‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Finale Recap & Review: All Setup, No Payoff

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale, “The Queen Who Never Was.”

The fall of House Targaryen will have to wait another couple of years. The House of the Dragon Season 2 finale is now streaming on Max, but it feels more like a penultimate than a true finale. The second season in the Game of Thrones spin-off has been setting up tons of fire-breathing action, but the cut down to eight episodes is glaringly apparent after watching the final installment.

If the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale existed as Episode 8 in a 10-episode season, it would be a solid episode of television. Sadly, it doesn’t fulfill its purpose of wrapping up everything it established in the last seven weeks, which results in an unsatisfying and hollow conclusion. Nonetheless, it’s still full of details that will certainly be vital for Season 3, so make sure you catch all of them with our House of the Dragon Season 2 finale, “The Queen Who Ever Was,” recap.

The ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Finale Heads Off to Essos

The episode opens with Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) negotiating with the people of Essos, and they agree to send ships with him to Westeros. However, Tyland then meets Admiral Lohar (Abigail Thorn) and she refuses to sail with anyone who can’t best her in combat. Back in Westeros, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) watches over Sharp Point after burning it to the ground and Larys (Matthew Needham) visits Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) in his bed.

He asks Aegon to leave King’s Landing due to Rhaenyra’s (Emma D’Arcy) new dragon riders, but Aegon wants to take Aemond captive and reclaim the throne. Larys then tells them he can’t do that because they won’t win the war without Vhagar, but they could return once the war is over. Elsewhere, Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) walks through the Vale while Jace (Harry Collett) walks in on Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) and Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) where he tells them about Sharp Point.

Rhaenyra talks to Corlys (Steve Toussaint) who recommends she strike quickly but she thinks defense might be the best idea. He reminds her that Daemon (Matt Smith) is still a wildcard and he reveals he’s renamed his ship “The Queen Who Never Was” to honor Rhaenys (Eve Best). Back at Harrenhal, Daemon orders the servants to feed pigs to Caraxes and Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) tells him that Alfred Broome (Jamie Kenna) is here to see him.

Aemond Asks Helaena To Ride Dreamfyre Out To Battle

The House of the Dragon Season 2 finale continues when Broome tries to convince Daemon to take the throne for himself, but he walks away undecided. Back in King’s Landing, Aemond orders all boats searched at the cost of food for the common folk while Alicent (Olivia Cooke) talks to Helaena (Phia Saban). Alicent asks her if she wants to leave and then Aemond bursts in and urges Helaena to ride out to battle on Dreamfyre. Alicent calls Aemond out for his recklessness, and he storms out in anger.

She then asks Maester Orwyle (Kurt Egyiawan) for passage while out in the field Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox) confronts Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) about sleeping with Alicent. Back in Essos, Tyland wrestles in the mud with Lohar and bests her, so she says she’ll consider his request. Baela (Bethany Antonia) visits Jace, calls him out for sulking, and encourages him to embrace his identity and take his place at Rhaenyra’s side. Over in Essos, Tyland sings for the crowd and Lohar agrees to sail with him, asking if he’ll father children with her wives.

Back at Dragonstone, Rhaenyra feasts with her new riders and tells them they will fly out in two days. Ulf speaks with disrespect at the table, and she reminds him of his place. Over at Harrenhal, Simon sends word to Rhaenyra that Daemon has an army, and he fears he will betray her. Alys and Daemon then go to the Godswood where he touches the tree and has a vision of White Walkers, Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne, Brynden Rivers, aka Bloodraven, and a comet followed by Danaerys (Emilia Clarke), which could indicate she was Game of Thrones‘ Prince That Was Promised.

Rhaenyra Has To Make a Tough Decision in the ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Finale

Aemond visits Helaena at night and she tells him he’s only one part of a large story. He asks her to take Dreamfyre out to battle once more and she calls him out for burning Aegon. He then threatens to kill her but she says that won’t change anything. Meanwhile, Syrax and Silverwing fly to Harrenhal and Rhaenyra sees Daemon for the first time since earlier in the season. Daemon says the army is sworn to him, then tells her about his vision of winter, and swears himself to her, causing the men to kneel.

Corlys talks to Alyn (Abubakar Salim) before they set out and asks Alyn to be a better leader to the men on the ship. Alyn snaps at him for abandoning him and Addam as children and vehemently declines his help. Back in the Vale, Rhaena sees a dragon while wandering around and chases after it. Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) reminds Rhaenyra to be strong and that she’s fighting for peace, not vengeance. Alicent then visits Rhaenyra on Dragonstone, and they bicker about who’s right and who’s wrong.

Alicent offers Rhaenyra a path to peace once Aemond leaves King’s Landing. She says once Aemond flies out, Alicent will let her and Syrax come in, and they will all surrender. Rhaenyra demands her to choose and she promises to let her take King’s Landing. Alicent leaves Dragonstone as Hugh, Addam, and Ulf all suit up for battle. The season ends on a montage of all the armies marching to war, Rhaena coming face to face with a new dragon, Otto (Rhys Ifans) imprisoned, and Larys leaving King’s Landing with Aegon.

The ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Finale Fails To Live up to the Rest of the Season

If the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale existed in a vacuum, it would hold up as a fine episode of television, but unfortunately, it doesn’t. The eight-episode season rears its ugly head, and it feels as if House of the Dragon Season 2 concluded one or two episodes too early. Fans around the world will now have to wait several more years to find out what happens next in the legendary war of House Targaryen.

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