After almost two years of waiting the new season of the hottest show to debut in 2022 has just started it's second season. This is a show that quite alot of people have been excited about with many people online even commenting just how long there is left until this episode drops online and well then it's finally here and so then join me as I give you my SPOILER FILLED review of the episode that has a few people angry for all of the right reasons with the episode in question being called simply just "A Son For A Son" enjoy.
The plot of this episode is Rhaenyra and Daemon seek revenge for the death of their son while forces in Kings Landing pull the king in several directions to get him to act that they want to. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good for the most part as the plot of this episode isn't the strongest f plots to start of with but at the same time there was no way that they could start of the second season of this show without having to address several things that happened in the last series and still tell a good story and with that in mind the episodes plot does come as being bothy alot better then what it really should have been like and alot more worse then what it could have been with the plot of this episode also being really rather entertaining and as well being really rather engaging as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.
Starring in this episode is Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen and Emma D'Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. Also starring in this episode is Olivia Cooke as Queen Alicent Hightower , Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower , Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon , Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen , Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole , Matthew Needham as Lord Larys Strong , Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria , Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen , Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen , Phia Saban as Queen Helaena Targaryen , Harry Collett as Prince Jacaerys Velaryon , Bethany Antonia as Lady Baela Targaryen , Phoebe Campbell as Lady Rhaena Targaryen , Jefferson Hall as Ser Tyland Lannister , Kurt Egyiawan as Grand Maester Orwyle , Kieran Bew as Hugh , Abubakar Salim as Alyn Of Hull , Tom Taylor as Lord Cregan Stark , Paul Kennedy as Lord Jasper Wylde , Luke Tittensor as Ser Arryk Cargyll , Elliott Tittensor as Ser Erryk Cargyll , Anthony Flanagan as Ser Steffon Darklyn , Max Wrottesley as Ser Lorent Marbrand , Phil Daniels as Maester Gerardys , Jamie Kenna as Ser Alfred Broome , Nicholas Jones as Lord Bartimos Celtigar , Michael Elwyn as Lord Simon Staunton , James Dreyfus as Lord Gormon Massey , Sam C. Wilson as Blood , Mark Stobbart as Cheese , Barney Fishwick as Ser Martyn Reyne , Ralph Davis as Ser Leon Estermont and Tok Stephen as Ser Eddard Waters.
Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us un this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode weas in all honesty really good. Which is not all that shocking as not only this show but also Game Of Thrones have always had some really good acting in them with this episode and this show also having some really good actors in them who we all know can turn in a good if not great performance because of the fact that we've seen them do exactly that in other projects and that's exactly what they do in this episode as the actors that you expect a great performance from really do deliver some really good performances in this episode with the acting in this episode really being helped by the fact that the script for this episode is just so good that all this episodes have to do is just say the lines as they are written and a good performance will come out of them naturally and what is something that really does help to raise the overall quality of the acting that's in this episode.
Doing the CGI for this episode is Outpost VFX , Pixomondo , Red Visual Effects , The Third Floor London , MPC Episodic and Wētā FX. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual CGI that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual CGI that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really good which again is really nothing new for either this show nor Game Of Thrones even more so when you take into account who is doing the CGI for this episode as alot if not all of the companies that are doing the CGI for this episode have always turned in some really good looking effects and while the effects in this episode do border on looking a little bit to fake those effects are in the minority with the overall vast majority of the effects in this episode not only being really good effects but are also movies quality effects as they really are just that good with the episode itself being worth watching just for the effects alone.
SPOILERS START HERE!!!!!!!!!!
Much like Game Of Thrones this new season of House Of The Dragon also gives us some brand new opening titles. However unlike Games Of Thrones where only a few things where changed about the titles from season to season the opening titles for this season have changed everything that were in the opening titles from the previous season with the new opening titles instead giving us a tapestry about the Targaryen family and what some of there history is in the land of Westeros and while the new titles are indeed very visually impressive the opening titles of the first come across as being alot better as those titles felt alot more darker and really alot more in keeping with the tone of the show where as the titles for this season of the show instead come across as being something that goes against the tone of the show as there alot more lighter and brighter and as a result of that is the fact that they make the show feel alot more like a soft reboot of the show then what they actually are which is something that does make the opening titles in this season of the show really do feel like alot more weaker version of the titles in the first season of the show.
