House Of The Dragon | Season 1 Episode 2: The Rogue Prince (Episode Review)

***This review will contain spoilers***

I'm so infuriated with this episode. The episode itself was really good but the subject matter  got me really pissed off. I'm a strong independent woman that is a go-getter and doesn't wait for a man to approve my decisions nor do I need a man to dictate my life. I'm through and through a 21st century woman. So seeing men toss aside a woman's opinion or not holding her in high regard as far as worth pisses me off to no end. Poor Rhaenyra is the heir but yet she is still reduced to nothing but a cupbearer who should be seen and not heard. How the fuck can you be heir to all this crap and still not be invited into the conversation? Her father really put her at a disadvantage and continues to do so by allowing others like Otto Hightower say in front of the council that Rhaenyra would be better suited to do something else than have opinions about what is currently happening in the realm. As if her opinion doesn't matter. She is blatantly belittled and set aside every single time.  

And that segways us to Otto Hightower. Otto is a deceiving, plotting little prick who has his hand into everything. I know he's the hand and that's his job but this is something way beyond. I don't understand why Viserys is so submissive to Otto. Their dynamic is weird and it seems as if Otto is the puppet master and he's just pulling Viserys' strings. Daemon called it last episode about Otto and I wish that Viserys' could see it as well. And the way he belittles Rhaenyra is so disgusting to see it. He speaks as he wishes and never minds his tongue. Yet he has the audacity to say to Lord Valeryon to not speak out of line. Plus he pimps his daughter out. If he treats her so poorly how would he ever treat a Queen with respect? 

Daemon doesn't cease his theatrics and being the drama queen that he is. I think everything he does is for attention from his family. He is the black sheep so it's almost expected of him to act out and be a nuisance to others. I do appreciate with every exchange he has with Otto he always manages to insult and put him in his place. I tip my hat to Rhaenyra on how she handled the situation. She came in on dragonback and deescalated the situation and retrieved the dragon egg back from Daemon. Rhaenyra is slowly growing into a strong young woman and I want to see her be more sure and confident in herself.  

One thing I'd like to point out is that Daenerys was riding her dragon without any sort of saddle and yet in The House Of The Dragon the dragonriders are using saddles. They're saddling up their dragons like horses. Daenerys looked so badass without one but seeing the dragonriders with it seems so comical. 

It's becoming quite apparent that I'm going to be hating on the Hightowers. Otto is a piece of shit and his daughter Alicent isn't any better. She's not a friend of Rhaenyra's, if anything she's nothing but a snake waiting to strike. Alicent is seen at the council meeting in the same blue dress she has the day prior. Are we safe to assume that she spent the night with the King like her father ordered? Everybody said to marry Laena Valeryon to strengthen the bonds between both great houses and instead he chooses the flozzy who hangs around in his room. His brother was right in saying he doesn't know how to be King.   

In the closing scene, we see the crabfeeder who has been causing havoc, especially, for Lord Valeryon but one interesting thing that I noticed is that it looks as if he has greyscale? Granted, he could just be really filthy but it looks a lot like greyscale. 

I'm excited to see what will happen next. So far so good in the first 2 episodes.