When was the last time you guys watched a great show’s finale serving as a filler episode for the next season rather than completing its current season’s arc? Well, the finale of HBO’s House of the Dragon Season 2 does something like this, and in return, now faces the fans’ wrath. Remember The Sopranos? Another masterpiece from HBO? Do you guys remember how that James Gandolfini starrer culminated? The sudden blackout by HBO has triggered a level of viewer anger not seen since the controversial conclusion of The Sopranos.
The fans’ anger and disappointment with the Season 2 finale is understandable, given how aggressively and extensively HBO marketed the second season with a special focus on the impending battle between the Greens and the Blacks. Fans expected to watch fire-breathing dragons and some sort of a high-stakes battle in the Season 2 finale. Just when we begin to think that things are becoming interesting, the screen goes black.
Instead of blood, action, and violence, all we get is an endless amount of dialogue, special thanks to Alicent and Helaena. It takes 18 episodes for Alicent to finally realise her mistake. She finally realises that making Aegon the king of the Seven Kingdoms was a horrible decision as Viserys wanted Rhaenyra to be his successor. Surprisingly, she even considers giving up the life of Aegon, her first-born son, just for the sake of her own freedom. And what about Helaena? Out of nowhere, she starts speaking clearly without ending her dialogues with some sort of riddles, that usually tease her prophecies and visions. Poor Aemond!
In terms of storyline, the entire House of the Dragon Season 2 looked a bit off. We saw Rhaenyra and Alicent mostly spending their time at their respective castles and finding themselves getting crushed under the weight of council meetings. After making the entire show’s fanbase mad with his words and actions in Season 2’s first half, Criston Cole looks way too vulnerable in the second half. Damn, he has some serious dragon PTSD! And what about our beloved Daemon? His actions and intentions confused many fans this season, especially his entire stay at Harrenhal. There was no need to stretch that arc that long. But it’s a great relief for Rhaenyra that her husband has finally realised the meaning of the Song of Ice and Fire.
According to Deadline, showrunners shifted a major battle from Season 2 to Season 3 to stretch the show a bit. However, their decision left a huge void in the second season in terms of storyline. As for its finale, well that 70-minute episode turned out to be one of the weakest episodes in the history of the Game of Thrones universe. Stay tuned for more updates. Watch the entire House of the Dragon Season 2 on JioCinema.