To give this episode some form of credit it does go along way to making the rivalry between Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower. As even tho they don't get to spend alot of time on screen together they are plotting against each other both in big ways and in small ways with the death of Rhaenyra's son at the end of the previous season really upping the rivalry and as a result of is both Daemon and Rhaenyra are out for blood and will do anything to get the revenge that they so desperately seek with Alicent now being more focused of destroying Rhaenyra from the inside by not going after her directly but by going after the ones that she lives the most which is a huge step up from the previous season when she would willingly go after Rhaenyra openly where as now she's alot more willing to stop and think things through a bit more because she has just as much to loose then what Rhaenyra did before the end of the last season where as it's due to the events of that last episode that Rhaenyra is now willing to do whatever it takes with her even willing to gave one of her nephews killed as a form of revenge.
As was to expected there wasn't alot of giving us the audience a hint of what the main plot of this season is going to be moving forward. Which is something that does make sense as the whole show is meant to be building towards what is known in Game Of Thrones history as the dance of dragons however given that that is also the name of an upcoming episode of this season of the show it does make you wonder not only what that episode will be about but also what the plot of the show and the plot of this season will be as so far all evidence does point to the dance of dragons being the big pay off for the series and not something that they'll do half ways through the shows second season but at the same time tho if that isn't the case then why would they nae the episode after that big event when that's something that the whole show should be building towards and is something that makes you wonder what the main plot of this season will be as this season could very easily be building towards the dance of dragons which is something that would work if they are going to be doing the dance of dragons in this season but if not then it does make this season come across as being rather pointless as they'd really be no plot to this season whatsoever.
Now then this episode has / had an exact grand total running time of exactly fifty eight minuets and three seconds. With this episode having more then enough there interms of plot to really cover that large amount of running time as the episode gives you more then enough plot to get you through the episode but also gives you enough plot twists and cliffhangers to make you want to watch the next episode and all of this is done in well under one hour with the episode also taking the time to catch us up on where the characters are now which is something that they really didn't have to do and yet it's something that they did anyway and while the episode could have done with having a longer running time just to fully explore it's theme's of grief and revenge which do come across as being really half baked despite them being some good ideas and yet at the same time if the episode was just a tad bit longer those themes and ideas could be fully explored but given that this is only the first episode of the season it does make sense that those theme's aren't as fully developed in this episode as there's more episodes yet to come but I will admit that this episode really does have some really good pacing to it tho.
So now then as this is a drama show that means that I have to actually talk about the actual drama that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual drama that's actually featured / presented to us in this very episode was in all honesty really well done. With the best most dramatic and downright scary scene being the scene where two assassins force Helaena to reveal which one is her son so that they kill him which she does and while we rightfully don't get to see the babies death the very fact that the show would even hint at it in the first place really does show you just how extreme this show is willing to go with the episode willing to go to some really dark places with this really being helped by the fact that the acting and the writing in the scene are just so good with actor Phia Saban really turning in a really good performance in that scene as she really does sell you all of the pain and all of the shock that this young mother would be going through and while yes the scene with Rhaenyra seeing the burnt remains of her son and just breaking down is heartbreaking it's the scene where Helaena looses her baby boy that is all the more heartbreaking as it's something that adds to the actual plot of the show in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.
SPOILERS END HERE!!!!!!!!!!
Overall this episode is a great return for this show but at the same time it really does feel like a stereotypical Alan Taylor with really none of the flair and magic that Miguel Sapochnik really would have brought to an episode that's really just like like this one with this episode still being a really good episode in it's own right in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. Now then i've talked about all of the good and as well as all of the bad things that are n this very episode in this very review and as such that really does mean that this very episode really does earn itself a grad old score of exactly an 8.5 out of 10 from me.
Now then as for where I personally got all of the images that U personally used in this very review well then boys and girls and as well as ladies and gentlemen I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review from the official Game Of Thrones fandom wiki page , Tenor and Google Images. With my personally preferred website that I personally preferred to use to get the images that I personally used in this very review really being the official Game Of Thrones fandom wiki page since all of the images that are currently up and featured on the really freaking great the official Game Of Thrones fandom wiki page are all of course really fairly freaking high in freaking quality and as well as them all really being very fairly freaking high in definition.