House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Not the finale we deserved

House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 8 Review:It’s been eight weeks already since the House of the Dragon dropped its first episode for season 2 and we can’t believe how fast the weeks went past us. Season 2 wrapped up today with a finale that has left a varied impression on the internet – while some found it lacklustre and not finale-worthy, others found makers rushing to close the second chapter without giving us anything to feed on for the next two years (it will take at least that much time for season 3 to premiere).

With no major character deaths, no crazy character arcs that we didn’t already foresee, no great insights into what to expect and no dragon fight, House of the Dragon season 2 finale was a great episode but not worthy of closing the season. It leaves you with a feeling of an impending war, something that we sensed last season too.

What we loved about House of the Dragon season 2 finale:

We have better clarity on who is fighting for which side. Like, the Lannisters are able to strike a deal with pirates for Greens to fight with the Sea Snake and Team Black’s naval army to fight the blockade or the Lords of Rivverrun now swearing for Queen Rhaenyra. We also have major clarity on Daemon who started off with wanting to be called the King and claiming the Iron Throne for himself to now bending the knee finally to Rhaenyra.

It took a whole season for Daemon to decide his loyalty but he knows his ‘purpose’. His hallucinations and daydreaming also saw an end with the finale as he sees the future – the White Walkers, The Night King, Daenerys rising from the ashes with three baby dragons, a Civil War with all dragons meeting their death and Rhaenyra sitting on the Iron Throne.

The season 2 finale also gave us a Rhaenyra and Alicent reunion. They looked like a couple who loved, fought and lost it all. When Alicent goes to meet Rhaenyra to ask for the bloodshed to be stopped and for prevailing peace, she gets a befitting answer. But what’s heartwarming is not what is said between them but what is left to be deciphered. The lost gaze, the lost kiss, the lost hug and the lost last words of goodbye – pretty much sums up the relationship between the two women who were once best friends and each other’s confidantes. Read the last episode's review here

The new Dragonriders are cocky especially Ulf who is ill-mannered and ill-behaved at the court. It just proves why Rhaenyra’s decision to get more dragons to join the fight with lowborn men at the helm – could prove to be rushed in the future. Whether it befits her good results, is a thing to wonder and we will only get to know in season 3. All we know is that it makes Prince Jaecarys troubled and rightly so!

What we hoped the House of the Dragon season 2 finale addressed:

The new episode doesn’t feel like a finale because it lacks the urgency that the finale demands. None of the new dragon riders get a hand at flying their dragons. They are not shown flexing their muscles. Before racing towards the Dance of the Dragons in the next season, we would have loved to see a precursor to that show, something to keep our minds at for the next two years.

We get to see a glimpse of Ser Otto Hightower, who has been missing from action since he was dismissed from Aegon II’s court. It would have been nice to know where he was at all this while and what plans he’s been hatching.

The bit between Ser Criston Cole who is out marching the King’s army in the Riverlands and Alicent’s younger brother Ser Gwayne Hightower was misplaced and boring. Makers could have done without giving him screen time where he thinks about his sins and grieves the loss of peace and love in his life.

What could have been better in House of the Dragon season 2 finale:

The episode builds on Aemond Targaryen’s frustration at not being the mightiest in Westeros, and on being snatched that title now that Rhaenyra has more dragons. Not only does he burn an entire town because of his rage but is also seen pushing sister Halaena to ride into battle with her formidable dragon Dreamfyre.

In the sequence in which he approaches Halaena and tries convincing her to ride to battle, we would have loved to see the show explore their relationship. The books mention that the two were intimate and that all of Halaena’s kids were with Aemond and not Aegon II. Maybe that could have been teased?

But we loved it when Halaena shares her vision of the future with Aemond and tells him she knows of his treason, burning Aegon at Rook’s Rest and that she sees him defeated and being swallowed at God’s Eye. The moment she tells him that Aegon II is yet to see victory, we couldn’t help but notice Aemond’s face which looked like he was stabbed by a thousand needles at once.

In all, House of the Dragon season 2 wrapped up with an anti-climatic episode, with no major frills and fancy, something you’d expect from the Game of Thrones spinoff. I mean, they had dragons, they had the material, they had a warning of war and violence and they did nothing with it for the finale.

House of the Dragon season 2 episode 8 was great as an episode 8 and not a finale. There should have been two more episodes before they wanted us to wait for another season.