Following Game of Thrones' infamous finale, fans have returned to Westeros with a pair of spinoffs. House of the Dragon's Season 3 finale just aired on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription), setting up the final chapter in the Dance of the Dragons. I have an idea who I'd actually place on the Iron Throne, and creator Ryan Condal recently echoed those comments.

While fans are keeping up with which HOTD dragon belongs to who, the book to screen adaptation will eventually put one character on the Iron Throne. During an interview with Empire, Condal was asked who he thinks would actually be the best as the ruler of Westeros. He responded with:

Honestly, I've been thinking the same thing. While the Targaryen civil war has been about whether Rhaenyra or Aegon would sit on the Iron Throne, that doesn't meant that either of them are actually good at leading Westeros. The latter seemed more focused on drinking while he was governing, while Rhaenyra has been struggling to actually rule after taking King's Landing, amid civil unrest and financial crisis.

The same cannot be said for Alicent. She helped to govern Westeros for years as Queen Regent. She did this while her husband King Viserys was ill, getting almost no credit for her work during this time of peace in the realm. She also served on Aegon's small council, although her son wasn't always keen to listen to her. Regardless, she actually knows what it takes to rule Westeros, and she doesn't have the corrupting power of a dragon influencing her decision making.

Plenty of characters in the Game of Thrones universe try to take the Iron Throne, but the reality of actually ruling over The Realm isn't as glamorous as it may seem. There are issues of safety and trade to worry about, as well as rebellions and battles with the free cities. The Great Houses must be given enough power to have loyalty toward you, which sometimes includes making tricky deals and even marriages. Overall its a complicated job that's so much more than simply sitting on the Iron Throne.

Unfortunately, Alicent will likely not be the one on the Iron Throne at the end of HOTD; Westeros simply is against a woman ruling. But I'm glad Ryan Condal said what I've been thinking for a few seasons now.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is streaming in its entirety on HBO Max as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The fourth season will offer a conclusion, but we will likely have to wait a few years before it returns. Luckily there's another spinoff to keep us in Westeros with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

During its run Game of Thrones was a wildly popular HBO show that got the world talking. Despite an iconic and Emmy-winning run on the network, the series (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription) has since become synonymous with its controversial series finale. The spinoff House of the Dragon's upcoming fourth season will be its last, and creator Ryan Condal's comments about the final season seems like its referencing GOT's ending.

House of the Dragon Season 3 just aired its finale, which set up the final conflict in the Dance of Dragons. The pressure is on to craft a satisfying conclusion, and do what the flagship series could not. During an interview with Business Insider, Condal spoke about the pressure associated with the fourth and final season of HOTD. He said:

Honestly, this tracks. Season 1 of any show is a learning experience, but it must also capture the public's attention enough to get more seasons. House of the Dragon was able to do this, with the first season spanning years and featuring two different casts of actors. So Ryan Condal and company need to find a way to end the Targaryen Civil War in a way that pleases fans of the book to screen adaptation.

HOTD Season 3 had plenty of character deaths, and more are expected to come as the Dance of Dragons gets even more grisly. It remains to be seen if the Game of Thrones spinoff joins the ranks of TV shows that actually ended well. The creator/showrunner addressed this by saying:

He's not wrong. The stake are high ending shows, especially if folks have been invested in a TV series for years. Add in how long folks have been reading George R.R. Martin's novels about Westeros, and the stakes get even higher. Later in the same interview, Ryan Condal also mused about why it's so hard to satisfy fans with TV finales. In his words:

Another astute observation. There were all sorts of fan theories about how Game of Thrones was going to end, and who would ultimately rule Westeros on the Iron Throne. No one expected Bran Stark to be the one, or for Dany to turn into a villain and ultimately be murdered by Jon Snow. And because of this, the response the series finale wasn't exactly glowing.

House of the Dragon's first three seasons are streaming now as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Unfortunately for fans, we'll likely have to wait years before we return to this story. Luckily there's another spinoff with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 finale of House of the Dragon titled "The Treasons at Tumbleton"

The Game of Thrones universe continues to entertain audiences in the years since its controversial finale. Two spinoffs have arrived, chief among them being House of the Dragon (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The third season just ended with an epic and tragic final episode, featuring a number of major character deaths. Chief among them was Helaena's suicide, and Rhaenyra actor Emma D'Arcy shared their take on this tragedy.

