House of the Dragon Episode 2 Review

Note: All Amazon and Apple TV links on this post are affiliate links. If you buy anything on Amazon or Apple TV through the links on this post (not just items from this post), Amazon and/or Apple will pay me some coffee money (at no extra cost to you), which I promise to drink while creating more helpful content like this. All opinions on this site remain my own.

As the title suggests, House of the Dragon episode 2: The Rogue Prince, focuses on everyone’s favorite troublemaker, Prince Daemon (or at least partially).

Six months after getting disinherited, the episode sees Daemon seeking to make up with his brother, King Viserys. But rather than apologize for his morbid joke like a normal person, he pulls an epic prank to get the King’s attention.

Only Deamon Targaryen would think stealing a Dragon egg for his fictional child would be the perfect way to start an apology. But what’s even funnier is how this crazy plan would have worked if not for Ser Otto Hightower.

By now, I suspect everyone has noticed the cold and calculating moves of Ser Otto Hightower. Though he seemed harmless, his skills have shown themselves well in the last two episodes.

When news of Daemon’s prank reaches the King, Otto stops Viserys from confronting his brother, because he knows they would most likely resolve their quarrels. So instead, Otto offers to go to Deamon, to keep the rift between the brothers and keep the King dancing to his tune.

But what he didn’t count on was Princess Rhaenyra’s involvement.

Rhaenyra and Deamon’s relationship continues to be the highlight of the series for me, as both characters understand each other very well. After flying in on her Dragon Syrax like a boss, Rhaenyra calls her uncle’s bluff and diffuses the situation while suffering no causalities.

With this, The princess proves to her father that she is capable of taking decisions in the interests of the kingdom and he should confide in her more.

But separating the King from his brother wasn’t all Otto had been up to.

The New Queen of Westeros

With the Queen gone, it doesn’t take too long for calls for King Viserys to take a new wife to come. But while everyone paints this decision as a way to stabilize the realm, the truth is a new Queen gives the main houses an opportunity to elevate their standing. And this is where Otto’s main plan takes shape.

Immediately after Queen Aemma passes, the hand of the King wasted no time in sending his daughter Alicent to capture the King’s attention. Preying on Viserys’ grief and his need to be heard, Alicent slips into his good graces, and over time the two form a bond.

But Otto wasn’t the one only vying for the position of the Queen of Westeros.

After waiting the appropriate time, Rhaenys and Corlys Velaryon present their daughter Laena, as a potential new wife to King Viserys. Now a match between House Targaryen and Velaryon makes perfect sense. Not only are both families from Old Valeria, but the marriage would also unite both competing claims to the iron throne. But there’s just one small problem…. Laena is only Twelve years old.

Again, House of the Dragon Highlights the political situation of the time, by showing how children are married off to ensure their family’s political standing and security.

Despite the political advantage of marrying into House Velaryon, King Viserys chooses to marry Alicent Hightower. And to no one’s surprise, this snob (the second one if you’re counting), angers Lord Velaryon and pushes him to team up with Prince Deamon.

Unsurprisingly, the person most affected by the news is Princess Rhaenyra.

I mean, Viserys could have at least warned his daughter before announcing that he was going to marry her best friend. Instead, he blindsides her and ruins all the work he did to win her over. In one poor decision, Rhaenyra feels betrayed by both her dad and her best friend, and this influences her character moving forward.

Verdict