House of the Dragon Season 2 Will Feel Like the ‘Middle Run of Game of Thrones’ – IGN

House of the Dragon
is coming and you can read our review here. HBO’southward
Game of Thrones
(GoT) prequel centering on House Targaryen, the platinum blonde dragon-riding family, premieres this Sunday, August 21. And even though the events of this new
GoT-universe show are set hundreds of years earlier the times of Arya Stark, Jon Snowfall, Cersei Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen, nosotros thought we’d revisit some of
Game of Thrones’ key episodes to catch up with the main characters, lore, family dynasties and lingo of Westeros.

Season one, Episode i: “Winter Is Coming”

When
Game of Thrones
first premiered on HBO in 2011, those of u.s. who hadn’t read the books were a bit lost. There were the many families and their mottos, the political machinations involved with getting on the Atomic number 26 Throne or manipulating whomever was in ability. There were also several mythological elements that pointed to a long winter ahead and White Walkers swarming the 7 Kingdoms due south of the Wall.

But mostly the pilot episode of the prove surprised us, not only with the incestuous relationship betwixt Queen Cersei Lannister (Lena Heady) and her twin blood brother Jaime (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), merely the fact that Jaime would stop at zero to go along their hole-and-corner human relationship safe. Fifty-fifty pushing a little (if nosy) boy off a tower. The things we do for love…

Rewatching this decade-one-time testify with more of a 2022 approach and sensibility you’ll experience how badly
Game of Thrones
has aged when it comes to the objectification of women and the use of sexual abuse as a plot device.

But the show also excelled at some genuinely artistic storytelling. For ane, it had a vast ensemble cast of characters who all served a specific purpose. Even though some of them initially seemed quite separate from the rest (i.e. Khaleesi, played past Emilia Clarke, and the residual of the bunch all the way beyond the narrow sea), they’d all end up coming together in seasons to come.

Later in season one, the prove managed to stun viewers once again — those who hadn’t read the original George R.R. Martin books, that is — past killing off nonother than the prove’south credible star — and certainly the actor with the almost proper noun recognition — Sean Bean’s Ned Stark. Lord Stark roughshod prey to the court’s political game and lost his head for it. And the show proved how the
Game of Thrones
is played.

Season 2, Episode x: “Valar Morghulis”

In the finale of
Game of Thrones’ second flavor a lot of things came to fruition. Tyrion Lannister’south (Peter Dinklage) bravery kept Rex’due south Landing safe against Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane). No ane recognized that though, except for spy-primary Varys (Conleth Loma). Tyrion also learns that his sister Cersei tried to accept him killed in battle.

Brienne (Gwendoline Christie) and Jaime continue their pilgrimage to King’s Landing. Arya (Maisie Williams) parts ways with Jaqen H’ghar (Tom Wlaschiha) just he gives her an atomic number 26 coin. If she gives information technology to any Braavosi and says the words, “Valar Morghulis,” they’ll take her to Braavos and Jaqen will teach her the way of the Faceless Men.

Osha (Natalia Tena), Hodor (Kristian Nairn) and Rickon (Art Parkinson) and Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) escape from Winterfell after the castle is taken past Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen) and the men from the Iron Islands. The younger Starks are told to head to the Wall in search of their stepbrother, Jon Snow (Kit Harington). However, Jon isn’t actually at the Wall, simply very much north of information technology and very much conniving with the Wildlings — the Gratis Folk who live beyond the Wall — and learning how much of a threat the White Walkers actually pose.

Khaleesi, a.k.a. Daenerys Targaryen, finds herself in momentary trouble at the House of the Undying; she and her dragons are chained upwards. Fortunately, the little ones are stronger than they look. When Khaleesi commands them with the word “Dracarys,” they’re all freed past the dragons’ fire.

But probably the human activity in this episode with the more than rippling consequences is Rob Stark’s (Richard Madden) wedding to Talisa Maegyr (Oona Chaplin), which sees him breaking the promise he fabricated to Walder Frey (David Bradley) to ally Frey’south girl.

Flavour three, Episode 9: “The Rains of Castamere”

After the brutal demise of Ned Stark, viewers of the show should accept learned how
Game of Thrones
e’er finds artistic ways of disposing of Stark family members.