House of the Dragon Season 3 took us deeper into the Dance of Dragons, and was full of huge character deaths like Jace as well as the unceremonious death of Criston Cole. In the final moments of the finale we see that Helaena has jumped out of her window to end her life, killing both herself and her unborn child in the process. At a press conference for the HOTD (via ScreenRant) D'Arcy spoke about what Helaena's death means, and how it'll impact Rhaenyra's story moving forward. In their words:

Yikes. House of the Dragon Season 4 is expected to be the final chapter in the Game of Thrones spinoff, and things are looking pretty grim after Season 3's finale. Emma D'Arcy's character finally let her ruthless side come out, with Rhaenyra killing the High Septon, force feeding Helaena, and letting Daemon use Caraxes in the battle at Tumbleton. And Heleana's death will likely send shockwaves through Westeros, and will impact how The Realm (as well as Team Green) views Rhaenyra.

In the same press conference, Emma D'Arcy spoke more about Rhaenyra turning to her darker side, especially when comes to any potential threats to her rule on the Iron Throne. The actor tied together the High Septon and Helaena, offering:

The final shot of the Season 3 finale shows Rhaenyra drops Helaena's embroidery on the ground, despite knowing that her late half sister was a dreamer. Instead of using the embroidery as a guide to the ongoing dance, she tosses is aside and closes the window that Helaena leapt from to kill herself.

This final character death will presumably suint any hope of Rhaenyra and Alicent having a relationship, and should only make Aegon more violent in his revenge if/when he learns she was pregnant.

House of the Dragon is streaming in its entirety on HBO Max as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Now comes the hard part for fans: waiting until the fourth and final season is filmed and released.

Game of Thrones' controversial ending might still be infamous, but audiences have still returned to Westeros thanks to its spinoffs. Chief among them is the prequel House of the Dragon, which is currently deep into its third season on the air. Fans are tasked with remembering which dragon belongs to who, and while some book readers are mad about the character Nettles being cut, I would still fight for Sheepstealer.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has featured a number of deviations from the source material, which is fairly common for book-to-screen adaptations. Chief among them is Rhaena claiming Sheepstealer, and the show cutting the character Nettles entirely. Personally, I don't mind this change, although I'm feeling really bad for the wild-winged beast who has suddenly been dropped into the Dance of Dragons.

HOTD Needs To Get Off Sheepstealer's Neck

It was thrilling to see Rhaena finally claim a dragon with Sheepstealer in the Season 3 premiere, but things soon got complicated. She flew into the Battle of the Gullet, but Sheepstealer didn't obey commands and quickly made the fight more chaotic. This is partly why Jace was killed, prompting Baela to hide alone in The Vale with her dragon.

She tried living in solitude to avoid Rhaenyra's wrath and in order to keep Sheepstealer away from future conflicts. But that situation blew up in Episode 7, "The Dragon in Winter." While hunting Vhagar in hopes of winning her Queen's forgiveness, her father Daemon and his dragon Caraxes take them down to the ground. Before long, Rhaenyra and Addam of Hull show up with Syrax and Seasmoke, respectively, and Sheepstealer basically gets jumped by three other dragons in an epic (and upsetting) skirmish.

I felt so bad for the wild dragon in this moment. To start, it wasn't a fair fight, as it was 3 against 1. And while Sheepstealer was protective of his rider, it was actually Syrax who started the fight (without being told to by Rhaenyra, BTW). Not only was he seriously messed up by the other dragons, but Rhaena ended up abandoning him and being taken to King's Landing. There are plenty of book purists who are still mad that his OG rider Nettles was cut from the show, although Episode 7 did include a line from Lady Jeyne Arryn that nodded to her.

Is Sheepstealer not the saddest dragon ever? All of the other winged creatures on HOTD were trained to obey commands and understand High Valyrian, but Sheepstealer doesn't have those same skills. He's been living alone with his very first rider, Rhaena, and then got beaten up and left for dead. We don't deserve this ugly king!

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule, as well as streaming with an HBO Max subscription. Fingers crossed nothing bad happens to my favorite dragon in the Season 3 finale.

Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 7 "The Dragon in Winter".

