House of the Dragon Season 2 reviews praise the Game of Thrones prequel for its spectacle and storytelling

Two years after the epic first season, the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon returns for season 2 to critical acclaim.

The epic fantasy series is set nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and 100 years after House Targaryen conquered all seven kingdoms of Westeros.

The second season debuts on Sunday, June 16 at 9pm ET on HBO, with critics giving the season an impressive 91% on Rotten tomatoes.

The first wave of reviews came in on Thursday, with only two “rotten” reviews out of 22 posted.

Those who have praised the show have done so for the gripping storytelling and monumental action fans will see this season.

The epic fantasy series is set nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and 100 years after House Targaryen conquered all seven kingdoms of Westeros.

The first season set the stage for the drama to come, centering on two young women: Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock) and her best friend Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey).

Rhaenyra was the daughter of King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and Alicent the daughter of his king’s hand, Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans).

The first season focused mainly on the succession to the Iron Throne when King Viserys fell ill, with a big jump seeing Emma D’Arcy joining as the adult Rhaenyra and Olivia Cooke as the adult Alicent.

The season ended in a rather shocking way – with the brutal death of one of Rhaenyra’s sons – setting the stage for the civil war between the Targaryen’s and the Hightower’s that would ensue between what is called Alicent’s ‘Team Green’ and Rhaenyra’s ‘Team Green’ . Black.’

richDan Jolin praised showrunner Ryan Condal (who did season 1 alongside Miguel Sapochnik, who bowed out at the end of season 1) for streamlining the show.

“Season 2… is more chronologically focused, less restless with its actors, and has its eye on the world (and social strata) beyond the highborn Targaryen court,” he said.

While the first season focused almost exclusively on House Targaryen, season 2 introduces characters to Winterfell – home of House Stark – and other “little people” living under the rule of the House of the Dragon.

The TelegraphEd Power calls season 2 a “soaring, roaring blockbuster that will rival anything in theaters.”

The first season focused mainly on the succession to the Iron Throne when King Viserys fell ill, with a big jump seeing Emma D’Arcy (above) joining as the adult Rhaenyra and Olivia Cooke as the adult Alicent.

The season ended in a rather shocking way – with the brutal death of one of Rhaenyra’s sons – setting the stage for the civil war between the Targaryen’s and the Hightower’s that would ensue between what is called Alicent’s ‘Team Green’ and Rhaenyra’s ‘Team Green’ . Black.’

“Season 2… is more chronologically focused, less restless with its actors, and has its eye on the world (and social strata) beyond the highborn Targaryen court,” he said.

“The ‘bigger, badder’ battles are coming, but the writers of House of the Dragon understand that while dragons are fun and all, they are best used as an off-screen threat,” he said.

Uproxx“Josh Kurp, while concerned that Season 2 would attempt to raise the stakes even further, insisted that was not the case.”

“The ‘bigger, badder’ battles are coming, but the writers of House of the Dragon understand that while dragons are fun and all, they are best used as an off-screen threat,” he said.

One of the two negative reviews came from Rolling stoneAlan Sepinwall, who says the second season “repeats the same tension (and mistakes) as season 1.”

He added the show, “still thinks that confusion equals complexity, and that the spectacle of hot dragon-on-dragon action makes up for interchangeable characters.”

TV GuideLiam Matthews admitted that the new season “feels less like a big event” compared to the original Game of Thrones series.

However, he added, “In its best moments, it’s still the best TV available,” though he added that while the show isn’t “old,” it’s still “familiar.”