Following last week’s action-packed episode, I expected this week’s to be on the slower side. However, much like the first three episodes, “Regent” is boring and sluggish, with a noticeable lack of action once again.
All every character does is just do the same thing over and over: they stand around and talk, and not much happens. Other than the last couple of minutes, there isn’t much story progression as it’s either everything we already knew or expected.
As I tweeted about last episode, while it was a great episode, I didn’t like that they didn’t show anything from Cole’s victory over Duskendale. We were only told about it, just like the previous battle between the Blackwoods and the Brackens. I also think the entire episode would have been even better if it had focused entirely on the battle, not the blah blah blah lead-up. That’s what most of this season is: blah blah blah. We’re being told everything instead of being shown (are there budget issues???).
And in this week’s episode, it’s more of the same: we’re again told about a battle between the Blackwoods and the Brackens, where apparently, the Blackwoods committed atrocities. Since we didn’t witness any of it, much like from Matt Smith’s Daemon Targaryen’s perspective, who cares?
That’s my main problem with this season of House of the Dragon: I find myself not caring about any of the characters, save maybe a few core ones, which total about five at most, but even they aren’t doing much.
I also felt tonight’s episode didn’t do enough to make us feel anything for King Aegon or for Rhaenys. It came off as meh. Whoopee do .
Honestly, other than the Targaryens, I can’t even keep up with what family is what family. There’s something happening with the river people, the folk people, the northerns (are there even Starks in the series?). I’m kinda lost. Again, who cares?
I also don’t like how every episode is about how all the men in the court are a bunch of buffoons and don’t want women as their leader. Question: I never read the books, are the books like that to such a degree? It’s getting old. Fast.
The only good thing about the episode is the last 2 minutes when they figure out they might have descendants in the other Houses. I think Rhaenyra dropped the word “mad,” so maybe she’s referring to the Mad King? Again, I haven’t read the books, so that seems like a pretty cool nod, I suppose.
House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 5 receives a 5/10 rating. Once again, it’s a whole bunch of nothing happening, much like most of the season so far, with only one episode standing out. But does that one episode justify the entire season being so dull? Absolutely not. This season is also two episodes shorter, every episode needs to count.