House of the Dragon Season 3 has been a doozy, with every episode making the Dance of Dragons more chaotic (and deadly). Fans have been watching major character deaths happen weekly on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription), and we got an epic dragon brawl in the most recent episode. But as cool as it was, my heart broke for poor Sheepstealer. And there are fans who definitely agree with me.

While Game of Thrones' finale remains controversial, folks are invested in its spinoffs. Fans have been keeping track of which dragon belongs to who on HOTD, including Rhaena's Sheepstealer. The truth about her becoming a dragon rider (and accidentally contributing to Jace's death) finally came to a head in the book to screen adaptation, and the wild dragon was unfortunately jumped by three of Rhaenyra's winged beasts.

I Felt Bad For Sheepstealer

Sheepstealer was a wild dragon, and wasn't trained the way that the others were. He's a big liability for this reason, which was clear in both The Battle of the Gullet and the most recent episode. In the latter he was (understandably) protective of Rhaena, and ended up getting into a fight with Caraxes, Syrax, and Seasmoke.

This sequence was thrilling to watch, but I felt bad for poor Sheepstealer. 3 on 1 is just not an even fight, and since he's a wild dragon I couldn't help but think about how confused he must have been. We watched him get messed up by the other three dragons, with Daemon eventually telling Caraxes to kill him. We'll just have to wait and see if Rhaena's dragon ends up actually surviving that violent encounter. If he's alive, he'll find that his first and only dragon rider has abandoned him.

Rhaena's quest for a dragon became her biggest priority throughout House of the Dragon. And even when Sheepstealer accidentally ruined her life by helping get Jace killed, she stayed with him in isolation outside of The Eyrie. They're a pair of characters you can't help but pity, which is what made the recent dragon fight so emotional to watch... even if it was kinda awesome to see the winged creatures beating each other up. And now they're separated, which should presumably have a big impact on both Rhaena and Sheepstealer (if he's still alive).

Some Fans Agree With Me

House of the Dragon fans are known for being vocal in their opinions, and there are plenty of folks over on Twitter who are defending Sheepstealer after he got jumped by three other dragons. One such tweet that's already gone viral reads:

Some more comments that are making the rounds on the social media outlet include:

• I don't like what they did to sheepsteeler :(
• Oh, Sheepstealer, I think I'm depressed... poor little baby
• Sheepsteeler was giving syrax the business even tho it was getting jumped lol caraxes a problem though
• i feel so bad for sheepsteeler

We'll just have to wait and see if Caraxes actually killed Sheepstealer offscreen, or if the wild dragon survived that fight. Dragons are clearly very durable; just look at how Sunfyre miraculously recovered in Episode 7's final moments. Fingers crossed for Rhaena's dragon.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. There's only one more episode left this season, and the finale looks like it'll include an epic battle.

Massive spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 6 are ahead! You can stream it with an HBO Max subscription, and then catch new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET.

I always hope that when a character is written off a show, the actor gets to find out about it in a formal or exciting way. However, sometimes they find out reading a script, and other times they just get a phone call. For Fabien Frankel, he found out that Ser Criston Cole would be dying in House of the Dragon while standing in a ridiculously random place.

Criston Cole died unceremoniously in House of the Dragon, as he was shot and killed by arrows while talking about a battle. Of course, he got to beat up a bunch of guys during a smaller battle right before; however, that proved to be for nothing as his men were surrounded by a much larger army. Then, he died, and that was that. I feel like Frankel learned about all this in a fairly unceremonious way too, as he got the call at the U.S. embassy in London of all places. Recalling what happened after his phone rang, the actor told EW:

House of the Dragon was Fabien Frankel’s breakout role, and he’s been working on the show for years now. Criston Cole’s death is a very big deal (even though many fans hated him). So, to find out he was going to die while standing in to renew his visa is honestly wild.

It’s also ridiculously random. Like, to learn a major secret about a show that also impacts your career while in a government building is remarkably unexpected. So, while Frankel’s character does die in the book, he was surprised to learn about his fate on the show this way. And then, once he found out, he just kinda had to go back to being in line at the U.S. embassy. Recalling how that felt, the Task actor said:

We’ve had to learn time and time again that no one is safe on HOTD. I mean, in Season 3, Jace died, and then Criston Cole met his demise a few episodes later. Plus, this was bound to happen eventually, seeing as House of the Dragon is a book-to-screen adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood. However, even if you know it's coming, death is still shocking.

