Fans are expressing their disappointment with House of the Dragon, claiming that the show failed to properly depict one of the crucial events in the Dance of the Dragons, which took place off-screen.
The Season 2 finale of The House of the Dragon has been criticized by viewers, as it currently holds the second-lowest rating for a Game of Thrones finale.
Despite promising a bloody battle based on the source material, Episode 8 faced a tremendous amount of backlash as it ended with an unexpected cliffhanger, disappointing viewers.
However, not only the absence of warfare, but also the rushed and inadequate portrayal of the fall of King’s Landing has left some fans dissatisfied with the Season 2 finale. As mentioned by a Reddit user in a discussion thread, the significant event seemed to have been hurried through and did not receive the proper emphasis it merited.
“The fall of KL was perhaps the only significant victory the Blacks achieved before Rhaenyra’s death. Although it may not have been a traditional battle, it still held great significance. However, the enemy has now simply handed over the capital to them without much effort. The one major triumph for the Blacks has essentially been given to them by their foolish enemy queen.”
In House of the Dragon, the book that inspired Fire & Blood, the Blacks were able to conquer King’s Landing through a combination of strategic planning and loyal allies.
Aemond Targaryen and Criston Cole led their immense army towards Harrenhal, leaving the capital vulnerable. In the meantime, the Blacks mounted their dragons, including Caraxes and Syrax, and flew towards King’s Landing, accompanied by Corlys Velaryon’s fleet.
Upon arriving at the city gates, the gold cloaks, who were responsible for protecting King’s Landing, granted the Blacks safe passage due to their steadfast loyalty to Daemon Targaryen, who had been their leader for a considerable amount of time.
After the siege had ended, Otto and Gwayne Hightower were found deceased, while King Aegon Targaryen escaped the city with Larys Strong. Alicent was then captured and Helaena was taken prisoner.
The events in the show were presented primarily through dialogue, deviating from the book’s approach to giving them equal attention and focus.
In order to escape his brother’s deadly anger, Aegon departed King’s Landing accompanied by Larys. Alicent then inadvertently played into Rhaenyra’s hands by informing her that the city could be seized while Helaena was technically the reigning queen, essentially giving King’s Landing to her on a silver platter.
Despite the Blacks’ greatest victory being undermined, many fans expressed their discontent. One fan wrote, “The Blacks should feel triumphant and proud of their incredible feat, but it has been portrayed as a gift rather than a hard-earned win.”
A different viewer remarked, “The movie no longer feels like a strategic war tale, but rather resembles a soap opera.”
A third Redditor expressed the shared frustration among fans, stating, “It’s disappointing to be honest. The fall of KL was supposed to be a strategic move by the blacks outsmarting the greens, but they changed it to Alicent’s idea in general. I was really disappointed by the season finale.”
Season 2 of House of the Dragon is now available for streaming in its entirety, with Season 3 on the horizon. While you wait, be sure to explore these 5 similar shows and don’t forget to read our breakdown of the Season 2 finale.
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