House of the Dragon Loves Lamp
Whoever upped the budget for candles, lanterns, and sconces this season, we thank you.
Things are changing in the world of House of the Dragon. The conflict between the Greens and the Blacks (Reds and Golds) is really heating up this season. There’s more brutal child murder and less brutal childbirth. Sure, people are still standing around in dark, cavernous rooms and plotting revenge against their enemies, but they’re doing it with a lot more open animosity than they have in the past. The biggest change, though, is one that also relates to all those big dark rooms and the various scenes of brooding while mourning your lost loved ones. Now more than ever before on this show, when someone stands in a castle and their eyes flash grimly as they ponder inevitable war … you can see it.
Whether because we bullied them into it or just because someone finally had had enough, House of the Dragon is more than just well lit this season. It’s obsessed with lighting. This season has more candles than a beeswax-dipping demonstration at a Colonial-reenactment village, and the effect is, frankly, fantastic. Aside from the fact that some scenes have so many candles it’s almost laughable, the overall approach is a much more thoughtful treatment of beautiful, visible lighting, especially in the show’s interiors. And wouldn’t you know it, being able to see what you’re watching — even despite the Max app’s appalling compression algorithm — is very good!
So because it’s important to celebrate wins when we find them, we bring you a roundup of this season’s most notable lighting moments to date.
Most ironically unhelpful illumination
It’s so nice that the candles atop Dragonstone’s painted table illuminate the faces of all the men on Rhaenyra’s Small Council. If only we knew their names! Any names! There is no job more thankless in House of the Dragon than ignored adviser; at least the scorpion-makers have something to show for their work. — RH
Best lighting for intimidating the smallfolk
Aegon the Magnanimous? With these chandeliers? Please. — RH
Most foreboding unlit candles, Team Green edition
Poor Helaena. If only Aegon had paid a little more attention when she admitted her fear of rats, maybe things would have turned out different. But the candles are unlit, Helaena’s information goes ignored, and the beautiful spookiness of this lighting becomes nothing more than a warning. — RH
Best light, handheld edition
You know that feeling when you’re charging around the castle trying to find someone to murder, and it’s raining outside, and it’s pitch black, and even though you’re posing as a rat-catcher with a legitimate purpose you don’t really want people to pay attention to you? You need this torch, which illuminates a room just enough to see where you’re going and stays lit for quite a while even if you drop it because, again, you’re trying to murder someone — KVA
Least passive-aggressive “See, we can shoot nighttime exteriors that don’t look terrible!” illumination
Shout-out to the sun. — KVA
Most innovative and yet unnecessary use of an open flame
This moment goes by fast, so make sure you catch it: Underneath the Dragonstone table, there’s an entire drawer of candles that illuminate the table map. This is very cool and also raises some logistical questions like how the candles get enough airflow. Imagine being told your candle budget has to account for all the lights necessary to illuminate a room plus several dozen candles just to light up the queen’s super-cool table! — KVA
Most “Oh, HBO sunk some real money into Dragonstone this season” sconces
What a shockingly beautiful library and scroll room. Give me that Architectural Digest tour ASAP, please. — RH
Best lighting to accompany a Wow, Daemon sucks realization, brutalist candelabra edition
It’s a wonder that Rhaenyra trusted Daemon at all, really. — RH
Least congenial dinner lighting
This is my side of the table and that is your side of the table, and just in case that was not clear enough, my candles will go over here and your candles will go over there and it will not be awkward at all!! — KVA
Best lighting to accompany a Wow, Daemon sucks realization, Harrenhal nightmare edition
A chastising reminder that Rhaenyra was really quite young when Daemon started messing around with her is exactly the kind of thing Alys Rivers would manifest. Good job to her, and the multifocal sources of light in this dream! — RH
Most foreboding unlit candles, Team Black edition
Can’t help but notice the similarity between this “unlit candles and a gorgeous shaft of golden natural light falling on a mother and her children” framing and how Helaena and Jaehaera looked before Blood and Cheese made the queen’s premonition real! — RH
Most womblike, least sexy mood lighting
On the one hand it seems risky to be this naked around this much fire and hot wax. On the other hand, this is hardly the show to get kink-shamey about. — KVA
Most dramatic accompaniment by natural light to emphasize the horrible new Hand’s hotness.
Essentially, House of the Dragon’s version of “Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Made a Great Point.” — RH
Least effort put into a candlescape
Pillar lighting? For a tavern? How innovative. — KVA
MOST!!!!1!!1!!!!!11 CANDLES!!111!!!!!1
Not sure if anyone’s gotten the message yet, but season two of House of the Dragon? You’re GONNA see things. — KVA