Now, as House of the Dragon airs its final few episodes on the 2026 TV schedule, I feel like it’s very possible more major characters could die. If that happens, I’d like to know how the actor’s learn about their fates. Clearly, the call can come at any time, and even if you know your time on the show will eventually be up, it’s still ridiculously random and wild to learn this information officially while standing in line to renew a visa.

Spoiler ahead for House of the Dragon Season 3 episode 6 "Faceless Men"

Game of Thrones' finale is still controversial, but that hasn't stopped folks from tuning into its spinoffs on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription). Chief among them is House of the Dragon, which is currently in the midst of its third season on the air. And while fans reacted to Criston Cole's unceremonious death, they're not buying the cliffhanger ending which saw Corlys seemingly perish as well.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has been a wild ride, and major characters have been killed off in quick succession. Jace died in the premiere, and the Dance of Dragons just keeps claiming more lives. And while Steve Toussaint's Corlys Velaryon was ambushed in the episode's final moments, fans on Twitter aren't convinced that he's been killed by Ormund Hightower's forces. Some responses online read:

• No, he does not die during the war. Corlys is one of the few main leaders who survives the entire civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
• Source tells me Corlys is stable. Please The Seven-who-are-One
• I really hope they just captured Lord Corlys and didn't kill him, and how did they find him so easily too?
• Maybe he was arrested in Episode 6, I believe we shall see more of him in episode 7.
• The way ormund likes corlys i don't think he is dead, his death ain't shown like others, may be he is captured on point of sword.

While at first glance it looked like Corlys was killed by Ormond's lieutenant Jon Roxton, fans who are familiar with the book to screen adaptation's source material aren't buying it. Namely because he ends up surviving the entire Dance of Dragons in George R.R. Martin's novel. On the other hand, we've also seen the Game of Thrones franchise make bold changes from the books, so fans will have to wait and watch the final two episodes of Season 3 to see if Toussaint's character actually bit the bullet.

Personally, I'm hoping that Lord Velaryon is alive and has more story to tell in House of the Dragon. Because only a few episode ago Corlys clapped back at Rhaenerya and called her late sons bastards. The fallout of that confrontation has yet to be seen, especially since his brother Ser Vaemond Velaryon was beheaded in Season 1 for calling Rhaenerya a whore and her sons bastards. So I need more to come from this full-circle moment.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And with just two more left in Season 3, the stakes are feeling especially high for the Game of Thrones spinoff series. Fingers crossed we get more of Corlys.

Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of HOTD "Faceless Men"

House of the Dragon Season 3 has been a doozy so far, with plenty of twists, turns, and wild character deaths. Episode 6 was no exception in this regard, with fans watching as the Dance of Dragons continues on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription). That episode, titled "Faceless Man" opened with Fabien Frankel's Criston Cole being unceremoniously killed off, and fans are definitely sounding off about this online.

While fans keep up with which Dragon belongs to who on HOTD, Season 3 has seen a ton of huge characters die in the Targaryen civil war. Cole has seemingly been toast for a few episodes, but he finally died after the Riverfolk played dead and ambushed what was left of his forces... and he was filled with arrows by newcomer Alysanne Blackwood. Twitter exploded as a result of this plot twist, with folks sharing their thoughts about the way he went out. One fan wasn't fond of his ending, posting:

Of course, this wasn't the only sentiment online. Fans have been hating on Cole for a while now, thanks to his betrayal of Rhaenyra, bullying her young sons (RIP), and for being a big reason why the Dance of the Dragons began in the first place. As such, there are plenty who loved the way he was finally killed in the opening moments of the most recent episode. One such tweet reads:

Cole's Season 3 journey has been a real fall from grace, and he wasn't even given the dignity of a duel in his final moments. It's been interesting seeing how the character fell, with the former King's Guard member being jaded and accepting death since Season 2's Battle of Rook's Rest.

