You can send up a prayer of thanks to the old gods and the new, because House of the Dragon is already renewed for season 2. We’ve seen only two episodes of the first season so far, but we can now relax knowing there will be at least one more season’s worth of Easter eggs, theories, and Oh my god, did that just happen? moments. This renewal isn’t a total surprise considering how much money HBO is pouring into this show and how many people are watching (the premiere episode broke an HBO record for total viewers at 10 million), but it’s still good news.
Here’s what Francesca Orsi, executive VP of HBO programming, had to say about the renewal: “We are beyond proud of what the entire House of the Dragon team has accomplished with season 1. Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see TV. A huge thank you to cocreator and executive producer George R. R. Martin and cocreator and showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik for leading us on this journey. We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season 2.”
Here’s everything we know about season 2, including casting news, spoilers, and plot details.
First things first, when is it happening?
Great question. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the first season took 10 months to film, with months’ more work after that on VFX, etc. So the odds that they could shoot and finish another season by the end of next year seem slim, making it look like you will probably have to wait until 2024 for more Targaryen madness. Oof. Fingers crossed it’s at least early 2024.
What will the second season be about?
This is tricky because we don’t know how far into the plot we’re going to get in season 1. Yes, this show is based on a portion of a book, so theoretically, we know what the series as a whole will be about. But the show has already made some departures from the source material (like, Alicent and Rhaenyra weren’t friends in the book), so it’s hard to say how far we’ll get in these 10 episodes and what will be left for the next season. Either way, it’s about the Targaryens. We do know that.
In the lead-up to the season 1 finale, showrunner Ryan Condal teased a little of what to expect from the show’s sophomore season—and it’s going to be more war but also more laughs (somehow).
“We will get to the spectacle, but you have to understand these people’s complexities before they’re thrown into war. Series two will hit the rhythms people came to expect from the middle run of Game of Thrones, but it will have been earned, and viewers will feel the tragedies because we put the work in,” he explained (per Deadline), while also promising that more House of the Dragon humor is headed our way as the show will find “natural pathways into moments of levity” next season, even amid all the extra tragedies and bloodshed, apparently.
Who’s returning?
Probably anyone who doesn’t die in season 1, TBH! Although we do know that both Milly Alcock and Emily Carey, who play the young versions of Rhaenyra and Alicent, are being replaced halfway through the season with actors playing the older versions of their characters (Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke, respectively). It’s unclear whether Milly and Emily will still appear in the show in flashbacks or not. The show also stars Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen and Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen.
Will I ever stop calling it Game of Thrones instead of House of the Dragon?
Probably not.
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