“We have trouble, at times”: House of the Dragon Season 2 Director Justifies Episode Count Being Even Lower Than Season 1
Game of Thrones ruled the entertainment industry for a long time. The epic show concluded after eight successful season runs, and since then, fans have been craving more content related to the books of George R. R. Martin. To their excitement, many sequels are announced. A prequel House of the Dragon, aired last year.
The HBO show is a prequel to the famous Game of Thrones series and deepens into the Targaryen family. Based on George RR Martin’s Fire and Blood, the new HBO series is set nearly ten generations before the Khaleesi era. House of the Dragon garnered nine nominations for the 2023 Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Drama Series. The success of the first episode of season 1 led to the renewal of the second season. As fans eagerly await the second season, the show’s director, Clare Kilner, shared some essential details.
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House of the Dragon season 2 reduces the episode count
The first season of the Game of Thrones prequel, adapted from George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, received positive reviews from critics. Soon House of the Dragon was renewed for the second season. The series explores the bitter rivalry between the Blacks, committed to Rhaenyra, and the Greens, loyal to Aegon, as they fight one another in ferocious combat.
With tensions reaching unprecedented heights, it appears that the forthcoming Season 2 will have fewer episodes than Season 1. House of the Dragon director Clare Kilner broke the news and explained the reason behind it. While speaking to THR, Kilner revealed House of the Dragon will have eight episodes as opposed to the ten-episode count of season 1. The decision to cut the number of episodes was made by Ryan Condal, the show’s only showrunner since Miguel Sapochnik’s departure.
The director said,
“There are eight wonderful episodes with so much happening in every episode, and we have trouble, at times, bringing them down to one hour. Ryan’s decision was to give it a good opening and a good ending, and they’re jam-packed with emotional and visually exciting events.”
The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes continue to generate industry chaos, but the production of House of the Dragon has amazingly continued without any setbacks. Filming for House of Dragon season 2 started on April 11 and is expected to wrap up sometime around November.
Also Read: Game of Thrones Creator George R. R. Martin Gives Major House of the Dragon Season 2 Update
Is House of the Dragon following in the footsteps of Game of Thrones?
It might appear that House of the Dragon is repeating past errors by limiting the number of episodes. The epic series, Game of Thrones, changed from its customary ten-episode schedule in season 7, with season 7 being significantly shorter with only six episodes. Those two seasons of the HBO show are regarded as the series’ lowest seasons.
The prequel series following the footsteps of Game of Thrones by reducing the episode count can be a good thing. The series reduced its episode count to finish quickly, whereas House of the Dragon is reducing its episode count for the opposite reason.
House of the Dragon is determined to take its time and ensure that the plot is appropriately paced. Condal’s choice appears to have worked better than having ten episodes because it gives House of the Dragon season 2 a good beginning and a solid conclusion.
House of the Dragon season 1 is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: THR
