Episode 4 – 10/10
Episode 5 – 6/10
Holy crap, episode 4 blew me away! Now that’s how you do an episode of House of the Dragon!! I’m just gonna come out and say it – it’s a solid 10/10. We’ve never seen dragon-on-dragon battles like this on screen before, and it was well worth the wait. I’ll be honest, I was a bit worried at the beginning, thinking, “Ah shit, are we going to get to that battle at all?” But when we finally did, it was everything I hoped for and more. I really hope we get plenty more of this down the road.
Episode 5, on the other hand … well, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It’s not bad, per se, but after the high of episode 4, it felt like a step down. It’s one of those breather episodes that plants seeds for future storylines, but I can’t help feeling like the pacing could have been better.
Episodes 4 & 5 Breakdown
Alright, let’s dive into episode 4. We start off with Daemon brooding at Harrenhal, having these weird dreams. In one of them, he’s in the Red Keep’s throne room with a young Rhaenyra who accuses him of wanting to destroy her. Then he beheads her, because of course he does. Classic Daemon, right? I gotta say, while Matt Smith is killing it as always, these Harrenhal scenes are starting to drag a bit – more on that later. Meanwhile, Rhaenyra is missing, and her advisors are getting antsy.
Over in King’s Landing, Aegon’s all pissy about being sidelined, and Aemond’s playing 4D chess with everyone. And can we talk about Alicent for a sec? Olivia Cooke is crushing it, showing us all these layers of Alicent as she realizes she doesn’t really have any power. There’s also this great scene where she’s getting Moon Tea from Maester Orwyle (cause she ain’t about to have Cole’s baby) and trying to figure out if Viserys really wanted Aegon to inherit the throne.
The Greens suck (seriously, fuck the Greens), but I gotta give them credit – they’re kicking ass in battle, thanks in no small part to Westeros’s most despised little bitch, Ser Criston Cole. He’s out there sacking towns and beheading lords like it’s going out of style. The guy’s efficiency would be impressive if he wasn’t such a massive jerk. And that haircut? Jesus Christ, brother, you look like a kid in oversized armor.
But let’s get to the main event: the Battle of Rook’s Rest. Holy shit, you guys. This is what I’ve been waiting for since the season started. Rhaenys on Meleys, Aegon on Sunfyre, and Aemond on Vhagar – it’s a dragon threeway of epic proportions. I love the smile that Rhaenys gives when she sees Aegon flying into the battlefield, very much like, “I’m about to whoop your ass, kid.” The CGI is insane, and the way they choreographed this aerial battle had me on the edge of my seat. I love how they showed the dragons as intelligent creatures. Sunfyre’s got Aegon’s back (those little headbutts!), and Meleys looks ready to throw down. And that moment when Vhagar clamps down on Meleys’ neck? Brutal, but so well done. Also, let’s not gloss over the fact that Aemond basically tried to take out his own brother. Don’t fuck with Aemond.
If I’m nitpicking (and I guess I am), I wish we could’ve seen more of what was happening on the ground. Some soldier-on-soldier action would’ve really rounded out the battle scenes. This would really have solidified this episode among the best in the entire franchise, up there with Battle of the Bastards. But honestly, I’m just thrilled we got what we did.
Now, episode 5. It’s … okay. We’re dealing with the fallout from Rook’s Rest, and everyone’s in their corners licking their wounds. Except for Aemond, who’s strutting around like he owns the place now.
The scenes in King’s Landing are pretty grim. Food’s running low, people are pissed, and parading Meleys’ head through the streets probably isn’t helping morale. I appreciate that they’re showing us the human cost of this war, but it does slow things down a bit.
Back on Dragonstone, Rhaenyra’s struggling to keep her council in line. There’s this frustrating scene where she’s trying to issue orders, and her lords just keep challenging her. I get that she’s in a tough spot, but I’m starting to get frustrated with how reactive she is. Come on, Rhae, do something!
Daemon’s still at Harrenhal, and honestly, these scenes are starting to feel like filler. He’s having more creepy dreams (this time about his mom …), dealing with some witchy woman named Alys Rivers, and trying to build an army. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Matt Smith, but I’m ready for this subplot to connect back to the main story.
The stuff with Jacaerys and the Freys is interesting, I guess. It’s cool to see the younger generation getting involved, but it’s telling that one of the more intriguing plot points comes from a relatively minor character. At least the kid’s thinking strategically, trying to secure passage for the Stark army. There are some good character moments, though. I loved the scene where Corlys and Baela talk about Rhaenys’ legacy. And Rhaenyra’s conversation with Jacaerys about feeling constrained by expectations was pretty solid. Oh, and we can’t forget about Aemond basically taking over while Aegon’s out of commission. You can just see Alicent realizing how badly she’s screwed herself over, but I’m also like sis, you sided with the Greens, whose claim to the throne is that Aegon should be king because Rhaenyra is a woman and women are unfit to rule (according to them), so in what world did you think they would let you become the regent?
Final Thoughts
Looking back at these two episodes, I can’t help but feel a bit conflicted. Episode 4 is everything I love about this show – epic battles, political scheming, and dragons galore. It’s the kind of TV that reminds me why I fell in love with this world in the first place.
But episode 5 … it’s not bad. Look, I get it. We need these quieter episodes to set things up and let characters process what’s happened. But man, the pacing in this one is really testing my patience.
The thing is, I actually like down episodes when they’re done right. Game of Thrones was at its best when it was all about the political maneuvering and character interactions. What I particularly love is watching people who are good at playing the game. My main issue, which I’ve pointed out in a previous review, is that these characters are pretty stupid and don’t really do anything. I hate to say it, but it’s true. The smartest people in this episode are Jace and Baela, which is great for them, but what does it say about everyone else? It’s really starting to bug me that we’re this far into the season, and Rhaenyra still hasn’t done anything meaningful. Sure, she had that scene with Alicent a few episodes back, but let’s be real – that was well-acted but made zero sense plot-wise.
I’m getting some serious deja vu here, and not in a good way. This season is reminding me more and more of seasons 5-7 of Game of Thrones. They weren’t terrible, but there was a noticeable drop in the quality of writing compared to the earlier seasons, especially for the characters. The political intrigue that used to have me on the edge of my seat now just feels … meh. And don’t even get me started on Daemon’s scenes. I love Matt Smith, but these Harrenhal bits are dragging on forever and going nowhere. It’s like they’re just treading water with his character.
Here’s what really worries me – I’m not feeling any tension or excitement for the next episode. That’s a bad sign. The political intrigue, which should be the bread and butter of this show, just isn’t grabbing me like it used to. Don’t get me wrong, I still love this series. I think overall, it’s really good. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t noticing some red flags. These are the same kind of issues we saw before Game of Thrones went off the rails in its final season. I really, really hope House of the Dragon doesn’t go down the same path.
Episode 5 is still above-average TV, but it’s definitely the weakest of the season so far. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. And in a show with this much potential, “not bad” just doesn’t cut it.
I’m still holding out hope that they can turn things around in the back half of the season. Maybe all this setup will pay off in a big way. But right now, I can’t help feeling a little worried about where we’re headed. Come on, House of the Dragon, prove me wrong. Show me you’ve learned from your predecessor’s mistakes and give us the epic, smart, character-driven story we know you’re capable of delivering.
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