Was the season finale of House of the Dragon season 2 a bit underwhelming?
That is certainly a feeling many are left with after watching the last episode of House of the Dragon for this time.
No spoilers!
Many seem to have been expecting a somewhat more grand ending after two years of waiting.
Additionally, others feel that House of the Dragon season 2 as a whole felt more like one big teaser for the next season.
A season we might have to wait two more years for? More on this further down in the article.
(Max)
This leaves many a bit disappointed, and several express this disappointment on social media.
“House of the Dragon season 2 sucked. There was no progression of any plot over 8 episodes. One dragon fight. It was just a bunch of mediocre dialogue between people who basically said the same thing over and over again,” writes one user on X.
While several are genuinely frustrated, there are also many who take the opportunity to joke a bit about the season and the finale.
See more reactions to the season finale of House of the Dragon below.
Yes, there are those who believe this year’s season of House of the Dragon was worse than the last season of the original series.
However, many strongly disagree with this.
Some point out that one of the biggest complaints about Game of Thrones season 8 was that it moved too quickly from one big battle to the next.
Daenerys Targaryen becomes barbaric in Game of Thrones (HBO)
See also: Firebomb? The last season of Game of Thrones does not deserve the hate
“The audience just wants big battles (which is exactly what people complained about regarding the ending of Game of Thrones), so they say it’s a bad series,” writes one user on X.
See more reactions from those who liked both the season and the finale below.
However, there is not only disagreement among viewers.
Critics also have differing opinions on whether the season finale is good or not.
Variety writes that the intention is for the season’s last episode to be an anticlimax.
“House of the Dragon may have a premise that demands grand dragon battles, but the series will not be defined by them. Instead, the finale reiterates that the true focus of the series is about the lives and relationships that are about to be destroyed as a result of the battles.”
IndieWire, on the other hand, is among those who feel a bit cheated.
“It’s an hour of conversations and diplomacy where it’s suggested that things may happen – a promise that is never fulfilled. War has supposedly been brewing since 2022, and it looks like it will now be two more years before the battle restarts.”
As of today, it is not confirmed when House of the Dragon season 3 will premiere, but most assume it will take about two years like last time.
(HBO)
UPDATED: The showrunner Ryan Condal confirms that HOTD will conclude after season 4. He states that they are already working on the script for season 3, and that production will likely begin in early 2025.
It was in March last year that we got the news that season 2 would be shorter than planned.
A spokesperson from HBO confirmed at the time that the decision to cut two episodes from the season was based on the storytelling of the series.
Producer and showrunner Ryan Condal and author George R.R. Martin are said to have gone over how they want to break up the narrative flow season by season.
The last two episodes originally written for season 2 will therefore end up being part of the third season. This reportedly also includes an intense battle scene.
So at least one can hope that the next season, whenever it may come, will start with a bang – literally.