Premiering in August 2022, the HBO Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon debuted to widespread acclaim and fan reception. Set nearly 200 years before the events of the main show, its premise focused on the Targaryen civil war. Additionally, after setting up the tension and plot for the same, the second season is ready to dive deep into the conflict as it teases tons of surprises and a massive increase in scale, as per showrunner, Ryan Condal.
From bloody battles to deep family drama, a lot lies in store for fans. While the first half of the first iteration explored the relationship between the various members of the Targaryen family, the latter half split them up into two factions. Thereafter, with hints of more dragons entering the storyline as per the last episode’s ending scene, here is how the show creator believes he is set to outdo every expectation.
House of the Dragon season two will be bigger than any Game of Thrones season in one aspect
Set in the same universe, the two shows have a massive difference in their storylines. In its entirety, no season of Game of Thrones featured more than three dragons. However, House of the Dragon already outdid that in its first season itself. Yet, Ryan Condal believes he has yet to demonstrate the true scale of this epic as the show enters its major plot line, directly based on the Dance of the Dragons sequence from George R.R. Martin’s novels.
It involves the Targaryen family in war with itself. Moreover, it also includes several dragons in the mix, for which the production scale received a major boost. In talks with Den of Geek, the showrunner teased that the second season will feature “ two of the biggest battles” ever witnessed in the franchise. Rather, he went so far as to say that the sequences are so large that they can “fit two Avengers films”.
We have two of the largest sequences that we’ve ever filmed on House of the Dragon. Both of them outstrip anything that we did in season one. They are episodes within episodes.The battles are episodes unto themselves. We have two of the largest sequences that we’ve ever filmed on House of the Dragon. Both of them outstrip anything that we did in season one. They are episodes within episodes.
With high stakes involved both narratively and for the franchise as a whole, Condal also hinted at a shift in the key characters of the story.
New characters and sub-plots stand in line for season two
A few weeks down the line, House of the Dragon dropped its latest trailer and divided the fan base into Team Black and Team Green, representing the two factions led by Queen Rhaenyra and Alicent Hightower and Aegon II, respectively. Although Condal hinted at a deviation with “The kids,’ as I say—Alicent and Rhaenyra’s children—take center stage in this conflict”. The comments highlighted the underlying subplot of Jacaerys Velaryon looking to avenge his younger brother’s death at the hands of Aemond Targaryen, at the very end of the first season.
On the other end of the stick, Aegon II will showcase unhinged power as he sits on the Iron Throne. All of these subplots will contribute to the larger narrative of a bloody war and conflict. The Hightowers will act as the de facto controller of King’s Landing, even as new dragons discovered by Daemon will threaten the capital’s very existence.
House of the Dragon season two releases on June 16, 2024.