Another fan used a well-known meme to share their excitement about Cole finally getting his comeuppance. Check it out below:

That does seem to be the reaction for plenty of House of the Dragon fans out there. While Cole was likable enough in the beginning, his popularity dropped thanks to his hypocrisy regarding Rhaenyra and Alicent. He had a moral superiority and called Emma D'Arcy's character a whore, despite breaking his King's Guard vow to have an affair with Alicent. The latter was referenced in his final moments, where he's seen holding Alicent's handkerchief shortly before being killed. A fan pointed this out by tweeting:

Points were made. Despite what a flawed character Cole was, his death did end up being a tragic one. He's just another anonymous soldier being killed off in the Dance of Dragons, and he perished with Alicent on longer giving him the time of day.

Fans were shook by Cole dying so early into the latest episode, and the fact that he was murdered by a relatively unknown character named Alysanne Blackwood. As another fan tweeted:

I should be interesting to see what comes next for Alysanne Blackwood. We haven't heard her say any lines just yet, but she was given center stage as she shot Cole with three arrows, killing him before the rest of his soldiers were taken out by the Rivermen.

Only time will tell how Criston Cole's death reverberates throughout the rest of Season 3. I'm eager to see how both Alicent and Rhaenyra react to the news. Will they be affected or will he just be the latest tragic death to come from the Dance? After all, those two women lost their father and son respectively this season.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays as part of the 2026 TV schedule. There are only two episodes left in Season 3, so the stakes have never been higher.

There be dragons in House of the Dragon, and while we'll see them gobble down the occasional sheep or person in the Game of Thrones spinoff, the show doesn't get too heavy into their eating habits. While that could still happen as Season 3 continues its run through the 2026 TV schedule, we have someone who did the math and thinks they have a solid idea of how much the gargantuan beasts eat.

As we wait for the next episode to arrive on HBO (or streaming via HBO Max subscription), Reddit is on the case and figuring out how much a dragon in this universe would need to survive. The numbers, as one might expect, are staggering and have me questioning if the Game of Thrones universe will have to address this at some point.

The Dragons May Consume Tens Of Millions Of Calories A Day

Credit to /u/SupSeal for doing the math, who estimated that a dragon in House of the Dragon would need about 23,333,333 calories daily to survive. They arrived at that number using the caloric intakes of blue whales, the largest creatures on Earth, as a reference, and then divided that number by the low end of five, to account for dragons being reptiles and needing fewer calories than mammals. Read about it more below:

The numbers vary depending on who you ask, but the dragons would require a few hundred sheep a day on average to survive. They could also supplement with a few humans, as we know dragons eat them too. It's no wonder Sheepstealer got that name if he was picking off that many people's livestock on the daily!

Why House Of The Dragon Likely Focuses Less On Dragon Eating Habits

I wouldn't imagine that House of the Dragon Season 3 is going to focus on the eating habits of its dragons, as the crown is already short enough on funds as it is. With the Greens burning through the royal funds, Rhaenyra inherited a throne that is not only incredibly chaotic, but heavily in debt.

It's left the kingdom unable to pay its soldiers, and in a vulnerable position as Lord Ormund Hightower continues to gain ground with his forces. Obviously, Rhaenyra still has a healthy amount of dragons and plot armor that prevents them from needing to feast most of the time they're on camera. Who knows, maybe the dragons of this universe have incredibly slow metabolisms, and can thrive off only eating just a few sheep a day?

Now that people are making theories, I would love to hear George R.R. Martin's take on the matter. For someone so critical of the size of dragon wings, and how they're portrayed in the spinoff, you'd think he'd have a lot to say about this as well.

House Of The Dragon continues on HBO on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. This season is getting so tense with a stomach-churning ending to the latest episode, I can't wait to see where it all ends up!

Spoilers for Season 3 of House of the Dragon are ahead! You can stream the series with an HBO Max subscription, and catch new episodes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on the streamer and HBO.

There are conspiracy theories surrounding House of the Dragon that are both thought-provoking and hilarious. To me, one of the best examples is the recently developed one about Ormund Hightower and his skills as a hairstylist. That’s right, after he bleached a kid’s hair and pulled a switcheroo on Rhaenyra to hide the real Daeron Targaryen, people are wondering if the actual Daeron’s hair is also dyed. Thankfully, someone asked the actor who plays the Hightower about it.

