Skip to main content

What we’d like to see in House of the Dragon season 2

House of the Dragon cemented itself as one of the best shows currently streaming on HBO Max and aired on HBO with an explosive finale that finally began the Dance of the Dragons. After 10 episodes of development spanning 20+ years and multiple storylines, the show finally delivered on its promise of fire and blood and officially kickstarted the Dance following Lucerys Velaryon’s death at the hands of his uncle, Aemond Targaryen. In a major departure from Fire & Blood, Lucerys’ death was accidental, adding an additional dire element to an already tragic story.

With season 1 such a resounding success, hopes for season 2 are higher than ever. Before its premiere this fall, there was much arguing about whether House of the Dragon could restore Game of Thrones’ tarnished legacy, and the show lived up to the task, delivering a compelling and thrilling season with stellar performances and incredible writing. Not every choice made by the showrunners was a hit with critics and audiences, but season 1 of House of the Dragon was an objective success. It drove the conversation every Sunday night, becoming the closest thing to appointment television we’ve had since Game of Thrones ended in 2019.

Now that the Dance has begun, the show can deliver the spectacle fans have come to expect from the saga. Still, the showrunners shouldn’t lose sight of what makes this story so great: clever conversations in elegant rooms and deliciously cunning schemes that determine the realm’s future. Season 1 focused more on the latter than the former, but season 2 should change that, considering war is now inevitable. And as we begin the long wait for the next chapter in this story, we can’t help but imagine what awaits us in season 2. There are many things we’d like to see, but some stories take precedence over others.

Alicent vs. Rhaenyra

Alicent and Rhaenyra look at each other in House of the Dragon.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

House of the Dragon has plenty of intriguing, three-dimensional characters that keep the story moving. However, none are more compelling or fascinating than Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. The childhood friends-turned-enemies are the center of the action, and their broken bond is one of the main reasons behind the Dance of the Dragons. The book paints a somewhat superficial portrayal of their relationship, reducing their rivalry to petty feelings of envy and jealousy between them. However, the show goes deeper into their relationship, exploring their initial bond and the causes that provoked the rupture of their once sisterly connection.

At its core, House of the Dragon is a story about female rage. Rhaenyra and Alicent are mothers who become increasingly ruthless after suffering the deaths of their children, and season 2 needs to explore their rage in full. The death of Luke directly causes a major blow toward Alicent courtesy of Rhaenyra, and their relationship turns fully adversarial because of it.

House of the Dragon needs to take full advantage of this setup, especially because the brief confrontation between Alicent and Rhaenyra during episode seven, “Driftmark,” was one of season 1’s highlights. Olivia Cooke and Emma D’Arcy are incredibly gifted actors capable of delivering outstanding work when given the chance. Pitting them against each other in a battle of wits is too good an opportunity to pass up and will provide season 2 of House of the Dragon with a more personal angle.

Medieval battles aplenty

Jon Snow drawing his sword against Ramsay's army.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Some of the best episodes in Game of Thrones were battle-centric. From the spectacular “Blackwater” to “The Watchers on the Wall” and the show-stopping “Battle of the Bastards,” battle episodes were among Thrones‘s most technically ambitious and thematically resonant. House of the Dragon had few of these precious hours, which is completely understandable considering the show was more concerned with setting the stage for the Dance. However, the Dance is afoot following the season finale, meaning season 2 must deliver on its pledge and give us at least one major battle.

These episodes allow for spectacular action set pieces but, more importantly, feature major development for the characters by placing them in situations where their survival is put into question. “Blackwater” revealed Cersei’s internal struggle, and “Hardhome” brought Jon Snow to his knees by witnessing the sheer size of the Night King’s army. The brutal and seemingly neverending battles of the Dance should allow House of the Dragon‘s characters to question their choices and reconsider their every move, thus keeping things tense yet compelling. The Dance has no shortage of exciting battles, so the showrunners will have tons of material to adapt.

Aemond in full beast mode

Aemond Targaryen raising his glass in House of the Dragon.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A hero is a hero, but everybody loves a good villain, and the Dance has no bigger villain than prince Aemond Targaryen. Alicent’s second son, Aemond is the greens’ de-facto commander during the Dance, assuming control of the armies and effectively calling the shots while his incompetent brother barely keeps up. Aemond is arguably the best character in the Dance; he sets the pace and calls the shots while everyone else struggles to keep up, including Rhaenyra and Daemon.

House of the Dragon made a major change to the book’s lore by having Lucerys’ death be accidental. This departure doesn’t necessarily deprive Aemond of his villainy, but it does question the show’s intentions regarding him. Will House of the Dragon attempt to redeem him, or will it stick to the mostly dark characterization he receives in Fire & Blood?

Aemond is a beast in the book, and the greens owe most of their victories to him. Regardless of their eventual plans for him, season 2 should feature Aemond unleashed and in full control of the greens, especially if the showrunners want to maintain Rhaenyra as a stereotypical hero rather than her more morally complex book counterpart. Aemond is the perfect antagonist for the Dance, and the show should allow him to wreak havoc.

