4K UHD Review: HOUSE OF THE DRAGON: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

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Nov 24 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.”

As the first season of the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon, came to a close, King Viserys, the fifth king of the Seven Kingdoms, made his dying wish known that he wanted his daughter Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) to take over as ruler. However, the king’s new wife, Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) had her own plans, and installed her own son as King Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney). Queen Rhaenyra insisted she was the true heir, but retreated to Dragonstone while she plotted a way to retake her rightful spot on the throne. However, when Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys (“Luke”) went on a diplomatic mission to secure the Baratheons as allies, Alicent’s son Prince Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) was already there, and took it upon himself to pursue and kill Luke with his dragon, Vhagar, as he headed back home. This could be the spark that will start an all out civil war between these two factions, the usurper “Greens” who are aligned with Alicent and Aegon II, and the “Blacks”, who are aligned with rightful heir Rhaenyra.

The second season of House of the Dragon opens shortly after the events of the first season. Rhaenyra has received a raven notifying her of the death of her son, and sets out to see his body in person. Now, in addition to reclaiming her rightful spot on the Iron Throne, she also wants revenge as well, but she is determined to not rush into action without weighing all of the consequences. But Daemon takes it upon himself to arrange for payback against Aemond. However, things don’t go quite as planned, and just makes matters worse. The situation quickly becomes the Westeros version of an arms race. Both sides of this conflict have dragons at their disposal—a form of mutual assured destruction should one side attack the other. In King’s Landing, Aegon now sits on the throne, but his small council quickly realizes he is young, immature, impulsive, and not experienced for the job. However, there is not much they can do at this point as he is now the face of the kingdom and they mist stand by him. Queen Alicent tries to reign in her son, but soon realizes that despite being a de facto ruler when the previous king grew ill, she no longer has any power or pull with the small council. Meanwhile, in Dragonstone, Rhaenyra works hard to ensure that she has the alliances she needs before attempting to retake the Iron Throne, which means sending Daemon to secure Harrenhal, and taking an unprecedented approach to finding new riders for their unclaimed dragons.

I have never read the source material for this series, so I don’t know how closely the series follows the novel. But for the most part, I found it to be very well written, with interesting characters, political intrigue, and surprising twists and turns. The second season has a very similar look and feel the first, transporting viewers into this gruesome fantasy world, where death, deception and vengeance lurks around every corner. The season has some amazing battle sequences, and does a nice job of building the tension as each side of the conflict plots their strategy. In addition to plotting against one another, the Green and the Black factions also deal with political machinations within their own camps. The season also takes viewers to some new exciting locations we haven’t seen before, while also revisiting some familiar sites from Game of Thrones, such as The Wall in the North, and Harrenhal. The second season also explores the lives of some of the smallfolk, to see how this battle for the Iron Throne is affecting them. There’s also a bit of humor injected with new characters like Ulf (Tom Bennett).

While there is a lot to love about this second season, I ultimately found it to be less satisfying than the first. While first season ultimately built to an explosive finale, this second season is all build-up but no actual payoff in the finale. You are left with a feeling that the only purpose of the season was to move around the chess pieces to set things up for the next season, where we may or may not get the payoff. I also found that the use of Daemon this season really slowed things down at time. Daemon spends much of the season away from the action, in a haunted castle, where he experiences these ghostly visions. Whenever we cut to one of these scenes, the momentum of the episode seemed to plummet, and my interest would wane. While I ultimately saw the purpose of this storyline in regards to the character, I found it to be far too stretched out and boring.

Warner Bros has released this second season of House of the Dragon on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD nd digital (in 4K at Fandango at Home). I was sent the standard 4K version for review, and the level of detail is evident right from the start as that iconic theme song plays and we see the textile form in the opening title sequence. The 4K picture features Dolby Vision color grading, and looks rich and beautiful throughout, even in the show’s darker sequences. The Atmos soundtrack really shines, whether it’s the show’s amazing score, or the fully-immersive ambiance. Even quieter scenes in the castles fully come alive as the footsteps and echoes make you feel like you are there.

The 8 episodes are evenly split across 4 discs, which are placed on trays in a slightly-thicker 4K keepcase, covered by a cardboard slipcover. (Note, while the first season release had more of a thicker slipbox, this is just a thin sleeve over the top. For a limited time, the 4K UHD and Blu-ray sets also include a set of collectible character cards which are placed in an envelope that is shrinkwrapped to the top of the keepcase. The slipcover is a bit oversized to allow room for these cards, which makes it bend fairly easily. The discs alternate between Black and Green artwork, befitting the theme of the season.