In “The Rains of Castamere,” popularly known every bit the Cherry-red Wedding, Robb, Talisa and Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) are all brutally murdered at Frey’due south place subsequently being betrayed by Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton). Rob non marrying Frey’south daughter really was taken as a neat crime and had tragic consequences.

Season 3, Episode 10: “Mysha”

Flavor three’due south finale proved in one case over again how much of a natural leader Daenerys Targaryen is — plus it solidified her role every bit a liberator. When she frees the enslaved Yunkish people, the crowd receives her every bit “Mysha,” which means mother, and elevator her into their arms. Her dragon Drogon watches from above, flying.

Season 4, Episode ii: “The Lion and the Rose”

On the listing of
Game of Thrones’ well-nigh disliked characters, Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) is probably loftier up there with the likes of Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) and Walder Frey. So when the child-King meets his demise in quite the vicious style during his wedding to Margaery Tyrell (Natalie Dormer), some of us may have actually clapped.

Flavour 4, Episode 8: “The Mountain and the Viper”

By now we
actually
should have been used to fan-favorite characters finding their terminate in the almost brutal ways. Yet “The Mountain and the Viper” got some of united states of america non-readers yet once more. After a stellar quaternary flavour in which Pedro Pascal and Indira Varma get introduced as the very sexy and hedonistic Oberyn Martell and Ellaria Sand, it was hard to foresee that the
Game of Thrones
writers would actually kill off the beloved Oberyn.

Yet they did, and in the most gruesome way imaginable. Oberyn dies in a duel against Gregor Clegane (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) to decide the fate of Tyrion. At the terminate of the episode and every bit a outcome of the trial by combat, Tyrion is sentenced to death by his begetter Tywin (Charles Dance). Simply we know that, by the terminate of season 4, the smartest of the Lannisters will become revenge on his cruel dad.

Flavor 5, Episode 9: “The Dance of Dragons”

The show’due south second-to-final episode of flavour five sees Stannis Baratheon giving fashion, once again, to superstition and assuasive the Cherry Witch Melisandre (Carice van Houten) to persuade him to cede his daughter Shireen (Kerry Ingram) as a last resort and then that he can fulfill his appetite of taking the Iron Throne.

The episode besides brings the viewer some uplifting moments. Khaleesi flyes on Drogon for the first fourth dimension when the dragon saves her from an assassination try past the Sons of the Harpy.

Flavor five, Episode 10: “Mother’s Mercy”

The finale for season v is once again a myriad of momentous events for several of our favorite characters. Theon Greyjoy and Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) escape the monstrous Ramsay. Arya Stark keeps getting rid of names on her listing and kills Meryn Trant (Ian Beattie). Just, every bit a upshot, she’s blinded since she stole from the Many-Faced God.

Jaime Lannister follows Cersei’s orders and retrieves their girl Myrcella (Aimee Richardson) from Dorne. He tells the princess that he’s her begetter, and they share a tender moment before the young Myrcella dies, poisoned by Ellaria Sand. Samwell Tarly (John Bradley), a young man Night Watch trainee of Jon Snow’s from the Wall, asks permission to study at the Citadel in Oldtown equally he’due south interested in everything there is to know about the White Walkers.

Ready to become an ally to Daenerys Targaryen, Varys joins Tyrion, Khaleesi’due south e’er-loyal Jorah Mormont (Iai Glen), Grayness Worm (Jacob Anderson), Missandei (Nathalie Emmanuel) and Daario Naharis (Michiel Huisman) in Meereen. Daenerys is however lost though — she disappeared thanks to a flying Drogon. They land far from Meereen and are presently surrounded past menacing Dothraki.

Cersei is forced by Septa Unella (an about unrecognizable Hannah Waddingham) and the High Sparrow (Jonathan Pryce) to walk the streets of King’due south Landing naked while people throw stuff at her and dirge: “Shame”.

And in a somewhat unexpected plough of events, withal some other Stark finds his demise: Jon Snowfall is stabbed by his Dark’s Sentry brothers. They consider him a traitor for trying to join forces with the Wildlings against the White Walkers.

