House of the Dragon: The Complete Second Season 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

House of the Dragon: The Complete Second Season 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 19, 2024

Maybe it was a mistake to try adapting books by a still living writer who, well, writes. Fans of House of the Dragon are no doubt aware of the complaints of one George R.R. Martin about the prequel to the now iconic Game of Thrones, but rather interestingly Martin’s “feedback” about the HBO adaptations actually predates his responses to some of the decisions made about House of the Dragon. In that regard, this post on Martin’s blog from 2015 rather interestingly tends to defend the showrunners behind Game of Thrones for the changes they made to Martin’s source tomes:

I am getting a flood of emails and off-topic comments on this blog about tonight's episode of Game of Thrones. It's not unanticipated.

The comments... regardless of tone... have been deleted. I have been saying since season one that this is not the place to debate or discuss the TV series. Please respect that.

There are better places for such discussions: Westeros, Tower of the Hand, Watchers on the Wall, Winter Is Coming, the comments sections of the television critics who regularly follow the show: James Hibberd, Alyssa Rosenberg, Mo Ryan, James Poniewozik, and their colleagues. I am sure all those sites will be having a healthy debate.

I have a lot of fans asking me for comment.

Let me reiterate what I have said before.

How many children did Scarlett O'Hara have? Three, in the novel. One, in the movie. None, in real life: she was a fictional character, she never existed. The show is the show, the books are the books; two different tellings of the same story.

There have been differences between the novels and the television show since the first episode of season one. And for just as long, I have been talking about the butterfly effect. Small changes lead to larger changes lead to huge changes. HBO is more than forty hours into the impossible and demanding task of adapting my lengthy (extremely) and complex (exceedingly) novels, with their layers of plots and subplots, their twists and contradictions and unreliable narrators, viewpoint shifts and ambiguities, and a cast of characters in the hundreds.

There has seldom been any TV series as faithful to its source material, by and large (if you doubt that, talk to the Harry Dresden fans, or readers of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, or the fans of the original Walking Dead comic books)... but the longer the show goes on, the bigger the butterflies become. And now we have reached the point where the beat of butterfly wings is stirring up storms, like the one presently engulfing my email.

Prose and television have different strengths, different weaknesses, different requirements. David and Dan and Bryan and HBO are trying to make the best television series that they can. And over here I am trying to write the best novels that I can. And yes, more and more, they differ. Two roads diverging in the dark of the woods, I suppose... but all of us are still intending that at the end we will arrive at the same place. In the meantime, we hope that the readers and viewers both enjoy the journey. Or journeys, as the case may be. Sometimes butterflies grow into dragons.

Well, what a difference a few years makes. And vis a vis Martin's allusion to butterflies, above, it's salient to note that on September 4, 2024 he posted another statement (some might call it a screed) which he entitled Beware the Butterflies, itself an allusion to, yep, The Butterfly Effect (albeit the concept Martin mentions many were first exposed to in the Ray Bradbury story A Sound of Thunder, not the linked to movie). Martin's post is kind of epic in and of itself, and he actually begins by complimenting two episodes, A Son for a Son and Rhaenyra the Cruel, before correctly mentioning that fans seemed to be split on their reactions depending on whether or not they had read Martin's source writing.

The post continues at some length to actually get into some "behind the scenes" wrangling about how exactly to handle various plot points in the show, which perhaps comically of course included how and when to kill off various characters, though in this particular case it actually had more to do with if a character was even introduced to begin with. Martin, while obviously distressed at decisions that were made, seems to initially still at least understand if not totally agree with some of the changes made in this second season, though the absence of one particular character really seems to stick in Martin's craw, if only because that absence will have "butterfly effects" down the line. The tone kind of subtly changes partway through Martin's musings, and he follows with several "butterfly" examples that are going to deliver ostensibly fatal blows to the narrative as things proceed, ending his post with ". . .there are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if House of the Dragon goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4".

Now, all of the above is imparted not only for context but to kind of ironically state that my hunch is even those blithely unaware of the supposedly epochal changes the show's writers have made to Martin's original formulations will still find this second season somewhat of a letdown from the series' premiere year. If there are manifest differences from Martin's original(s) (and the internet is a very fertile hunting ground for those wanting documentation of the many changes), the biggest issues here may be with regard to pacing and plot mechanics that too often veer off into unprofitable detours for seemingly no other reason than to introduce yet another glut of interwoven characters and sidebars, as if mere quantity (not that quantity is ever "mere" by any measure in this series) equaled quality.

Many viewers were evidently less than thrilled with even the first season of House of the Dragon, though I personally found the positives to far outweigh negatives. I also wasn't particularly troubled by/with the "time jump" that seemed to throw so many people for a loop, but rather interestingly in that regard that conceit seems not to have led to any real overt delving into what happened in the interim in this season, something that I mistakenly assumed would be part of the second season when I reviewed the first season. There is still a bit of an "Elizabethan" quality to some of the plot dynamics surrounding Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) in particular but also arguably with regard to some of the other women royals, where the women are either shunted to the sidelines or dealt with even more nefariously. Part of the problem with so much happening so relentlessly is the sheer volume of content can arguably end up detracting from some real positives in individual moments, and chief among those nice moments are several where Rhaenyra slowly but surely "finds her power", in more ways than one.

If that "nothing succeeds like excess" sentiment may overpower the writing of this set of episodes, leading to a kind of weirdly static feeling despite all of the manifest bloodshed, the "mere quantity" of production design finesse and rather nicely improved special effects actually do equal quality in these particular categories, and probably help the series to elide some of its dramatic missteps, if only because the visuals and sound design are so impeccably handled so much of the time.

