HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 2x5 "Regent" is an interesting contrast to "The Red Dragon and the Gold" because one of the objectively best episodes of the season is followed by one of the worst. Unfortunately, this episode suffers not only from dramatically slowing down the pace of the previous episode but also meanders in character development as well as world-building.
One of the things I was worried about with the racing through of the plotlines of the Dance of the Dragon's backstory for Season One was the fact that just about 90% of the interesting things that happened during this time period were the build-up. Once the actual fighting between the dragons begins, there's not really that much in terms of character development or intrigue to follow up on. This, unfortunately, is abundantly clear here and shows the showrunners don't have any idea where to go without George R.R. Martin as a guide.
Basically, the characters sit around not doing much this episode. Things happen, don't get me wrong but they're handled with no fanfare. Aemond assumes the regency for his comatose brother, Aegon II, but no one cares about the latter as a person so it has no weight. Alicent is pouty that both her lovers, Larys Strong and Criston Cole, side with Aegon over her. Whether she wanted Aegon II on the throne to protect her children versus that he was a pliable idiot she could rule through seems to have been switched out as her motivations between seasons.
If this episode is going to be remembered in ten years, it'll be for two scenes. The first is the parading of Meleys head through the streets of Kings Landing. The Greens are doing their best to portray this as a great victory for King Aegon II and a heroic stand against a monster. However, said monster is the source of the Targaryens power base and instead causes the people to start to doubt whether the Targayrens are invincible after all.
A lot of fans have been waiting for some sort of follow up to the events of 1x09 where Rhaenys burst through the dragon pit and killed a bunch of peasants. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, this follow-up more or less cements that it is effectively discontinuity in the show universe. The people of King's Landing have no grudge against Meleys and Princess Rhaenys is portrayed as the saintly lover of the Smallfolk that she was in every appearance other than that one episode.
The second thing people will remember about this episode will be Prince Daemon Targaryen ****ing his mother. Yeah, there's an out of nowhere scene where he has sex with a beautiful white haired woman who is praising him being the superior son before it is revealed it is his mum, Alyssa Targaryen. I know you don't hire Matt Smith just sit around in a castle but that was definitely a choice. We also find out Daemon is pressing his own claim to the Iron Throne a a Claudius-style "evil uncle."
One element that shows HotD's struggle with is also the "modernization" of morality in the show where the girls act like teenagers in the 21st century. No one acts like Medieval mores apply to them and this applies to how the show vilifies Daemon's decisions in the Riverlands. For example, the Brackens have begun an insurrection against their king and do not recognize his authority. So Daemon unleashes the Blackwoods upon them to pillage, burn, and worse. As Henry V shows, this is not remotely abnornal behavior and Tywin Lannister didn't get any real crap for it either when he was retaliating for far worse. Being an outlaw means you're beyond the king's protection ("outside the law") and if they wanted protection from the king's bannermen, they should appeal to King Aegon II/King Aemond or bend the knee.
Unfortunately, the show's utter lack of skill depicting politics applies to the characters it wants to portray as good leaders. Rhaenyra struggles to make any sort of decision whatsoever regarding alliances or military deployment. She wanted to avoid war but never made any sort of strategic concessions or diplomatic offers. Rhaenyra cheats the Arryns by sending two baby dragons to the Eyrie, praises her son Jace for making an alliance with the Freys by offering them Harrenal (?!), and doesn't go meet with Daemon himself despite the fact she did so as a teenager. Rhaenyra was many things in the books but the show version is flat out a weak monarch and far more like her father than Maegor the Cruel. At this point, I'm supporting Aemond the Usurper.
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