‘It’s not just big dragon events’: why House of the Dragon season 2 won’t be full of action, according to its co-creator

Exclusive: ‘It doesn’t all happen at once’

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Spoilers follow forGame of Thronesand George R.R. Martin’s ‘Fire and Blood’ novel.

House of the Dragonseason 2 won’t be full of “big dragon-related events”, according to its showrunner.

Speaking to TechRadar, Ryan Condal admitted that the hitMaxshow’s creative team didn’t want to move the narrative needle too far in the ‘action spectacle’ direction. After all,House of the Dragon– and its parent showGame of Thrones– have built their reputation on being TV series filled with political scheming, interfamilial backstabbing, and ripe melodrama in the high fantasy setting of Westeros.

That’s not to say thatGame of Thronesand its prequel series are bereft of incredibly designed, stunt-filled, and brutal set-pieces. And, withHouse of the Dragonseason 2officially marking the start of the bloody years-long Targaryen civil war – also known as The Dance of the Dragons – there’ll be plenty of barbaric battles to enjoy this season and inHouse of the Dragon’s recently announced third season.

Condal, though, is keen to stress that one of thebest Max shows' second season won’t be an all-action affair. Indeed, forcing audiences to sit through eight episodes of non-stop fights would not only be tiring, but also tiresome. Finding an equilibrium betweenHouse of the Dragon’s engrossing Machiavellian drama and show stopping set-pieces (as described in ‘Fire and Blood’, Martin’s book that summarizes the Targaryen dynasty) then, was key to keeping audiences engaged throughout season 2.

“It’s tricky,” Condal said when I asked him about the difficulties of not just doing justice to The Dance of the Dragons' massive battles, but marrying them with the series' other captivating plot threads. “The characters 200 years in the future [inGame of Thrones] regularly reference the events of this story. And not just the big dragon-related events – there are smaller conflicts and plenty of betrayals that are part of Westeros' cultural heritage.”

What leads to the world that Daenarys inherits?

“Six years ago, when George pitched me that this was what he wantedThrones' successor to be, it really excited me. Even though no-one survived this period, because of the time that passes betweenHouse of the DragonandThrones, the cultural relevance of this event to the original series is so strong.

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“At the end of this brutal time period, we get to The Dying of the Dragons. It doesn’t happen all at once, but this is what leads to the world that Daenarys [Targaryen] inherits [inGame of Thrones], where there are no dragons left. Then you have the fact that winter is coming, the threat of the White Walkers, the only power that can stop them is fire, and so on, so that’s what attracted me to this story.”

‘You want to make them feel the victories and losses’

Okay, so how doesHouse of the Dragonseason 2 go about bringing The Dance of the Dragons' big action sequences to life without them overshadowing its deliciously tempestuous melodrama? For one, you still get plenty of screen time to said scenes but, as Condal explained, the secret is blending character-based elements, devious or otherwise, into the action itself.

“You have to ground that stuff in character,” he added. “If you’re just recounting history, it can feel dry and objective. You want to sink viewers into the subjective experience, and make them feel all of the victories and losses. The way you do that is by crafting characters that people care about, telling that historical narrative through a specific person’s point of view, and seeing not only how it happens, but how it plays on them and their emotional state.

Based on what I’ve seen of the show’s latest chapter, it certainly does all of that, too. To find out more, read my spoiler-freereview ofHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s first four episodes. Then, check out more from my chat with Condal, whodefended the decision to tellHouse of the Dragonseason 2’s story over eight episodesinstead of 10.

House of the Dragon season 2 premieres on Max (US) on Sunday, June 16. It’ll also air on Sky/Now TV (UK) and Foxtel/Binge (Australia) on Monday, June 17.

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As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.

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