As HOTD continues to air on the 2026 TV schedule, we’ve been learning more and more about the relationship between Ormund and Alicent’s youngest son, Daeron. In Episode 4 of Season 3, we got our best look yet, as the lord manipulated the prince and made him kill a man at the end of the episode. We also got to hear all about how much Ormund hates the Targaryens, and how he wants Daeron to be a Hightower. So, it’s not far-fetched to believe he’s dyeing the kid’s hair a reddish-brown color so he looks more like a Hightower than a Targaryen.

Commenting on the discourse surrounding the dye, James Norton, who plays Ormund, told TV Guide:

While Norton didn’t confirm if Daeron is a natural redhead or not, he did dive into the psychology that could play into a choice to intentionally dye his hair.

We know that Ormund hates the Targaryens, and I’d buy it if he wanted the prince he watches over to look nothing like them. Right now, you wouldn’t really know Daeron was related to Aemond, Aegon and Helaena unless you saw that his last name was Targaryen. That’s because of his hair; while his siblings all have white hair, his is Hightower red, like his mother. So, if that was an intentional disguise on Ormund’s part, and not just his natural hair color, it’d be a clever yet extra move. Speaking to that point, the actor said:

Overall, James Norton finds this whole theory fascinating. However, he also noted that it’s not addressed in Season 3 of House of the Dragon. Just because it’s not directly addressed, though, doesn’t mean it's totally invalid, as the man who plays Ormund said:

Again, considering the lengths Ormund went to to dye the other kid’s hair bleach blonde earlier in the show, this theory makes sense to me. Plus, the Hightower seems driven enough to do something wild like this to his own family too.

So, while we won’t find out if Ormund is dyeing Daeron’s hair red to hide the Targaryen blonde, it’s nice to know that James Norton has put some thought into this theory.

Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of House of the Dragon, titled "Tumbleton".

Game of Thrones' finale might still be controversial, but fans have jumped back into Weteros thanks to its spinoffs. While A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms got some Emmy nominations, we're currently watching a new season of House of the Dragon on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The fourth episode revealed that Helaena Targaryen was secretly pregnant, and Olivia Cooke spoke to CinemaBlend about where Alicent's relationship with her daughter stands.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has been a doozy so far, with epic battles, major character deaths, and plenty of twists. Chief among them is the reveal that Helaena was with child, which further complicates the ongoing Dance of the Dragons. Cooke spoke to me and other journalists ahead of the Season 3 premiere, where I asked about Alicent and her daughter. She started by gushing about actress Phia Saban, saying:

While Alicent's children are spread across Westeros, the one she's closest to both physically and emotionally seems to be her daughter Helaena. Clearly Cooke and and Saban get along on set, and it should be fascinating to see the way their characters' relationship changes as we get deeper into this season of HOTD.

Fans are keeping track of which House the Dragon belongs to who, but it's also important to pay attention to the ever changing interpersonal dynamics of the show. Cooke went on to share more about what's going on with Alicent and Helaena, telling me:

Helaena has had a unique role in HOTD so far. Despite being the rider of the dragon Dreamfyre and having prophetic visions, she's often ignore by the rest of her family. But it sounds like Alicent is going to see her daughter as a much more powerful figure moving forward. Is it Sunday yet?

Olivia Cooke spoke more about what's going on in Alicent's head in the official Inside the Episode video for Episode 4. She spoke more about how Helaena’s pregnancy has raised the stakes, offering:

Of course, getting out is easier said than done. After Rhaenyra took King's Landing and The Iron Throne, Alicent and her daughter officially became Team Black's prisoners. It sounds like Olivia Cooke's character might once again be shifting her alliance in order to ensure the survival of both Helaena and her unborn grandchild. We'll just have to wait and see if/how she manages to escape King's Landing in order to keep them both safe.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The season is really heating up, and it seems like no one is safe with the ongoing Targaryen civil war.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of House of the Dragon Season 3.

While Game of Thrones' ending remains controversial years later, the fandom is once again back in Westeros thanks to its spinoffs. While A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms recently earned a bunch of Emmy nominations, Season 3 of House of the Dragon is currently airing on HBO (and streaming with an HBO Max subscription). And the most recent episode did something I wish that GOT tried during its time on the air.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has been a doozy so far, with the book-to-screen adaptation showing the ongoing Dance of the Dragons. Episode 3, "Rhaenyra Triumphant," did something unique in that it was told pretty much entirely through Emma D'Arcy's character's POV. And having read a number of the Song of Ice and Fire books, I wish that this was something that Game of Thrones experimented with throughout its time on the air.

