The Real Reason Why House of the Dragon Fans Are Disappointed with Season 2
The show's ratings have plummeted recently.
Summary
- Season 2 of HotD has only a few episodes with high ratings.
- The events depicted in the season are not evenly distributed between the episodes.
- The show seems to have abandoned its main character.
Season 2 of House of Dragon was one of the most anticipated premieres of the summer. Two years after the release of the first installment, it was warmly welcomed by fans who were ready to rally for Teams Green and Black in the battle for the Iron Throne.
The first two episodes of Season 2 have a nice 8.3 rating on IMDb, which speaks to the high quality of the second installment of House of the Dragon. But as the season progressed, the ratings dropped, with the notable exception of Episode 4, which featured the epic dragon battle between Aemond on Vhagar, Aegon on Sunfyre, and Rhaenys on Meleys. So, apart from the 9.6 for the fourth episode, Season 2 has been rather disappointing, with the latest, sixth episode scoring an embarrassing 6.2. And it seems there's a reason for that.
Nothing Ever Happens, and I Wonder…
Given that Season 2 opened with the cold-blooded murder of little Jaehaerys, the execution of the ratcatchers, and the deadly duel between Sers Arryk and Erryk Cargyll, it's hard to say that the current installment is uneventful. The aforementioned epic battle of the three dragons and the subsequent injury of Aegon and death of Rhaenys also speaks to the fact that Season 2 has a lot to offer. But if you think about it, all of these events took place in the highest-rated episodes, while the rest were pretty monotonous.
The recent sixth episode is a prime example. Exploring Aemond's rise to power in King's Landing, Daemon's continued misadventures in Harrenhal, and Rhaenyra's struggle to gain support from Dragonstone, the episode would have been completely boring had it not been for the experiment of claiming Seasmoke. Resulting in the tragic death of Ser Steffon Darklyn and the dragon fleeing the island only to find Corlys Velaryon's bastard son Addam and choose him as his rider, Rhaenyra's attempt to rally more dragonriders to her side was fascinating. But it also highlighted the main problem of the second season.
Who Is the Main Character of the Show?
Although House of the Dragon is based on G.R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, which does not have a main character, the HBO show focuses primarily on Rhaenyra Targaryen, King Viserys' first-born child and designated heir, who was denied her birthright to the throne by her treacherous stepmother/childhood friend Alicent and the king's small council, who placed Alicent's son Aegon on the throne. Unwilling to accept this fate, Rhaenyra began rallying support for her cause to reclaim the throne.
Of course, you would expect her to be the central character of the show. But in Season 2, she seems to be more of a supporting character, ranting and raving about how the great men of Westeros on her side don't allow her to act. So while Team Green gets a lot of exciting action, Rhaenyra and most of Team Black don't play a major role this season, and that's what ruins it.
Hopefully things will change in Episode 7 when it premieres on July 28.