Season six, Episode ii: “Dwelling house”

A lot of things happen in this second chapter of season 6. Bran is trained past the Iii-Eyed Raven. Cersei mourns the death of her daughter and plots revenge. Arya seems to give up to her brutal training, conceding that “A girl has no proper noun.” Tyrion meets a dragon for the start time. Ramsay kills his father, his begetter’s wife and their newborn, making certain he’s the heir to Business firm Bolton and the North. And Theon’south father, Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahide), gets killed by his brother Euron (Pilou Asbæk). Yara Greyjoy (Gemma Whelan) swears to avenge her father.

But mostly this is the episode where Melisandre manages to bring Jon Snow back from the dead.

Flavor half-dozen, Episode ten: “The Winds of Winter”

The finale of the 6th flavor sees Cersei pouring a glass of cherry vino while watching from the window of the Reddish Keep: She organized the explosion of the Sept. The High Sparrow, Margaery Tyrell and many others dice as a effect. Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), Cersei’southward only remaining child, jumps out of a window because of Margaery’due south death. Cersei is crowned Queen.

All the way across the narrow sea another queen, Khaleesi, names Tyrion her Hand. And she readies herself to canvas for Westeros with her regular army and dragons.

Flavour 7, Episode vii: “The Dragon and the Wolf”

The finale of flavor 7 packed in a lot of reveals, in true
GoT
style. Cersei and Daenerys’ allies all meet at the Targaryen dragonpits. Danny’southward party wants to press the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms almost the real threat posed by the White Walkers — something they tin all theoretically class a united front on. Persuaded by her brother Tyrion, Cersei promises to ship her troops due north, simply she’s of course lying. She might also be pregnant. Only the lie nigh helping the due north causes Jaime to finally desert his twin sister.

Dorsum in Winterfell, skilled manipulator Littlefinger (Aidan Gillen) tries playing his Machiavellian games, hoping to turn Sansa against her sister Arya. Only the older of the Starks has realized Littlefinger can’t be trusted. She accuses him of killing Lysa Arryn (Kate Dickie), his sometime wife and Sansa and Arya’due south aunt, every bit well equally of conspiring to kill Jon Arryn and betraying Ned Stark. In the end, Arya kills Littlefinger.

Sam arrives at Winterfell where he meets Bran Stark, who’s now the 3-Eyed Raven — a seer who once lived across the Wall. Between the two of them, they realize who Jon Snow really is: the lawful son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, and the truthful heir to the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, completely unaware of that data, Daenerys and Jon — who is indeed Khaleesi’s nephew — brand love.

The White Walkers continue riding south. They destroy the Wall with the help of the dragon Viserion who’s also an undead creature now.

Flavour 8, Episode 5: “The Bells”

In a way y’all could stop with the reminiscing virtually — and even the rewatch of —
Game of Thrones
in season seven. I experience the controversial season eight didn’t satisfy many viewers. And things only got worse with every new episode of the show’southward last season.

Things started to get a chip baffling with episode three, titled “The Long Night”. The one-60 minutes and 36-minutes episode involved a brutal nocturnal fight to defend Winterfell. But y’all probably know it better as the actually dark episode in which you were convinced your Tv was cleaved. Information technology’s as well the episode where Arya kills the Night King, the leader of the White Walkers, and, with his death, his whole undead army too.

And y’all know episode five, “The Bells”, better every bit the one where Daenarys totally loses it and torches down King’due south Landing — and its inhabitants — fifty-fifty though the bells are signaling the city’s surrender. Cersei and Jaime die unsatisfyingly in this 1.

Season 8, Episode half dozen: “The Iron Throne”

The show’south finale sees Bran Stark becoming King Bran the Broken of the Six Kingdoms — but only later Jon kills Daenerys, fearing the Dragon Queen had already turned into the Mad Queen. (Nosotros’re told early that it runs in her family.) Tyrion serves as Bran’s Manus. Sansa is crowned Queen of the North and her kingdom remains independent.

As penalization for killing the sometime Queen, Jon is sent to the Night’southward Watch yet again, but nosotros see him going out beyond the Wall and guiding the Wildlings dwelling house. We’ll see more of that adventure in the already-confirmed
GoT
sequel centering on Harington’southward character. Arya Stark sets sail for whatsoever is westward of Westeros. She’d be a nifty addition to the Jon Snow sequel in any example.

But, for the time being, nosotros’ll have to be content with whatever political plotting and family drama
Business firm of the Dragon
has in store for u.s..

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