House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Watch out for epic dragon battle in the best episode so far

House of the Dragon has finally served! As we approach halftime in season 2 of the ongoing HBO show, makers reveal that they too have Game of Thrones-style shocking moments to throw you off your seat, which they might have used sparingly in previous episodes, but it’s too soon to dismiss them.*Spoiler alert*

What started off as a rather drab season with action barely picking up, House of Dragon went all guns blazing in new episode which has dragons, dance of the dragons (where two or more dragons attack each other and are engaged in violent chase), death, sinister plots and much more.

Where should we start…episode 4 picks up with Daemon Targaryen seeing things (having visions) and what we can loosely call insanity as he slowly loses his grip over reality at Harrenhal. As Rhaenyra (Team Black) and clan try reaching out to him and find out if he’s gathering strength in her stead, Daemon continues to brood, go a little insane, has visions of a young Rhaenyra reminding him of his faults, greed and jealousy and his longing for the Iron Throne and how he wishes that he was labelled Viserys’ heir instead of her.

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Meanwhile, Ser Criston Cole has advanced and has shown great valour. He’s busy winning lands in the name of Aegon II (Team Green).

This pits Team Green and Team Black at a juncture when each of them know that the war has finally been sounded and neither can retrace their steps. Princess Rhaenyra is back after meeting Queen Dowager Alicent asking for truce and peace and she’s ever more convinced of her “rightful” claim to the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, Alicent deals with her own demons in the episode, trying to make sense of Viserys’ last words and whether she truly deciphered the correct meaning of what he said on his deathbed.

What we love about House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4 *Spoiler alert

Everything! Yes, this episode is by far the best of season 2 of House of the Dragon and I know I am saying this even before we have reached the climax. It has the apt balance of suspense, chaos, violence, dragons, manipulation, egregious judgements, character developments and everything we had been looking for that had been lacking in the show so far.

There are moments when you have to hold your breath and just lay still for the fear of missing out on something crucial transpiring on the screen.

There is that finalebattle that you will soon enough get to read about on the internet if you don’t watch the episode soon. There is heightened excitement around it, much like every time Drogon had to burst onto our scene whenever Daenerys Targaryen of Game of Thrones needed him. You keep wondering which dragon will come because there are so many of them in House of the Dragon and they are all ready for war.

Then there is death towards the end of the episode that we must get to, which tops everything else. We don’t know whether it’s certain that the central character has been killed but we do see him charred and burnt next to his dragon. Oops, you now know that it’s a male character that has been killed off.

What could have been better

Let’s give this bit a rest for this episode because I am yet to recover from the death of that character. Oh wait, actually the deaths of two central characters.

House of the Dragon season 2 episode 4 is currently airing on JioCinema in India.