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House of the Dragon S3 Ep 2 Review

The season three premiere of House of the Dragon managed to start things off on an absolutely crazy note. HBO proved that the time and money they put into the season opener was well spent with The Battle of the Gullet, one of the biggest clashes of the Dance, as this war shall be called. Thanks to the impulsiveness of Rhaena Targaryen, we had to watch as Prince Jacaerys and his dragon were slain by the Triarchy, depriving Rhaenyra of her eldest son and heir to the Iron Throne. And as we know thanks to her descendant, Danaerys, when Targaryens lose the ones they love, they will set the entire realm on fire. And that is what pretty much what happens in this episode as Queen Rhaenyra gets what she wants: she gets the Iron Throne. But I think she’s already questioning if it was worth it or not.

Rhaena is a Dead Woman Walking!

The opening to this episode is a somber one as Baella and Moondancer return to Dragonstone with Jacaerys’ body. Everyone on the island is shocked and horrified by the death of the prince, but the person who is most horrified is, naturally, Rhaenyra herself. Emma D’arcy has proven an oustanding actor as Rhaenyra, as they manage to have the Queen go through multiple stages of grieving in a matter of moments. Seeing her be in initial denial that her son is dead to howling in tears over it is absolutely heartbreaking to watch. It was Jace who chose to fly to what would be his death so he could prove himself a worthy heir, but Rhaenyra still blames herself like any good parent would. That, and she blames the person who rode Sheepstealer. Though she doesn’t know that it was Daemon’s own daughter…yet.

As for Rhaena, she is pretty much a dead woman walking. She defied orders to flee to Pentos so she could claim a dragon. Then she impulsively decided to ride said dragon into battle without any further training, leading to Jace’s death. She knows that Rhaenyra will kill her for this, so rather than let that happen, she flees back to the Vale to hide, though Lady Arryn say she doesn’t want to see her again. I don’t blame her, either. I was happy that Rhaena got her own dragon at last, but what Sheepstealer did only proves the late Viserys point that dragons are too dangerous for man to control. Which sucks, because the dragons are the coolest part of this entire franchise!

The one Silver Lining

The only silver lining to all of this is that Corlys Velayron is still alive. But Driftmark is now in ruins, and it’s likely the Triarchy made off with a lot of his fortune. His house will never be as big as used to be. But at least he has his granddaughter and sons, Addam and Alyn. The latter of whom is now ready to accept Corlys as his dad.

So, with Aegon in the wind and Aemond having flown to capture Harrenhal, Alicent has held up her end of the bargain to Rhaenyra, but it almost gets her r*ped in the process. No, really. Lord Jasper, the Master of Laws, figures out what she’s up to and tries to blackmail her for s*x in exchange. And then we get a very graphic moment where he attempts to r*pe her! I actually thought the show was going to go through with it, but thankfully, Alicent is saved at the last second. Sadly, she and Helaena are unable to escape King’s Landing before Rhaenyra, Daemon, Hugh, and Ulf fly in to capture it.

The Queen Lands

The capture of King’s Landing is incredibly well-executed, in my opinion. The sight of the people panicking as Queen Rhaenyra’s dragons fly overhead is an excellent contrast to how nonchalant they were about in the first episode. Seeing Rhaenyra and Daemon tear through the Red Keep and take it for themselves is an excellent display of assertiveness. And that moment when the City Watch helps them take the city out of loyalty to Daemon? Chef’s kiss. Of course, I think that my favorite scene has to be how Rhaenyra deals with those who tried to deny what was promised to her.

So Long, Otto!

Like Littlefinger centuries later, Otto Hightower is the man responsible for the chaos unfolding in the show. He tried to put his own blood on the throne by selling off his own daughter as a bride. He and his conspirators basically enacted a coup by putting Aegon on the throne against the wishes of Viserys. Otto was a traitor hiding behind a veil of tradition, and it cost him his life. I was happy to see him go, but that joy was muted by the show’s decision to have Rhaenyra execute him herself.

The bloody footprints as she climbed towards the Throne that was promised to her is peak symbolism, in my opinion. It’s a Throne she’s had to win in blood, and the distraught look on her face as Alicent enters the throne room says that she is shocked at what she had to do to get it. But the bloodshed has only just begun.

