House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4 is one of the most stunning of the show so far, and it makes up for one specific part of Game of Thrones‘ Battle of Winterfell being a bit of a letdown. “The Red Dragon and the Gold” properly (and somewhat literally) begins the Dance of the Dragons, with Vhagar and Sunfyre doing battle against Meleys at Rook’s Rest.

The end result is brutal, as it concludes with Rhaenys Targaryen and Meleys’ deaths and King Aegon II Targaryen being left for dead – all courtesy of Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar – but the spectacle beforehand was spectacular. This is the first time three dragons have battled on-screen since Game of Thrones season 8, episode 3, “The Long Night,” but House of the Dragon does it a lot better.

The Battle Of Winterfell’s Lack Of Dragon vs. Dragon Action Was Disappointing

Game Of Thrones Season 8 Could Have Done It Better

The Battle of Winterfell, like many parts of Game of Thrones season 8, came in for criticism, mostly related to how dark the episode was for a lot of viewers. However, one other element that I was disappointed with was how it used its dragons. This was a battle between the living and the dead for them too: Dragon and Rhaegal faced off against Viserion.

The scene with Rhaegal fighting against Viserion, before Drogon swoops in to help, isn’t bad, but it’s very brief and incredibly dark.

The episode was restrained with its use of the dragons, and understandably so, but when they did join the conflict, the end result was a little underwhelming. Because Viserion didn’t die until Game of Thrones season 7 and then the Night King was killed by Arya Stark at the end of this episode, the Battle of Winterfell was the one chance for Game of Thrones to have a dragon vs. dragon fight, and it didn’t deliver.

The scene with Rhaegal fighting against Viserion, before Drogon swoops in to help, isn’t bad, but it’s very brief and incredibly dark. Dragons fighting one another should be incredible to watch, and it was the chance to do something unique because we’d never seen it before, but it was hardly anything memorable.

House Of The Dragon Delivers The Dragon vs. Dragon Fight I’ve Long Wanted

Sunfyre vs. Meleys vs. Vhagar Is Suitably Epic

Thankfully, House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4’s ending makes up for Game of Thrones‘ shortcomings… and then some. I don’t think the Battle at Rook’s Rest is the best battle in the Game of Thrones franchise, but I would say it’s the most impressive and epic use of dragons in a battle. And, more specifically, it’s the way it delivers on dragons fighting dragons that is so impressive.

There’s great storytelling and character work underpinning it, but even just from the point-of-view of pure entertainment spectacle, it’s epic in a way that truly lives up to that word. It is also quite horrible, as it should be. There’s some really violent, visceral stuff here, and a few of the moments within it are absolutely brutal. Seeing Meleys tearing at Sunfyre (with a close-up of her claws doing it), and Vhagar biting off Meleys’ head, is jaw-dropping, event television.

Remaining House Of The Dragon Season 2 Episodes
Air Date

Episode 5
July 14

Episode 6
July 21

Episode 7
July 28

Episode 8
August 4

It absolutely nails just how impressive it should be to see dragons fighting, the sense of incredible power and how small and defenseless humans look in the face of it. It captures the sheer sense of dread, and how when dragons burn each other, the world burns with them. That it shows so much of it, and in broad daylight, adds so much to the occasion that Game of Thrones‘ Battle of Winterfell missed, and makes it one of House of the Dragon‘s finest moments yet.

New episodes of House of the Dragon release Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO and Max.