We already know that it will be a long time before we discover how The Black Queen a.k.a. Rhaenyra exacts revenge after Vhagar ate poor Luce alive. House of the Dragon season two isn’t coming our way until sometime in 2024, likely the summer. Until then, we can spend our time thinking about Daemon Targaryen’s many wonderful hairstyles. And, when House of the Dragon season two does finally arrive, it may fly in with fewer episodes than season one—eight, to be specific. According to a Deadline report, the episode count for next season will indeed be reduced by two episodes.
It’s natural for fans to feel upset about this, especially after waiting nearly two years for House of the Dragon to return. But, the trim could drive the story further in a more succinct manner. We may love the many dragons on this show, but no one loves filler.
Recently, HBO’s head of drama Francesca Orsi commented on the condensed season. She noted “There was some question about the narrative shape of Season 2. We were developing it with Ryan Condal and [EP] Sara Hess, and we realized that we were sort of treading water narratively in the middle of the season… So it just felt much more rigorous, more urgent emotional arc for our characters if we compressed the season. And then that also dictated how we would kick off Season 3.”
Deadline further adds, “With a portion of the plot originally intended for Season 2, including a major battle, moving to Season 3, there has been speculation that the series more likely would go to four seasons.” However, Orsi notes “It hasn’t been finalized yet, it’s still under discussion,” and “Is it four seasons? I don’t think from where I sit at this point will be any less than four. But could be more. We’ll see.”
The future remains unclear. But we can all agree it is indeed better to get eight House of the Dragon season two episodes with sharp pacing and storytelling than two extra episodes that could include things that don’t really develop characters nor drive the plot forward. Ultimately, we are glad that there will be more House of the Dragon, full stop.
Originally published on March 29, 2023.