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Take the Black Podcast

House of the Dragon Season 2: SPOILER-FREE Review

·1 hr 1 min·5 clips
Dan predicts Tom Glen-Carney's Aegon Targaryen will be the standout performance of House of the Dragon Season 2.
Dan and Daniel host a live episode of Take the Black Podcast, focusing on a spoiler-free review of the House of the Dragon Season 2 premiere. They begin by introducing the show and noting they have only seen the first episode, with critics having seen up to four. The hosts emphasize avoiding spoilers while discussing the episode's release schedule on HBO and Max. They highlight Tom Glen-Carney's performance as Aegon Targaryen, calling him the MVP and noting his chaotic energy that was missing in Season 1. Emma D'Arcy's performance as Rhaenyra Targaryen is also praised. The hosts rate the episode, with Dan giving a B-minus and Daniel a B-plus or A-minus, citing slower pacing and a final moment that didn't land as well as Season 1's forced C-section scene. They discuss the show's visual quality, including improved dark scenes and impressive sets. A key theme is the show's tendency to shield characters from full responsibility for their actions, compared to Game of Thrones. The hosts predict book fans might have issues with certain changes from Fire & Blood. They answer audience questions non-spoilery, such as confirming Vhagar's presence and unchanged intro music. The conversation shifts to other media, with recommendations for Interview with the Vampire and Shōgun, and mixed opinions on The Acolyte. They end with a lightning round on news like The Last of Us Season 2 having seven episodes and Godzilla Minus One's Netflix success. The episode concludes with reminders for their Sunday live streams during House of the Dragon's season run.

As heard by us

A lore-aware check-in on whether the show will let its characters be truly terrible.

This review centers on a clean dramatic question: will the show allow its characters to make choices that are genuinely awful? It grounds that concern in Fire and Blood, treated here as a fake history filtered through a maester and shaped by biased, possibly unreliable accounts.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Need a read on whether Season 2 will let its characters get truly awful?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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