With the hustle and bustle following a brand new season of House of the Dragon comes disappointing news hand-delivered by the showrunner Ryan Condal himself.
The very first episode of season 2 of the globally hailed Game of Thrones spinoff explores the frosty landscape of Winterfell with Tom Taylor opening the premiere as the austere Lord Cregan Stark.
Unfortunately enough, much of the backstory comprising the Lord of Winterfell and Jacaerys Velaryon from George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood – the source material fueling House of the Dragon – won’t be making it to the show.
House of the Dragon 2 Showrunner Admits Being Frugal With the Narrative
While the first episode of the new House of the Dragon season opens with Tom Taylor‘s Lord Cregan Stark, Harry Collett soon arrives in the chilly North as Jacaerys Velaryon (House of the Dragon season 1 finale). Jace – who is lobbying his mother, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen – has come to the land of snow to lock in the support of House Stark for the same.
As per George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood, Jace and Cregan either take blood vows after an immediate bond emerges between the two, or the former ends up sleeping with Cregan’s bastard sister, Sara Snow. Sadly enough, neither of the thrilling chronicles of the Starks and Targaryens transpire in the show.
“We definitely always wanted that scene,” showrunner Ryan Condal admitted in an Entertainment Weekly interview, alluding to Jace and Cregan’s connection as they ascended the Wall. But thanks to the lack of any “inherent drama” in it, they decided to chop the version from the adaptation where the two spend a long time before the news of Luke’s death befalls them.
Producer and writer Sara Hess also added that “it didn’t feel right” to futilely drag something instead of zeroing in on “what’s going on with Rhaenyra.”
When you see that look Rhaenyra gives at the end of season 1, how much time do you want to spend away from that? We definitely had to pick our narratives there.
Oh well, you get some you lose some.
Tom Taylor is More Than Willing to Return For House of the Dragon Season 3
Just days before the debut of season 2, HBO greenlit yet another House of the Dragon season, but Condal, 45, refused to reveal whether fans will get to see more of the Wolf of the North in the future.
The Hercules‘ co-screenwriter remarked that while Cregan has a part to play in “the larger Dance of the Dragons,” he’s going to see where the story takes them before making any major moves. Taylor, on the other hand, is incredibly excited and more than willing for a potential comeback (via Entertainment Weekly).
I was just itching to do more, as well. I was in the costume. I was like, ‘I just want to keep acting.’ But, yeah, it’s just a little tease for now.
While there’s no way of knowing whether Cregan will get more screentime or a spot in the forthcoming season, Condal’s positive attitude towards working with Taylor is far from a bad sign.
