HOUSE OF THE DRAGON finally adverted some of my expectations and delivered one of the best episodes so far. THE BURNING MILL masterfully shows how the smallest disagreements could turn into mass tragedy. It also benefits from airing after the conclusion of GAME OF THRONES. Those of us who watched the former series saw Daenerys Targaryen grow not only as a leader but as a woman in a world where men rule everything. Her ancestor Rhaenyra Targaryen not only has to balance her authority as the “black Queen”, but also strategically work her way through a council of all men, each with a strong opinion of what her next move should be.
When I last reviewed HOTD a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t like that the show introduced new characters I didn’t care about. This week, the opening scene does this type of introduction properly. We don’t need to care about these people. Their story is succinct and meant to forebode what could be in the future for Westeros. The writers’ decision to have much of the drama and action off-screen worked perfectly to draw this tenseness and sense of doom out for the rest of the episode.Â
THE BURNING MILL also puts a lot of focus on Rhaenyra, Alicent, and Daemon, three of the best and most interesting characters on the show. Matt Smith as Daemon, steals most of the scenes he’s in and this week is no different. His character shines brighter when he’s away from his wife where his only job is to sulk around. Daemon as the harbinger of anything….news/rules/demands are always some of the most amusing scenes in the show. It’s obvious Smith is having a blast playing Daemon. No one switches their demeanor like Daemon does either in this show. He can be whomever he needs to be to get what he wants.Â
This episode takes us back to a familiar place we saw in Season 1 and often in GAME OF THRONES for my favorite scene this season and one of the best scenes from the series so far. To tell you who is in it would be a major spoiler, but I will harken back to the first paragraph if this review… The smallest of disagreements can blow up. Words are misinterpreted, emotions run high, pride and ego take over. And in Westeros, all of that can and will have the most fatal of outcomes. It was this scene that took me back to the best of the GOT episodes. HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, like its predecessor doesn’t need to be all action, battles, and back-stabbing. Sometimes its absolute strongest moments are just in conversation. Â
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON airs on Sunday nights on HBO and streams on Max simultaneously.