The season is far from over, and while Rhaenyra can now say she is Queen, she has to hold it while Aegon and his brothers are still on the loose. And holding the Iron Throne is even harder than winning it! Ball’s in your court, Rhaenyra. Let’s see how long you can hold it.

I Give “Queen’s Landing” a 4.5/5

When people fight in wars, or for survival, things like morality tend to fall by the wayside. The desperation, the compromises, the loss. No one’s immune, not the Jedi, and not Mando. With Grogu/Baby Yoda held captive by Moff Gideon, he’s going to great lengths to get his son back. And in the process, we get a surprisingly insightful episode on the nature of good and evil with those in power.

Migs Mayfeld Returns

The last time we saw the ex-Stormtrooper Mayfeld, he was arrested by the New Republic for that failed prison break. Now serving a harsh prison sentence, Cara bails him out to help Mando’s team track down Moff Gideon’s ship. Which leads to the group to a remote Imperial outpost mining an extremely explosive chemical. So, high stakes all around.

I actually forgot about Mayfeld after last season, but this episode gives the returning character a surprising amount of depth. Yeah, he snarks against Cara (who’s happy to shoot him if necessary), but he also waxes himself philosophical about the effects of those in power. Namely, he says that whether it’s the New Republic or Empire that’s in charge of the Galaxy, nothing changes. People still suffer in squalor thanks to those in charge.

The sad thing is, he’s not wrong. No matter who’s in charge, the Outer Rim remains the same, underdeveloped frontier region its always been. It’s a sad reflection of real world issues of poverty.

Yet underneath his cynicism, we see that Mayfeld has a good heart, as we learn why he left the Empire. Operation: Cinder.

What is Operation: Cinder?

Operation: Cinder is an important event that occurred in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor. Long story short, Sidious planned to destroy the Empire and most of its worlds and people. As it turns out, Mayfeld was one of the Stormtroopers who found themselves as cannon fodder in Operation Cinder. He watched as his former CO left his comrades to die alongside countless civilians, all in the name of the Empire. He lived, but he turned his back on them for good.

As it happens, his former CO is in the base he and Mando infiltrate. Through various circumstances , the pair have to listen to the man frantically talk about how those deaths were a glorious sacrifice. Enraged by this, Mayfeld kills the guy in revenge, and the. Blows up base.

I saw this as a very powerful moment. Mayfel may act like he doesn’t care, but underneath his cynic ism is a potentially good man. It’s moments like that that remind me it to lose hope in people.

Mando Makes a Big Sacrifice

Mando may be a shining example of a “defrosting ice king”. When we first met him, he was a cold-hearted bounty hunter who didn’t care about anyone. But thanks to Baby Yoda, he learned how to care for others. Now he’s willing to go after Gideon to get Baby Yoda back. Not because he’s his mission; because he’s his son. And during this episode, we see him do something that cements just how much he cares for Baby Yoda/Grogu.

In order to find the location of Gideon’s ship, Mando has to use this facial recognition device. Even though he’s in the mess hall with several Imperials, he makes the ultimate sacrifice. He. Takes off. HIS HELMET.

Granted, he was disguised as a Stormtrooper, but the point remains. He willingly broke his people’s rule of never showing their faces. The Mando at the start of the show would never do this. The fact that he’s willing to do this for his son’s sake shows how much he’s grown as a character.

If the rest of the Watch finds out what he did, they may denounce him as a Mandalorian. However, if you ask me, I think it makes more of a Mandalorian than all of them. I respect those willing to break the rules for the right reasons, and this is for the right reasons. Even if they do learn though, Mando may have passed beyond the need for their approval. Plus, if you ask me, I think he’s more a Mandalorian than any of them.

Mando Goes to War

So, next week is the big finale, and Mando’s about to go Liam Neeson on Gideon. He’s going to get Baby Yoda back, no matter what. Will he beat Gideon in the process? Honesty, I’m hoping he won’t. That would be A waste of a villain, and I’m hoping to save their final fight for when the Mandalorians take back their home for good. It’s gonna happen!

In comparison to the penultimate episode of last season, this one packed the high stakes, but had the same level of stakes. I liked it, just not as much as it’s predecessor, though.

This is the way.

Also, if you haven’t heard, Disney just dropped a ton of reveals for Star Wars, Marvel, and a bunch of other things yesterday. Ashoka’s getting her own show, but this is what I’m most excited for!

I Give “The Believer” a 3/5

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