More political plotting

Alicent sits at a table in House of the Dragon.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Game of Thrones might’ve owed its later success to Daenerys and her dragons, but the show first became a hit thanks to its unique blend of clever dialogue and fascinating political intrigue. The plots and schemes in King’s Landing quickly became addictive, and audiences couldn’t get enough of the liars trying their hand in the game of thrones. Future seasons focused too much on the spectacle and lost sight of the political angle that first made Throne a success, a mistake House of the Dragon can’t afford to make.

Yes, battles and action set pieces are important, but the Dance of the Dragons is a war of succession. The political angle is crucial to the story’s success, and House of the Dragon must keep it relevant throughout the Dance. It might be tempting to abandon conversation in favor of the best action sequences money can buy, but disregarding the human aspect of the story would result in a tonal and thematic mess similar to Thrones‘s infamous season 8.

House of the Dragon has everything to deliver the perfect mix of scheming and action, but it must resist the temptation of going all-in on the CGI and spectacle. Balance is key with fantasy stories; Thrones achieved it during its height in seasons 3 and 4, and House of the Dragon can, too.

Dragons, dragons, dragons!

A dragon attacks a man in House of the Dragon.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If we’re being completely honest, there is one thing fans of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon can’t resist: dragons. The mighty lizards are the show’s hook, and House of the Dragon promised to feature a carnival of them. Season 1 provided enough draconic sequences to keep fans satisfied for the time being, but the Dance is an entirely different beast that demands as many dragons as possible. The war promises multiple dragon-on-dragon conflicts, and the show must deliver on its promise.

Previous dragon battles in the saga took place at night, making it very hard to appreciate them. However, episode 10 featured the short fight between Vhagar and Arrax in daylight, suggesting the show won’t limit its dragon action to night sequences. The Dance has several dragon clashes that fans eagerly anticipate — the battle at Rook’s Rest and, of course, the climactic Battle Above the Gods Eye being the most obvious.

There’s a considerable chance none might occur in season 2; if that’s the case, the show must include other dragon battles, and they must be clear and well-realized when they finally arrive on our screens. Dragons need to be front and center next season; the Dance is as much their fight as it is Rhaenyra’s or Alicent’s, and their eventual fate is a direct consequence of the war. The show’s tagline is “Fire and Blood;” there’s been plenty of the latter, but surprisingly little of the former. Season 2 will need to remedy that if it is to continue to the success it has rightfully earned in its stellar debut season.

You can now stream all of season 1 of House of the Dragon on HBO Max.

Editors' Recommendations

David Caballero
Freelance Writer
David is a Mexican freelance writer with a deep appreciation for words. After three years in the cold world of Marketing…
6 things we hope to see in DC’s upcoming Green Lantern series, Lanterns
Hal Jordan and John Stewart in "Young Justice."

James Gunn recently announced the films and TV shows part of the first chapter of his DC Universe, one being the long-awaited HBO Max series about the Green Lanterns, Lanterns. Described by fellow DC films co-head Peter Safran as "a huge, HBO-quality event," this upcoming streaming show is the culmination of the Green Lantern Corps project that has been in development hell as far back as 2014.

According to Gunn, the show will be about two of DC's most well-known Green Lanterns, Jon Stewart and Hal Jordan. In his recent announcement, Gunn said, "we have a few other Lanterns peppered in there, but this is really a terrestrial-based TV show which is almost like True Detective with a couple of Green Lanterns who are space cops watching over Precinct Earth." This is the first time the Lanterns will have their own live-action project since the panned 2011 movie, so DC has many things they need to get right for this series to shine.
A cosmic scope

Read more
The Last of Us TV show will return for Season 2 at HBO
Ellie stares at Joel and Tess in the The Last of Us TV show.

HBO has confirmed that the critically acclaimed The Last of Us TV show will return for a second season.
This announcement comes from a tweet posted after only two of the series' episodes have aired. That said, the show garnered critical acclaim, broke some HBO viewership records, and doesn't yet appear to incorporate many plot elements from The Last of Us Part II, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that the series is continuing. According to the tweet, the second season of the show will air on HBO Max (or whatever that service ends up becoming later this year).  
https://twitter.com/TheLastofUsHBO/status/1619017515581018112
No release window, story, or casting announcements were made in relation to The Last of Us Season 2, although that isn't very surprising as the show's first season is still airing. That said, it seems extremely likely that it would follow the plot of The Last of Us Part II, which sees Ellie go on a quest for revenge after an extremely traumatic event that we won't spoil here. While the second game in this series proved to be much more divisive than the first, there's certainly no shortage of dramatic moments and intriguing plot developments for Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin to adapt to television in another season. The Last of Us is currently airing on HBO and streaming on HBO Max every Sunday night. Digital Trends gave the series a four-star review, with Alex Welch writing that The Last of Us is a "lovingly made, often emotionally riveting adaptation of what is one of the most treasured titles in video game history."

Read more
The Legend of Vox Machina season 2 trailer teases a showdown with dragons
A group of animated characters stand beside one another in a scene from The Legend of Vox Machina.

The worst team ever assembled is back for a second season. Prime Video released the official trailer for The Legend of Vox Machina season 2, and the gang is out to save the world again by slaying some dragons.

Based on the Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role, the adult animated series returns as Vox Machina must defeat the Chroma Conclave, a group of sinister dragons. To achieve their quest, the group will need to find weapons that have the power to strike down gods. As the trailer states, it's time for the Vox Machina to "grab destiny by the balls."

Read more