Controversial take, but I liked it, even the understated finale.

True, it does spend eight episodes running on the spot. There’s the odd skirmish between Queen Rhaenyra’s forces and those ruled by King Aemond, but the war we’ve been primed for doesn’t erupt. All that teasing should make for a frustrating and dull season, and I get the impression that some (many) hold that view. But the focus on character—whether it be Daemon’s tussle with his insecurities, fed by a belief he should be King, or Allicent’s gradual recognition that her plans have gone wrong, or Rhaenyra desperately trying to avoid bloodshed while convincing her Small Council of embittered old men that she’s the boss—is, at least for me, enjoyable to watch. It has all the texture of a novel, one that eschews wall-to-wall action and violence and rape for something a little more subtle, where the interior is as important as the exterior. And it still has some astonishing set pieces, including the last 10 minutes of “The Red Dragon and the Gold.” 

Could the Daemon stuff in Harrenhall been truncated? Yes. Did the arc involving Corlys and his bastard sons feel played out before the emotional conversation with Addam of Hull in the finale? Yep. Does Aemond come off as a poor man’s Joffrey Baratheon? He certainly does. But for all that, I appreciate the season’s willingness to dig deeper into the characters’ motivations, particularly Daemon, Allicent, and Rhaenyra. I found the finale genuinely compelling. The scene between Allicent and Rhaenyra is beautifully shot and acted—much more interesting than thousands of men roasted by dragons. But your mileage will most definitely vary.