HBO continues to put many dragon eggs in the George R.R. Martin basket, giving House of the Dragon an early renewal. The Game of Thrones spinoff’s premiere was, according to the HBO, the network’s most-watched new show ever, with almost 10 million premiere night viewers.
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Even Though I Knew the End
Renewals are almost never guaranteed, but the House of the Dragon team was already talking about season two—or at least its dragons—back at San Diego Comic-Con. And given that HBO has a whole handful of other Game of Thrones spinoffs in the works, it would’ve been a bit of a shock if this one didn’t continue.
House of the Dragon is set nearly 200 years before Game of Thrones, and deals with the succession drama of House Targaryen. Based on Martin’s fictional history Fire & Blood, it begins during the reign of King Viserys I (Paddy Considine), as his advisors chafe about his lack of official heir. If you would like to know who he names as his heir in the first episode, here there be spoilers.
House of the Dragon also stars Milly Alcock and Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen at different ages; Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke as her bestie Alicent Hightower; Matt Smith as the king’s cheerfully violent brother, Daemon; Eve Best as the delightfully bitter Queen Who Never Was, Rhaenys Targaryen; Rhys Ifans as the scheming Hand of the King, Otto Hightower; Steve Toussaint as the as-yet underused but dashing Corlys Velarion; Fabien Frankel as a young Dornishman who catches the princess’s eye; and Sonoya Mizuno as Mysaria, Daemon’s favorite lady at the brothel. You can watch it Sundays on HBO.
