With just a few days until House of the Dragon premieres its second season, the critical reception ahead of the second installment in the hit series sends a clear message to fans tuning in when the first episode airs on the 16th.
House of the Dragon saw a lot of success right off the bat when the first season dropped, with House of the Dragon’s premiere setting a new record HBO Max. While the second season was greenlit soon after the premiere, the rest of the run was also stellar and fans have been waiting for the next installment ever since. The new season was stated to do away with some of the issues fans had with the first season, mostly revolving around the time jumps and other minor details, leading to massive expectations for the new season from both fans of the show and critics of the medium.
While audiences will still have to wait until the 16th to watch the first episode of the new season, critics have already gotten the opportunity to preview what’s to come, and their assessments tell fans everything they need to know about the new content. The critic score for the show’s second season on the popular aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes is currently sitting at a pretty 91% from 33 critics ahead of its actual premiere in the next few days. The critical consensus on the site, which hasn’t shied away from trashing streaming shows with dismal ratings, gives the upcoming glowing reviews, which state that, “Approaching its dynastic cataclysm with a deliberate stride rather than a charging gallop, House of the Dragon carefully sets up its emotional stakes to make the fiery spectacle all the more scorching.”
While some people maintained that House of the Dragon fell Short of Game of Thrones after the conclusion of its first season, the second season might be set to really challenge that assertion. One reviewer with a top critic rating from the Seattle Times remarked in their review that “House of the Dragon evolves into such smart, thrilling, and heartbreaking storytelling that it threatens to become the rare prequel that outshines the original.” This is remarkably high praise for any sequel, let alone one that follows in the shadow of one of the most beloved shows of all time. While there are more reviews along the same line, there is at least a smidgen of preference for the first installment amongst critics, as season one currently boasts 93% approval from critics and 82% from audiences.
Fans will certainly be getting a great ride when the new season hits streaming on Sunday. Even the harshest critics of the season so far have taken issue more with the show’s essence than with the execution. As far as carrying on the storylines and consequences of the last arc, this second installment seems sure to deliver, and do so with some improvements. If nothing else, the somewhat confusing time jumps in House of the Dragon’s first season will be gone now and the showrunners can set up proper pacing going forward. With the actors set in their roles and fans now fully aware of their characterization, the second season is indeed well-placed to take the narrative to the heights that its predecessor was able to attain through its first few seasons.
With the critics in agreement that the season does the job, fans can now look forward to all the interesting events that occur in the source material Fire & Blood that season 2 could bring to life. All that’s left to see now is how well the episodes actually appeal to casual viewers without a critical eye.
House of the Dragon season 2 is set to premiere on Max on 16th June 2024.