“Same thing was probably said last season too”: House of the Dragon Season 3 Update is a Stark Reminder That HBO Made a Major Mistake in Letting Miguel Sapochnik Leave

As the dance of dragons officially commences, House of the Dragon only now begins to find its footing after ending its second season. Structured more like a fever dream reminiscent of Daemon’s own experiences in Harrenhal, Season 2 of the HBO prequel does little to advance the overarching narrative of its battle for succession.

The game of thrones that clouds the minds of Houses Green and Black is mostly relegated to a political cat-and-mouse play rather than an actual battle-heavy season. In the end, the 8-episode arc tops it off with a 66-minute long season finale that plays more like an extended teaser trailer for Season 3 than an actual showdown with the Westerosi world’s signature mark of bloodshed, mayhem, and violence.

House of the Dragon Loses Out on Miguel Sapochnik

One of the strongest, if not the best, visual storytellers in the Seven Kingdoms, George R.R. Martin-approved live-action adaptation of Fire & Blood was left better in the hands of the collaborative showrunners, Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal. But it is not only Sapochnik’s visual creativity that sets him apart from the rest. It is also his qualifications as a director.

During his time on the parent series Game of Thrones, Miguel Sapochnik won 2 Primetime Emmys (Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Battle of the Bastards in 2016 and Outstanding Drama Series in 2019) and a Directors Guild of America Award in the Dramatic Series category for Battle of the Bastards in 2017.

Miguel Sapochnik also holds the unique record of being the only other creative besides David Nutter, who directed the infamous episode, Rains of Castamere, colloquially also known as the Red Wedding, to win an Emmy for directing in Game of Thrones.

As such, Sapochnik serving as showrunner and part-director on the prequel spin-off, House of the Dragons, was immense news right from the get-go. Some of the most visually stunning and emotionally charged episodes from Season 1, including the series pilot, The Princess and the Queen, and Driftmark, are directed by Sapochnik.

However, in a surprise decision, Miguel Sapochnik announced his retirement from the series as showrunner in the run-up to Season 2. The loss, suffice it to say, was felt in the core of the entirety of its 8-episode run.

Fans Express Outrage Over Lackluster Season Finale

Despite the look of promise, outrage, vengeance, and vindication emanating from Emma D’Arcy’s Queen Rhaenyra in the Season 1 finale, the follow-up to the shocking midnight assassination of Lucerys/Arrax by Aemond/Vhagar, or the lack thereof, was disappointing to watch. Season 2 was a melting pot of political machinations, backstabbing courtiers, and incestuous hallucinations.

With no grand dance of dragons to tie up the finale of Season 2, fans are left fuming as disappointment slowly gets replaced by outrage. Considering how the only difference between the two seasons happens to be Miguel Sapochnik, it is understandable to be frustrated without his skills to streamline Season 2.

As such, the issue takes precedence in people’s minds especially as Ryan Condal goes around promising that the upcoming Season 3 offers a much more in-depth depiction of battle and war. But fans are not ready to bite.

Same thing was probably said last season too

— professional hater (@dezloves49ers) August 5, 2024

Armed with 7 dragons on her side and the entirety of the Riverlands army, Rhaenyra can eat her cake and have it too. However, these past 8 episodes constitute a filler season that sets up the events of House of the Dragon Season 3.

With the production of the third season still a long time away, fans are left to marinate in the slow-paced, nitty-gritty minutiae of courtroom politics that occupied Season 2 in favor of a more colorful and violent unraveling of events.

House of the Dragon Season 3 will premiere in 2026.