House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has addressed the heated response to the Season 2 finale after it was criticized for feeling like a “70-minute trailer” for the next season.
In the closing minutes of Season 2 Episode 8, the stage is set for all-out war; Tyland Lannister and Sharako Lohar are sailing to face off against Lord Corlys’ forces, the Lannisters and Starks are marching into battle, and Aegon flees King’s Landing – leaving it open for the taking.
And then… it cuts to black, and there’s no Episode 9. Unlike most of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon’s sophomore season cut down the usual 10-episode complement to eight. Understandably, fans have felt a bit underwhelmed by the cliffhanger, having believed there’d be a big battle to close out the season.
Condal, who co-created the prequel with George R.R. Martin, spoke about the decision to end the season on its eighth episode in a press conference – and more specifically, why it didn’t close with the Battle of the Gullet, the biggest naval battle in Westeros history.
Looks like #HouseOfTheDragon S3 is going to start with the Battle of the Gullet ⚓️🔥 pic.twitter.com/bjhRNbcnFa
— Thrones Facts | HOTD 🐉 (@Thrones_Facts) August 5, 2024
“We were trying to give the Gullet, which is arguably the most anticipated — well, I would say maybe the second-most-anticipated — action event of Fire & Blood, trying to give it the time and the space that it deserves,” he explained, as per Variety.
“Obviously, as anybody that’s seen the finale [knows’, we’re building to that event. That event will happen very shortly in terms of the storytelling of House of the Dragon.
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“Based on what we know now, it should be the biggest thing to date that we’ve pulled off. And we just wanted to have the time, the space to do that at a level that is going to excite and satisfy the fans and in the way it’s deserved.”
House of the Dragon Season 3 won’t be released until 2026, something that’s made the finale even harder to swallow. “I know everybody wants this to come out every summer,” Condal continued.
“It’s just that the show is so complex that we’re really making multiple feature films every season. So I apologize for the wait, but I will just say if Rook’s Rest and the Red Sowing are any indication, we’re gonna pull off a hell of a win with the Battle of the Gullet in the future.”
Before then, check out our breakdown of House of the Dragon Season 2’s ending, who could die in Season 3, and our other guides on the Gods Eye, Tessarion, and Daeron Targaryen.