House Of The Dragon Episode Five Review - 8 Ups & 2 Downs

You know the saying, it ain't a Westerosi wedding until somebody dies.

The 20 minute climax to this week's episode that featured the wedding celebration was, without hyperbole, the most thrilling sequence in House of the Dragon to date, which says a lot considering that viewers saw Daemon single-handedly rush an army an fortnight ago.

The creators behind HBO's take on Westeros have an uncanny knack of making a crush of human bodies absolutely terrifying. The claustrophobic shots as wedding goers stagger and push each other out of the way invoke memories of the Battle of the Bastards; viewers almost feel like they need to take a gulp of air as the chaos unfolds.

Then came the sheer, shocking nature of the violence that instigated the throng. Game of Thrones had some grisly deaths, but this writer cannot recall a sequence where a man literally had a hole punched into the middle of his face; the gaping chasm where Joffrey Lonmouth's features used to be makes for absolutely ghastly viewing. The delay in revealing the horrific violence resulted in even higher levels of white knuckle tension, remarkable considering the apparently benign nature of the scene's setting.

Just when it appears like things can't get any more intensely horrifying, Rhaenyra and Laenor's rushed wedding ceremony takes another shocking turn; Viserys' strength finally gives out and the King collapses on the floor still stained red with Joffrey's blood and brain matter.

Viewers were left with pounding hearts and open mouths after HBO's latest emotional rollercoaster. The best part? They get to do it all again next week.