House Of The Dragon Episode 2 Review - 9 Ups & 1 Down

The announcement that beloved Dr Who actor Matt Smith would be playing the role of Daemon Targaryen was met with fans rubbing their hands together in gleeful anticipation. While expectations were high, viewers are now two episodes into the first season and the actor is performing to a level that even the most passionate of fans could have only dreamt of before House of the Dragon kicked off.

Smith is the unquestionable star of the show from start to finish, effortlessly stealing the limelight for every second he appears on screen. Daemon's laconic drawl, combined with his meticulously selected vocabulary enunciated like a member of the Royal Family, has him reading like a sword-wielding, dragon-riding Bond villain and it is absolutely glorious.

The audience can never tell whether the smile constantly playing at the corner of the Prince's eyes and mouth is one of genuine amusement or something more sinister, lending superbly to a mercurial character who oozes menace. The titular "Rogue Prince" causes absolute chaos with his theft of a dragon egg in this week's episode and he doesn't even appear on screen for the first half hour of the episode.

Smith has flawlessly combined all the elements of classic Thrones' villains such as Joffrey, Ramsay and early Jaime to create a terrifying new amalgamation, primed to serve as the show's chief antagonist for the foreseeable future. It's an awe-inspiring spectacle to behold, a front-runner for one of the greatest pieces of casting in television history and the best thing about this week's enthralling foray into Westeros.