‘House of the Dragon’ lacking key ingredient

• Published date: 13 August 2024
• Publication title: Signal

TWO seasons into HBO’s House of the Dragon and here’s what I know: pre-Game of Thrones Westeros had lots of very cool dragons and absolutely no sense of humour. Never have I longed for a Lannister takeover more

The first season was all about succession — with none of the satirical bite or even humanity of Succession — and ended with the House of Targaryen split between those who support Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and those who hastily installed her younger half-brother Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) on the throne.

The second season, which concluded recently, was devoted almost entirely to each side assembling the armies (and dragons) necessary to fight. Short on riders, Rhaenyra, who is hoping that somehow more dragons will equal less war, has taken the desperate measure of enlisting ‘‘common’’ people who have enough Targaryen blood to avoid being roasted on sight (though many of them did not survive this particular Sorting Hat process).

The finale ended with dragons wheeling, banners flying and music swelling as various characters stared soulfully into the future, but all I felt was exhausted.

Not in the good, edge of your...