No digital copy is included, but the discs contain over 4 hours of behind-the-scenes bonus material, including two brand new featurettes exclusive to the physical media release as well as extended versions of the “The House that Dragons Built – Inside the Episode” pieces for each of the eight episodes of the season. Any fan of the series will certainly be pleased with the breadth and quality of these behind-the-scenes featurettes.

What’s Included:

Episodes: (8:32:09)

4K UHD:

All 8 episodes of the second season:
Disc 1: “A Son for a Son” (58:07), “Rhaenyra the Cruel” (1:09:01)
Disc 2: “The Burning Mill” (1:06:20), “The Red Dragon and the Gold” (55:32)
Disc 3: “Regent” (1:02:57), “Smallfolk” (1:07:17)
Disc 4: “The Red Sowing” (1:03:45), “The Queen Who Ever Was” (1:09:10)
2160p / Widescreen 2.00:1
Dolby Vision / HDR10
Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby 7.1 TrueHD compatible), , French 5.1 Dolby Digital, German 5.1 Dolby Digital, Italian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Castilian) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish (Latin) 5.1 Dolby Digital, Czech 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian SDH, Spanish (Castilian), Dutch, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Spanish (Latin), Czech, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Sweidish

Extras:
Includes 2 never-before-seen featurettes exclusive to the physical release.

