court and betrays her family for freedom. The final shots show Rhaenyra carrying the burden of history and Alicent carrying none. I don't find that to be an interesting arc, and I agree with critics that removing all her agency was a mistake.

How I would have rewritten Alicent around Aegon

Without spoilers, Alicent doesn't do much in the books after Aegon is crowned. I don't think she would blindly support Aegon's cruelty, and I like the hope of a rekindled friendship, so I'd make her soft spot Aegon. She is glad to see him bring his son to council and try at court. After Blood and Cheese she still refuses to comfort him, and in episode 4 she still tells him to do nothing, which helps push him to fight. But when she sees him burned, she blames herself for pushing him into a crown he never wanted, and turns back when he calls for her.

Suspecting what Aemond did, she becomes protective and fearful, and can still panic at his regency and be removed from court. In the finale she offers surrender if Aegon can live out his days in Essos. When Rhaenyra says he must die, Alicent refuses. With one more change, Helaena telling her the killer said a son for a son, hearing Rhaenyra repeat the phrase convinces Alicent that Rhaenyra was behind her grandson's death. Rhaenyra imprisons her, something from the books that doesn't appear to be happening in the show. It makes her a more active character who doesn't turn on her family.

Daemon's visions worked, but his throne doubts did not

Daemon is closest to a complete arc. Given the supposed green light, he hires a rat catcher and a gold cloak to kill Aemond and supposedly says a son for a son if they cannot find him. His arc is finally committing to Rhaenyra, pledging himself and his army to her.

I loved anything about confronting the pain he caused, since he usually runs away. Hugging a grieving Viserys was so powerful. He also has to learn diplomacy: the Brackens don't cave to threats, the river lords chastise him when he asks Willem to commit war crimes, and Oscar Tully essentially orders him to execute Willem. He should have had a vision of Rhea Royce, whom he killed with a rock, and I wish he had apologised to Rhaenyra.

What I didn't care for was him pondering the Iron Throne. I thought season 1 answered that, and in its finale he crowned Rhaenyra, though people calling him king consort was hilarious. His vision of Daenerys and the White Walkers was a cop out, since none of his earlier visions touched the Song of Ice and Fire; his devotion should come from guilt. The writers might be hinting that he and Rhaenyra are switching personalities, which I'd love. He was the least hurt by the shortened season.

Aegon became one of the show's most compelling characters

Aegon surprised me most. Season 1 hindered him by having him assault women and support child fighting pits, but nothing in season 2 suggests he is cruel, and he was only a little mean to Aemond. I loved him bringing Jaehaerys to council, his line about needing the small folk, and refusing Otto's plan to parade his dead son through the streets, such a human thing to say.

He is a victim, thrust into a role he never wanted, so insecure about looking weak that killing the rat catchers makes perfect sense. When Otto tells him his father was right about him and his mother refuses to comfort him, it is so sad; deep down he just wants approval and affection. Manipulated by Larys, embarrassed by Aemond, he flies to war and is betrayed by his own brother. All this was inflicted by his elders, and I think this is why Alicent signing off on his execution angered so many people. Dragged away at the end, he is furious, and if I were him, I would be too.

Jace's insecurity as an outsider made him a standout

Jace barely did anything in season 1, but this season masterfully built on his insecurity as a baseborn son. If a war is fought because his mother is a woman, one can be fought because he is baseborn. He is surprisingly good at diplomacy with the Starks, then is grounded at Dragonstone after Luke's death. Rhaenyra hates inaction because a queen must seem strong; Jace hates it because otherwise people may look at him as nothing more than a baseborn son.

He volunteers for Rook's Rest, defies his mother to secure passage at the Twins, and begs her not to recruit baseborn riders as dragon riders, one of the best scenes of the series, because if baseborn riders ride dragons, what makes Jace special? Viserys named Rhaenyra his heir, and look how that turned out. Confronting Ulf was great too. Jace and Aegon were probably my standouts.

Aemond's arc felt incomplete

Aemond had little development, though his regret about Luke and telling Sylvi he was honoured that Daemon tried to kill him were neat insights. Like Aegon, he fears looking weak. He embarrasses Aegon, seizes the chance to kill him and grows more power hungry as Prince Regent. In episode 7 he is terrified by Rhaenyra's dragon army, and Helaena scares him again. I didn't dislike anything here; it is just the beginning of a potential arc.

Helaena exposed how the show handles grief

Helaena watches her son murdered, I didn't mind the changes from the books, but after one episode of grief she never seems upset again. Characters are devastated and then back to normal; in the second half Jaehaerys's death is mentioned once, to Daemon. People say Helaena is likely autistic, which may be true, but I don't think the writers were going for that. It's almost as if the show is too scared to show women being emotional because of the stereotype. How thematically rich would it have been if her son's death turned the most innocent character into someone filled with rage, or destroyed her mentally?

Was the cut to eight episodes really the root of season 2's problems, or did the writing itself fall short?