On we go into House of the Dragon episode 7! Remember me? It’s me from just last week! If you don’t remember me, that’s OK. You can’t see me, probably. I’m there, lurking on your very black screen. I used to be bright, but then I was inexplicably shadowed in post-production. As you remember (or in case you cannot see my beautiful face), every week, for each new episode of HOTD, I’ll be deconstructing the multitude of reviews out there, boiling them down to one short summary sentence that will perfectly encapsulate what the original author was saying, no questions asked…and by that I mean that I will deconstruct whole essays down to one sentence apiece, often quoting them verbatim.
What I will do is attempt to summarize the original review as best I can, and if my tease whets your appetite for their style of review, you are encouraged to head over to their site and let them know…after of course letting us know your thoughts in the comments below. At the bottom, I will summarize my review of the reviewers’ reviews.
All squared? Jolly good, let’s dive in.
What did the Internet think of HBO’s House of the Dragon episode 7, “Driftmark?” Hey, here’s a recommendation: Before you dive into any of these other critics I’ve rounded up (pfft – boring! Who would do that/write about that/etc.?), why don’t you check out Sue’s recap of last night’s episode? Once you’ve done that, here’s what the rest of the Internet had to say about last night’s episode:
Alec Bojalad, Den of Geek – In which Westerosi funerals turn out to be just as dramatic as Westerosi weddings on another excellent HOTD.
Belen Edwards, Mashable – In which the ways by which Fire & Blood was changed on its journey to the screen as HOTD are broken down, most notably in this episode, Alicent’s frustration and rage getting the best of her in an explosive scene that’s one of the show’s best so far.
Daniel Van Boom, CNET – In which it feels like we’re just waiting for the king’s death for the Dance of the Dragons to begin in earnest.
Glen Weldon, NPR – In which he admires the show’s trust in its actors’ ability to convey what we need to know through expression and gesture, instead of through thick, wordy clots of exposition.
Hillary Kelly, Vulture – In which Laena’s funeral is a mirthless party, where everyone casts side-eye at friends and enemies alike, and the camera mingles among them like an acutely aware guest.
Jamie Broadnax, BlackGirlNerds – In which Larys is the seed sower of discord.
Jeremy Egner, New York Times – In which the recognizable family dynamics can make all of the objectively bonkers goings-on feel almost relatable.
Jenna Scherer, AV Club – In which the slow-moving “Driftmark” feels positively soothing—but not, unfortunately, all that interesting.
Kim Renfro, Insider – In which this episode showed the largest gathering of dragons fans have ever seen, with at least five dragons from the Targaryen and Velaryon families all hanging out.
Kimberly Roots, TVLine – In which there’s a lot of dragonriding, if you’re into that sort of thing!
Lauren Sarner, NYPost – In which the episode features child violence, a fake out death plot twist that’s a major change from the book, a secret wedding, and sex on the beach.
Meghan O’ Keefe, Decider – In which the first Daemon and Rhaenyra sex scene is shockingly sweet.
Rob Bricken, Gizmodo – In which the funeral itself is practically a “previously on House of the Dragon” because it so efficiently summarizes everything you’d need to know, even if this was your first episode.
Sean T. Collins, Rolling Stone – In which you should feast on these relatively low-stakes, low-body-count hijinks while you have the chance, because it’s likely to get a whole lot nastier.
Tyler Dean, Tor – In which the episode takes advantage of the locale, not just as a central set-piece where nearly all of the show’s characters can gather for a pressure cooker of a funeral reception, but as a gorgeous setting whose forlorn stretches of coast and wind-ravaged dunes convey the yawning emptiness of the mourners, all reckoning with uncertain futures and sudden losses.
Summary: Episode 7’s Driftmark has been very well received for its twists, turns, and emotional catharsis, if still a bit hurried in parts, and dimly lit in others.
My Review: Thanks for asking. Call me Crabby Pants over here, but this was my least favorite episode of the season. The fact that no matter what setting I tried on my [truly very nice, high quality, state of the art] TV, I had difficulty seeing hardly anything for half the damn hour, my enjoyment factor plummeted no matter what I thought of the episode alone. As for the content itself, I continue to be saddened as to why they didn’t do one full season with the childhood and teenage years of the characters. We’ve been shortchanged so many characters’ arcs (namely Laena and Laenor) in service of moving quickly through time to get to the “emotional” beats…only for those beats to not land because we’ve barely known many of the characters to begin with. Filmmaking is as important to me as storytelling. The book can say one thing, and the show can say another. I don’t want to care about these characters because they were written names on the page; I NEED to care about them because I SEE what they endure on the screen. In its hurry to blaze through history toward the eventual “Dance of Dragons,” the show has emerged on the other side by telling rather than showing, and that is really starting to trouble me.
Well, anyway what do you make of these reviews/recaps? Sound off in the comments below, politely, but with a firmly gloved hand. Just don’t throw any gloves.
The post House of the Dragon Review/Recap Roundup Season 1 Episode 7 – Driftmark appeared first on Watchers on the Wall.
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