The House that Dragons Built – Inside the Episode featurettes
Go in depth into each episode with these extended cuts of the of the behind-the-scenes Inside the Episode featurettes for each episode. These featurettes delve into the major plot points of each episode, and give an extensive behind-the-scenes look at the sets, props, costumes, and filming. These can be found on the discs with their respective episodes. The featurettes include behind-the-scenes footage, concept artwork, storyboards, pre-vis footage, and interviews with executive producer/showrunner/writer Ryan Condal, executive producer/director (Eps 201 & 204) Alan Taylor, co-executive producer/director (Eps 202 & 205) Clare Kilner, co-executive producer/director (Eps 203 & 208) Geeta Vasant Patel, director (Ep 206) Andrij Parekh, executive producer/director (Ep 207) Loni Peristere, 1st assistant director (eps 201 & 204) Liam Lockspeiser, 1st assistant director (eps 202 & 205) Nick Heckstall-Smith, 1st assistant director (eps 203 & 208) Jason Rickwood, 1st assistant director (ep 206) Paul Slavin, co-producer/1st assistant director (ep 207) Toby Ford, director of photography PJ Dillon (Eps 201 & 204), director of photography Alejandro Martinez Resendez (Eps 202 & 205), director of photography Catherine Goldschmidt (Eps 203 & 208), director of photography Vanja Cernjul (Eps 206 & 207), executive producer/writer Sara Hess, executive producer Melissa Bernstein, executive producer Kevin De La Noy, producer Danny Gulliver, co-executive producer/writer David Hancock, co-producer Íde O’Rourke, line producer (Spain) Sofia Noronha, A camera operator/fire unit Sean Savage, A camera operator/blood unit Michael Carstensen, B camera operator/Steadicam Iain Mackay, supervising standby props Ian Way, production designer Jim Clay, supervising art director Dominic Masters, senior art director Nick Wilkinson, VFX producer Thomas Horton, VFX production manager Adam Lawrence, VFX supervisor Dadi Einarsson, set vfx supervisor/fire unit Lev Kolobov, construction manager Malcolm Roberts, SFX supervisor Mike Dawson, senior snow technician Paddy Connolly, master armourer Tim Lewis, bladesmith Jamie Bell, costume supervisor Joanna Lynch, costume designer Caroline McCall, costume armour supervisor Simon Brindle, hair designer Rosalia Curlora, make-up designer Amanda Knight, supervising set decorator Claire Nia Richards, assistant set decorator Jess Meredith, action prop supervisor Ellie Murphy, prop master Lee Wiseman,location managers Tom Barnes & Jac Jones, supervising location manager Lindsey Powell, co-executive producer Philippa Goslett, SFX floor supervisor/fire unit Tom Lloyd, assistant prop modeller Katie Lodge, prosthetics designer Waldo Mason, stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam, stunt person Stefan Mihalache, concept artist Kieran Belshaw, set dec concept artist Jack Cornell, lead graphic artist Alicia Grace Martin, Pixomondo VP and capture supervisor James Thompson, greensman Roger Holden, sculptor Conrad Lindley-Thompson, barber Mark Maciver, key grip Alex Fraser, and stars Matt Smith (“Prince Daemon Targaryen”), Emma D’Arcy (“Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen”), Olivia Cooke (“Queen Alicent”), Bethany Antonia (“Lady Baela Targaryen”), Eve Best (Princess Rhaenys Targaryen”), Rhys Ifans (“Ser Otto Hightower”), Ewan Mitchell (“Prince Aemond Targaryen”), Steve Toussaint (“Lord Corlys Velaryon”), Tom Glynn-Carney (“King Aegon II”), Fabien Frankel (“Ser Criston Cole”), Phoebe Campbell (“Lady Rhaena Targaryen”), Harry Collett (“Prince Jacaerys Velearyon”), Phia Saban (“Queen Helaena Targaryen”), Sam C. Wilson (“Blood”), Mark Stobbart (“Cheese”), Tom Bennett (“Ulf”), Eliott Tittensor (“Ser Erryk Cargyll”), Luke Tittensor (“Ser Arryk Cargyll”), Max Wrottesley (“Ser Lorent Marbrand”), Milly Alcock (“Young Rhaenyra Targaryen”), Gayle Rankin (“Alys Rivers”), Freddie Fox (“Gwayne Hightower”), Kieran Bew (“Hugh”), Paddy Considine (“King Viserys Targaryen”), Abubakar Salim (“Alyn of Hull”), Clinton Liberty (“Addam of Hull”), Anthony Flanagan (“Ser Steffon Darklyn”), Jefferson Hall (“Ser Tyland Lannister”) & Abigail Thorn (“Sharako Lohar”).
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #1 Extended Version (34:09)
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #2 Extended Version (30:26)
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #3 Extended Version (34:19)
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #4 Extended Version (29:49)
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #5 Extended Version (21:07)
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #6 Extended Version (35:14)
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #7 Extended Version (37:01)
- The House that Dragons Built – Ep #8 Extended Version (25:40)
Defend Your Concil (1:53)
Actors Tom Glynn-Carney, Steve Toussaint, Eve Best, Harry Collett, Phoebe Campbell, Bethany Antonia, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy & Olivia Cooke defend whether it should be Team Black or Team Green on the throne.
Character Spots
The actors discuss their characters, along with some clips and behind-the-scenes footage. These are spread across the various discs.
- Rhaenyra (1:14)
- Aegon (1:25)
- Daemon (1:09)
- Corlys (1:31)
- Alicent (1:22)
- Aemond (1:55)
Fire Hot Takes: Team Green vs. Team Black (2:03)
More from the actors weighing in on the benefits of Team Black and Team Green councils.
Return to Winterfell (1:14)
The filmmakers discuss returning to The Wall and to Winterfell. Some of the footage/interviews is respective to the Inside the Episode.
House Who? (House Stark) (1:27)
The showrunner and director discuss the Starks and The Night Watch.
Return to the Realm (2:01)
The cast/filmmakers talk about what it feels like returning for the second season, and how things are even bigger this year.
House Who? (Bracken & Brackwood) (1:41)
The showrunner and director discuss the Westeros’ version of the Hatfields and the McCoys.
Fire Hot Takes (3:40)
Interviews with the cast. Play All, or select from:
- Case for Ruler (1:43)
  The cast make their case as to who should be the ruler.
- Daemon vs. Aemond (1:56)
  First, the cast discussed who gives less f*cks, Daemon or Aemond, then which character in the series is the underdog.
Eve Tribute Piece (1:13)
The cast/showrunner talk about working with Eve Best.
House Who? (House Tully & House Frey) (1:48)
The cast/filmmakers discuss the role of the Tullys and the Freys in this battle.
Guess That Line – Eve & Steve (4:05)
Stars Steve Toussaint and Eve Best read each other lines and try to guess which character said them.
Family Tree (5:22)
New and exclusive to the physical media release, this featurette gives a viewers a nice primer on the Targaryen family tree, and recaps events from the first 2 seasons of House of the Dragon as well as Game of Thrones.
Divided Kingdoms (9:10)
New and exclusive to the physical media release, this featurette finds the cast/filmmakers providing an overview of the second season and teasing the war to come.
The Curse of Harrenhal – Extended (7:53)
The cast and filmmakers talk about the castle of Harrenhal, and how Daemon is haunted and changed by its curse.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Episodes:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

House of the Dragon Season 2 is another visual spectacle with exciting battles, interesting political intrigue, and lots of unexpected twists and turns. That said, I found it to be a bit disappointing overall compared with the first season. There is lots of buildup that ultimately never gets paid off, just moving chess pieces around the board, and delaying this for the next season. I also found much of the Daemon storyline to be slow and drawn out. That said, there is still a lot to love for fans of the franchise and is certainly worth a watch. Warner Bros.’ 4K release looks and sounds amazing, and includes a stellar selection of behind-the-scenes material. While there is no digital copy included (Fandango at Home also offers the season in 4K digital), for a limited time the physical media release includes some collectible character cards.