House of the Dragon: The Complete Second Season 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: While this is a standalone 4K release without a 1080 disc, I am offering screenshots from HBO's standalone 1080 release as I think it actually provides a better representation of the look of the palette in particular, rather than offering screenshots from the 4K disc which are by necessity downscaled to 1080 and in SDR. Because this release does not include a 1080 disc, the 2K video score above has been intentionally left blank.

House of the Dragon: The Complete Second Season is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of HBO and Warner Brothers Home Entertainment with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.00:1. Whatever qualms viewers may have with the actual narrative(s) at hand in season two, I can't imagine there being much complaining about another lustrous 4K presentation of the series, one that arguably ups the quality from the already excellent first season, with to my eyes more generally captivating CGI in particular. There may still be a few niggling qualms with some of the flying scenes featuring dragons or other avian creatures, but those are the exception rather than the rule. HBO's 1080 release of this series already provides really impressive fine detail levels, but for just one of countless examples of improvement in this 4K version, just look at the texturing and "thread count" of the opening tapestry credits sequence. That's admittedly a pretty picayune example, but it may be salient for that very reason, since the "bigger issues" (at times literally) like practical sets also see some noticeable upticks in detailing on some of the stonework or brocaded wall hangings. The palette is incredibly evocative throughout this season, and Dolby Vision / HDR add significant luster to several of the most aggressive grading choices, including the ice cold blues of Winterfell to more summery yellows that actually inform a surprising number of scenes throughout this season. I was actually a bit surprised that despite the undeniable addition of highlights in this version, there are still some rather interestingly designed sequences that tend to only feature momentary pops of color, as in the sudden letting of blood.

House of the Dragon: The Complete Second Season 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

House of the Dragon: The Complete Second Season offers another gorgeously designed Dolby Atmos track, one which "announces" its immersive capabilities (as well as its verticality) from the get go, with the kind of thrilling aerial shot with a bird flying into Winterfell. There actually may be surprisingly few "big battles" this season, but the preparations for war allow for several thrilling sonic moments, including several impressive sequences with dragons, where both the immense thrust of their wings and the roaring fires emanating from their nostrils allow for some excellent LFE and panning effects. Even some of the relatively quieter "palace intrigue" moments have some really striking separation and discrete channelization, including some almost spooky echoes as people move through cavernous castle settings. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional subtitles in several languages are available.

House of the Dragon: The Complete Second Season 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• The House that Dragons Built - Ep #1 Extended Version (HD; 34:09) is the first of several "inside the episode" featurettes which all offer a bunch of behind the scenes footage and interviews.


• Defend Your Council (HD; 1:53) focuses on the rivalry between "Team Green" and "Team Black".


• Character Spots

  Rhaenyra (HD; 1:14)

  
  

  Aegon (HD; 1:25)

• Fire Hot Takes: Team Green vs. Team Black (HD; 2:03) is another look at the warring councils.


• The House that Dragons Built - Ep #2 Extended Version (HD; 30:26)


• Return to Winterfell (HD; 1:14) looks at this season's opening vignette.


• House Who? (House Stark) (HD; 1:27) focuses on a certain "beautiful (?) wall".


• Return to the Realm (HD; 2:01) is another "back at work" featurette.

Disc Two

• The House that Dragons Built - Ep #3 Extended Version (HD; 34:19)


• House Who? (Bracken & Brackwood) (HD; 1:41) gets into the "Hatfields and McCoy" aspects of these houses.


• Fire Hot Takes

  Case for Ruler (HD; 1:43) offers positives for potential rulers.

  
  

  Daemon vs. Aemond (HD; 1:56) comically asks "who gives less f***s" between the two. Yes, it really should be "fewer", but I digress.

• The House that Dragons Built - Ep #4 Extended Version (HD; 29:49)


• Eve Tribute Piece (HD; 1:13) deals with one of many character exits.


• House Who? (House Tully & House Frey) (HD; 1:48) addresses some of the power dynamics at play in this particular nook and cranny of the series.


• Guess That Line - Eve & Steve (HD; 4:05) offers Steve Toussaint and Eve Best guessing who might have said particular lines.


• Character Spots

  Daemon (HD; 1:09)

  
  

  Corlys (HD; 1:31)

Disc Three

• The House that Dragons Built - Ep #5 Extended Version (HD; 21:07)


• The House that Dragons Built - Ep #6 Extended Version (HD; 35:14)


• Character Spots

  Alicent (HD; 1:22)

  
  

  Aemond (HD; 1:55)

Disc Four

• The House that Dragons Built - Ep #7 Extended Version (HD; 37:01)


• The House that Dragons Built - Ep #8 Extended Version (HD; 25:40)


• Family Tree (HD; 5:22) offers some lessons in ancestry. This is actually a great place to start for those unacquainted with all the ins and outs of the series.


• Divided Kingdoms (HD; 9:10) is another "history lesson" of sorts concentrating on what is called an "arms race", albeit with dragons.


• The Curse of Harrenhal - Extended (HD; 7:53) looks at Alice Rivers.

Additionally, the keepcase features a sleeve with an inner print with very brief episode summaries and a list of on disc supplements. A packet of character cards is also included, and it's here that I can already predict there will be complaints about the packaging. HBO offers a slightly oversized slipcover that supposedly fits over both the keepcase and the character card packet, but it's too big, meaning it gets bent when the shrinkwrap is put on it, and will be pretty useless if the character card packet isn't kept with the keepcase (and maybe not even then). You've been warned.

House of the Dragon: The Complete Second Season 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Smith and D'Arcy in particular are still quite riveting this season, and a number of the supporting players also get great moments to strut their stuff, but there's simply too much of everything this year, with a lot of it really not going much of anywhere. Technical merits are still first rate, and while many of the supplements are on the short side, like the content of this season, there's a lot to wade through, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.