House of the Dragon Season 2, episode 3, “The Burning Mill,” brings viewers back to one of Westeros’ most notorious castles: Harrenhal. And what a return it is!
The episode sees Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) swoop into Harrenhal with his dragon Caraxes, but this is far from the triumphant conquest he envisioned. Castellan Simon Strong (Sir Simon Russell Beale) is all too ready to turn the castle over to Team Black, no fight needed. On top of all that, Harrenhal is supremely spooky, its melted ruins exposing anyone within to the elements.
‘House of the Dragon’ director Geeta Vasant Patel breaks down Rhaenyra and Alicent’s pivotal meeting
“The Burning Mill” uses this spookiness to its fullest extent as Daemon first steps foot in Harrenhal. He prowls down long, empty corridors and staircases. Rain and thunder crash in from above, bats burst from the rafters. In the hands of director Geeta Vasant Patel, the castle becomes a maze that Daemon must wander alone, a solitude made all the more isolating following his argument with Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) in episode 2. For both Patel and Smith, grounding Daemon’s Harrenhal entrance in the aftermath of that argument proved crucial.
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