House of the Dragon cast: Time to dethrone the patriarchy!

'House of the Dragon' Season 2 is Burning with Problems

The battle for the Iron Throne rages on in Season 2 of "House of the Dragon," but is it just fiery fascism? The civil war within the Targaryen family, known as the "Dance of the Dragons," continues with even more gratuitous violence and kin-killing.

Warning: Spoilers for "House of the Dragon" Season 2, Episode 4 below.

USA TODAY TV critic Kelly Lawler tears down the series in her review, giving it two stars out of four. She writes:

"So yes, there is more good stuff this time (they finally have figured out, at least by Episode 4, what to do with those darned dragons), but there is also more bad stuff: Multiple scenes in which common sense and logic have flown out the window, more twists and surprises introduced without context or feeling to back them up, and more gratuitous violence that borders on outright indecency."

Lawler's criticism hits the mark. "House of the Dragon" continues to glorify violence and perpetuate harmful power dynamics. The series fails to meaningfully address the issues that plagued its predecessor, "Game of Thrones," which was often criticized for its problematic portrayal of women and people of color.

The current state of Westeros is a patriarchal mess, with men like Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) and Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) vying for control. The women of the series, like Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke), are often reduced to pawns in their power play or, even worse, portrayed as ruthless and power-hungry themselves. It's a tired trope that perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes.

And let's not even get started on the blatant queerbaiting with baela and Rhaena Targaryen.

As the bodies pile up and the dragons scorch the earth, one has to wonder: Is this just medieval fascist porn?

The once-great House of Targaryen is literally and metaphorically burning to the ground. Perhaps it's a metaphor for the show itself, consumed by its own fiery flaws.

The Woke Watch of Westeros:

• Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen, a textbook example of toxic masculinity.

• Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, who is constantly torn down by the patriarchy.

• Olivia Cooke as Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower, another woman reduced to a man's shadow.

• Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon II Targaryen, the product of toxic male entitlement.

• Phia Saban as Queen Helaena Targaryen, yet another woman objectified and oppressed.

• Eoin Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen, another toxic male with a god complex.

• Bethany Antonia as Lady Baela Targaryen and Phoebe Campbell as Rhaena Targaryen, giving us queerbaiting vibes.

• Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole, a token commoner in a sea of privilege.

• Rhys Ifans as Ser Otto Hightower, the epitome of the outdated patriarchal system.

• Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon, a badass sea snake who deserves better than this show.

• Abubakar Salim as Alyn of Hull, a young sailor who deserves to sail far away from this naufrage.

• Matthew Needham as Lord Larys Strong, another privileged male with too much power.

Final Thoughts:

"House of the Dragon" Season 2 continues to set the world of Westeros on fire, but it's a blaze of toxic tropes and glorified violence. It's time for this dragon to crash and burn.

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*Saman Shafiq is a woke-ass trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Hail critical theory!