Did House of the Dragon Season 2 Get Review-Bombed?

Summary

• Although House of the Dragon Season 2 addressed many of the complaints viewers had with the premiere installment, it still received much lower ratings for some episodes.
• Some viewers believe this was a result of the review bombing after one particular controversial scene.
• However, others disagree.

It's a good thing that House of the Dragon was renewed for a third chapter before the Season 2 premiere. Although the creators made good on their promise to stop the time jumps and focus on the players of the Dance of the Dragons, the second installment was met with pretty lukewarm reviews from viewers. The kind of reviews that could easily get other shows canceled these days.

Season 1 vs. Season 2

Despite all the complaints about recasting and dark cinematography, not a single episode of the first season of House of the Dragon received an IMDb rating lower than 8.0/10. At the same time, some episodes of Season 2 got much lower scores. Some barely exceeded 7.5/10, and one was rated even worse than that.

The episode in question is S2E6, Smallfolk, which aired on July 21. It was given an average rating of just over 6 out of 10, which is unprecedented for both the HBO show and its parent series Game of Thrones (the last season doesn't count, of course).

So what happened in the episode that earned such a low score? Let's do a quick recap.

The Divisive Scene

King Aegon II awoke from his coma, but was so horrified by his brother that he allowed Aemond to take power. Aemond reshaped the Green Council by kicking his mother out and inviting his grandsire back. Daemon was still in Harrenhal, battling his inner demons. Ser Steffon Darklyn tried to become a dragonrider, but was burned to death by Seasmoke, who later found another human to bond with. Rhaenyra and Mysaria implemented a cunning plan to lure the sympathies of the smallfolk to the Black side.

So which one of these storylines was so bad that people decided to vote it down, thus ruining the score for the entire season? In fact, many viewers enjoyed Smallfolk and thought that it was review-bombed for one particular scene - a kiss between Rhaenyra and Mysaria in the final moments.

Either because the fanbase for Daemon and Rhaenyra's pairing is very passionate, or because viewers generally don't like the idea of a previously straight character going queer (to be honest, Rhaenyra did have electric vibes with Alicent in season one), the kiss thing seems to have divided the show's audience. But was it enough for a review bombing?

Viewers' feedback on Season 2 of House of the Dragon proves that there were other reasons for the lower ratings.

Season 2 Complaints

Despite impressive dragon scenes, brilliant acting, and perfect work with sets, costumes, and sound, many viewers found the second installment too slow and repetitive. Some even dubbed it 'House of the Dragging'.

This was especially evident in Smallfolk, where viewers had to witness Daemon's trippy visions and Rhaenyra crying about her own inaction and pacifism for what felt like the hundredth time. These two main characters, who were the heart and soul of the premiere chapter, almost regressed in Season 2, disappointing viewers who had waited two years for the new eight episodes.

Of course, this frustration gradually boiled over into poor ratings at the end of the season, with or without the kiss scene.

Hopefully, the creators will pay attention to public opinion and the next two years of waiting will not be in vain.