Second of His Name
| "Second of His Name" | |
|---|---|
| House of the Dragon episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | Greg Yaitanes |
| Written by |
|
| Featured music | Ramin Djawadi |
| Cinematography by | Pepe Avila del Pino |
| Editing by | Tim Porter |
| Original air date | September 4, 2022 |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
"Second of His Name" is the third episode of the first season of the HBO fantasy drama television series House of the Dragon. It first aired on September 4, 2022. It was written by series creator Ryan Condal and writer Gabe Fonseca, and directed by Greg Yaitanes.
The episode introduced three new co-starring cast members, Jefferson Hall as the twins Lord Jason and Ser Tyland Lannister, Matthew Needham as Larys "Clubfoot" Strong, and Ryan Corr as Ser Harwin "Breakbones" Strong.
It received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the production values, the battle sequences at Stepstone, chemistry between Rhaenyra and Cole, and performances, though some criticized the writing and pacing.
Plot
On the Stepstones
Two years on, Daemon Targaryen and Corlys Velaryon's war in the Stepstones against the Triarchy forces commanded by Craghas "Crabfeeder" Drahar is going badly, as Drahar's forces resorted to guerilla tactics, raiding Velaryon fleets at night and retreating into deep caves whenever Daemon launches attacks using his dragon Caraxes. With supplies running out and the men on the verge of deserting, a messenger arrives with word of reinforcements dispatched by King Viserys.
Daemon, who refuses to accept aid from his brother, feigns surrender to lure the Crabfeeder's army out into the open, at which point Velaryon infantry led by Corlys and his younger brother Vaemond (Wil Johnson) launch a counterattack. At the same time, Corlys' son Laenor (Theo Nate) cuts off the Triarchy's escape using his dragon, Seasmoke. Daemon pursues Drahar into the caverns and kills him as the Velaryon forces claim victory.
In King's Landing and the Kingswood
Rhaenyra remains estranged from Alicent, who is pregnant with Viserys' second child, having already given birth to a son Aegon. After finding out on a hunting trip to celebrate Aegon's second nameday that Viserys intended to marry her off to other noble lords, Rhaenyra believes Viserys intends to depose her in favor of her half-brother, and angrily storms out of the camp, with only her Kingsguard Ser Criston Cole following.
Viserys dismisses Lord Jason Lannister's marriage suit for Rhaenyra and his hand Ser Otto Hightower's proposal to betroth Rhaenyra to Aegon but listens to his Master of Laws Lord Lyonel Strong's advice to marry Rhaenyra to Laenor Velaryon as a means of healing the rift between Houses Targaryen and Velaryon.
While camping overnight in the wild, Rhaenyra and Criston are attacked by a wild boar, which runs down Criston and almost bites Rhaenyra before being killed by the two. On the way back, Rhaenyra encounters the white hart that Viserys unsuccessfully plans to hunt, but she lets the stag go.
Returning triumphantly with her kill, Rhaenyra is reassured by her father that he has no intention to replace her as heir, though he urges her to find an influential husband to gain more support for her claim to the Iron Throne. Privately, Otto insists to Alicent that the nobles of the realm will expect Aegon to be King, regardless of Viserys' views regarding Rhaenyra.
Reception
Ratings
The episode was watched by more than 16 million U.S. viewers on all platforms during the first three days following the premiere, based on data from the Nielsen Corporation and HBO. HBO Max viewership on Monday was up 27% compared to the previous episode.[1]
Critical response
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the episode received an approval rating of 85% based on 99 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus said, "After viewers acclimate to the jarring time-skip, 'Second of His Name' quickly finds its stride with a focus on infernal politicking, rousing spectacle, and some rather nasty crabs."[2]
Writing for Den of Geek, Alec Bojalad rated the episode four out of five stars and said, "In many ways, 'Second of His Name' provides the most compelling evidence yet that the show knows what it's doing. [...] [It] is almost purely an original creation of the show's writers as none of its most climactic moments can be found on any page from a distinct point of view." He also praised its writing, production design, and costumes, as well as the scene between Rhaenyra and Ser Criston Cole.[3] Nick Hilton of The Independent also rated it four out of five stars.[4] IGN's Helen O'Hara gave it a "good" 7 out of 10 and wrote in her verdict: "This episode is a slow burn that introduces new characters and indulges in gossip before unleashing that huge, fiery finale. [...] While it's all starting to feel a bit familiar, this episode still manages to keep our attention – and sneak in some good dragon action."[5] Molly Edwards of GamesRadar+ gave it a four out of five stars and summarized it with "another rock-solid entry in House of the Dragon's first season, shuffling the pieces into place for more epic battles to come" and further praised the performances of Smith and Carey.[6] Kimberly Roots of TVLine also praised Carey's performance.[7]
In a mixed review, Michael Deacon of The Telegraph rated it three out of five stars. He criticized the show for continuing to be a "slow-burner" and expressed his disappointment for killing off the Crabfeeder way too soon, although he praised the battle scene at Stepstones and called it "spectacular".[8] Vulture's Hillary Kelly also gave it a rating of three out of five and criticized some parts of the writing, however she praised the opening and the battle scene, as well as Smith's performance.[9] Jenna Scherer of The A.V. Club graded the episode with a "C+" and wrote, "the episode is centered around the world's most anticlimactic stag hunt, an absurdly lavish affair on the edge of the Kingswood in celebration of Aegon's birthday," while praising Alcock's performance, Rhaenyra's chemistry with Ser Criston Cole, and also the battle scene.[10]
References
- ^ Rice, Lynette (September 7, 2022). "'House Of The Dragon' Week 3 Ratings: HBO Drama On Pace With 16 Million-Plus Viewers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
- ^ "House of the Dragon: Season 1, Episode 3". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Bojalad, Alec (September 4, 2022). "House of the Dragon Episode 3 Review: Second of His Name". Den of Geek. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Hilton, Nick (September 5, 2022). "House of the Dragon recap, episode 3: Heavy is the head of Paddy Considine's troubled king". The Independent. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ O'Hara, Helen (September 5, 2022). "House of the Dragon - Episode 3 Review". IGN. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Edwards, Molly (September 4, 2022). "House of the Dragon episode 3 review: "Finally, the dragons in all their glory"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- ^ Roots, Kimberly (September 4, 2022). "House of the Dragon Recap: A Bloody Boar and One Very Cooked Crab". TVLine. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- ^ Deacon, Michael (September 5, 2022). "House of the Dragon, episode 3 review: is anyone else a bit bored of the dragons?". The Telegraph. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Kelly, Hillary (September 4, 2022). "House of the Dragon Recap: Green-Eyed Monster". Vulture. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Scherer, Jenna (September 4, 2022). "On House Of The Dragon, just about everyone is over Viserys". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 5, 2022.