HBO‘s mutually beneficial adoration with George R.R. Martin bears much fruit as time wears forth. House of the Dragon will soon make its triumphant way back to the premium cable channel (and WBD streaming service, Max) for a new season full of dragon fire and brimstone-drama. As viewers are already aware, the primary conflict in this series is between family members, who will take each other almost completely out before the events of Game of Thrones.
The show’s debut season began about 300 years prior to its TV predecessor, and those episodes ended with the death of Luc Targaryen. Within seconds of learning the news, Rhaenyra Targaryen put her game face on during the season finale, and now, it’s time for revenge.
The show might, at some point, run concurrently with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which will follow HotD in the Westeros timeline and will also take place immediately prior to Game of Thrones. As well, it’s important to note that GRRM acknowledged that HotD will likely run for four seasons, the third of which has already reportedly begun pre-production work. Let’s start to fill in the blanks of what to expect before Dunk & Egg surface.
Plot
The Targaryen clan was nearly extinct when Game of Thrones began, so we already know that House of the Dragon was meant to end with the clan’s demise. Sadly, they ended up murdering each other, as Martin’s Fire and Blood book chronicles in fairly fact-based detail. Fortunately, the HBO series adds narrative texture, lush visuals and plenty of drama to the war between the Black (Targaryen) and Green (Hightower) side of the family. Westeros would never be the same, and Season 2 shall launch the so-called “Dance of the Dragons.”
That’s a fancy name bestowed by the civilians, who will hunker down as representatives from Team Rhaenyra and Team Aegon II begin to claim various towns, villages, and castles throughout the realm. We should see a chess board largely dominated by Daemon near the beginning of the war, but many dragons will fall. With them will be nearly half of Westeros when all is said and done, and we will watch Queen Alicent and Otto Hightower begin to feel the effects of their long-game coup. However, many mistakes were made by King Viserys before his death, and his heir(s) will go the same route.
We will meet some new dragons as they are claimed by Targaryen riders and even a few civilians. Hopefully, a little Cannibal, Sheepstealer, and Grey Ghost will come our way. Plenty of aerial battle scenes will occur, and the season’s trailer even appears to indicate a departure from the book by showing Rhaenyra in apparent battle mode, rather than remaining on Dragonstone while consumed in long-term grief.
Martin already revealed that HotD would extend the book’s material for those four seasons, so the show will pace accordingly, so that the entire war doesn’t go down in one massive, raining reign of fire. That is to say, we might not see Season 2 fully display the rivalry between Aemond and Daemon figured prominently into this war, and Season 1 set up that vibe well. When it finally comes to life onscreen during strategy sessions and actual battle, however, that should be one of the most fun parts of this show.
Cast
The first-generation cast members shall not return this season, although the door isn’t necessarily closed to having them in flashbacks in the future. Also, Paddy Considine has been officially relieved of his duties as the long suffering King Viserys.
Who shall return? Emma D’Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Eve Best (Rhaenys Targaryen), Steve Toussaint (Corlys “Sea Snake” Valaryon), Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole the terrible), Sonoya Mizuno (Mysaria/that White Worm), Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower), Ewan Mitchell (Aemond Targaryen), and Tom Glynn-Carney (Aegon Targaryen II).
At least four more significant characters will be featured including the following:
– Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin), a mysterious healer and a prolific wet nurse of Harrenhal, one of the first castles who surrender to Team Black.
– Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale), the uncle to foot-loving Lord Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) and the Castellan of Harrenhal.
– Ser Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox), the son of Otto Hightower and uncle to King Aegon II.
– Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim), a Stepstones campaign veteran and Velaryon fleet sailor.
Release Date
Summer 2024 will be the magic season, less than two years after the series debut. This outcome is actually a speedy one, since there’s a load of post-production work involved with inserting CGI dragons and aerial battle scenes after the actors left the European sets. Hopefully, HBO will reveal a firm date sooner rather than later.
Trailer
The civil war officially begins below.
HBO’s first ‘House of the Dragon’ season can currently be streamed on Max.
