Since the season finale of House of the Dragon I've experienced sporadic jolts of anxiety remembering how Aemond bonded with the dragon Vhagar and – spoiler alert – the pair turned little Luke and his dragon into mincemeat. The tragedy was undoubtedly the first strike in a war both Rhaenyra and Alicent had done their best to stall. Safe to say, the HBO spinoff series finale left us with more questions than it answered. But not for long! HBO has just announced the premiere date of House of the Dragon's second season. All the details, below.
When can we expect season 2 of House of the Dragon?
HBO has confirmed that season 2 of House of the Dragon will drop on Monday, 17 June, 2024 on Binge and Foxtel here in Australia. HBO has also confirmed that this season will feature eight episodes, which is two fewer than the first season.
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What will season 2 explore?
Showrunner Ryan Condal has said season 2 will offer more of the traditional rhythms we came to love about Game of Thrones. Adding that, "This series is very much about a house tearing itself apart from within. Now that all those pieces have been set on the board, I’m really excited to tell the next chapter, to see what happens now that Viserys is gone and no longer keeping a lid on things".
When we last tuned into House of the Dragon, the series was setting us up for a war of succession for Viserys Targaryen's throne. With Viserys dead, little was keeping the peace between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower, save for their childhood bond. But when Alicent's one-eyed son Aemond taunts his nephew and Rhaenyra's second son Luke, ultimately ending in Luke's death when their dragons lose control, war becomes unavoidable.
We also end season 2 with the loyalties of other Great Houses of Westeros called into question. The Baratheons have sided with Alicent Hightower and her sons, as have the Lannisters. Alicent has also claimed King's Landing, which includes the Kingsguard and the City Watch. She has four dragons, one of which is the largest in the land, on her side.
Rhaenyra on the other hand has the support of her uncle and husband Daemon, and the pair have taken over Dragonstone. They also have the Velaryon fleet, six dragons (potentially seven if Daemon claimed Vermithor) and other Great Houses as allies.
Who is cast in season 2?
Season 2 of House of the Dragon will see original cast members like Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Fabien Frankel, Ewan Mitchell, Tom Glynn-Carney, Sonoya Mizuno, Rhys Ifans, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, Phoebe Campbell, Phia Saban, Jefferson Hall, and Matthew Needham return.
Joining the cast this season are newcomers like Abubakar Salim, Gayle Rankin, Freddie Fox and Simon Russell Beale.
Image: @houseofthedragohbo