"Rhaenyra Triumphant" Focused Almost Entirely On Emma D'Arcy's Character

While Game of Thrones is an ensemble project that followed a massive cast of characters, George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire books are actually told through the first-person perspective. In each chapter, we follow a different character's story, with only a handful of characters being narrators, such as Jon Snow, Arya, Cersei, and others. This allows readers to really get to know those characters, although it also results in other non-POV characters being more mysterious, like Margaery Tyrell.

Game of Thrones abandoning the first-person narration helped to flesh out the other characters, but I thought that being with Rhaenyra throughout the most recent of HOTD showed that the flagship series should have tried this for at least an episode or two during its eight seasons on the air. It certainly would have pleased longtime fans of the novels like me.

Episode 3 of HOTD Season 3 was telling a very specific story, with Rhaenyra struggling to actually rule now that she's claimed the Iron Throne. It felt almost like a bottle episode, since we were with her almost the entire time, rather than jumping around to various characters. This showed off just how incredible Emma D'Arcy is as an actor, and allowed Rhaenyra's perspective and rising frustrations to take center stage. That includes towards the end of the episode when Corlys clapped back and called her late sons bastards. Yikes.

Bottle episodes are often very memorable when they happen in TV shows. I'm thinking of Girls' "The Panic in Central Park" or Breaking Bad's "Fly." And now that we've seen how successful this was in House of the Dragon, I think Game of Thrones really fumbled the chance to do something exciting when it was airing.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see if any more POV episodes happen before its fourth and final season completes the story.

After Game of Thrones' controversial finale aired, there were a number of spinoffs in active development. Eventually fans returned to Westeros in House of the Dragon (streaming with a HBO Max subscription), as well as this year's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Ryan Condal created HOTD, and recently explained why so many other Westerosi stories have failed over the years.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is here, but there were a number of Game of Thrones projects that never saw the light of day. There was the scrapped show starring Naomi Campbell, the Jon Snow spinoff, and more. During an interview with Syfy, Condal mused about why so many of these shows failed, offering:

Honestly, he's not wrong. The pressure was on for House of the Dragon to deliver, especially for the fans who didn't love how GOT ended. Luckily Condal and company were able to find the secret sauce, and his spinoff felt like the early days of the flagship series. Plus, who doesn't love seeing all of HOTD's dragons?

House of the Dragon has already been renewed for Season 4, which is expected to be the final chapter in the Dance of the Dragons. So perhaps more spinoffs will end up being green lit after that show wraps up. Later in the same interview, Condal spoke about how his show miraculously succeeded, offering:

More points were made. There was some luck involved but House of the Dragon proved audiences were still invested in the Game of Thrones world. It opened the door for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is far more comedic and pokes fun at the seriousness of its predecessors.

It should be interesting to see what other GOT spinoffs end up coming to HBO as years go by. While the Jon Snow spinoff seems dead for good, and perhaps it's best to follow new stories rather than ones connected to the original series' controversial final season. Clearly the fans are passionate about the stories of Westeros, although Ryan Condal maintains it needs to be the right project given their high expectations.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see how the Game of Thrones franchise continues expanding.

Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of House of the Dragon Season 3.

Despite Game of Thrones' finale being controversial, the fandom is once again invested in Weteros thanks to its spinoffs A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon (streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The latter has returned for its third season on the air, and the first three episodes have been a doozy. The third episode "Rhaenyra Triumphant" saw Corlys give the new queen a serious clap back, and actor Steve Toussaint explained to me why his sons are so important to the Velaryon patriarch.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is here, and we've already seen a number of major character deaths. There might be more after the last episode, because Corlys got mad when Rhaenyra refused to legitimize Addam and Alan, resulting in him calling her own (dead) children bastards. I spoke with the House of the Dragon cast ahead of Season 3's premiere, where Toussaint spoke to me and other journalists about why his character is suddenly feeling so attached to his sons. In the actor's words:

Honestly, this does track. The death of Rhaenys (and her dragon Meleys) in Season 2 is still being felt in-universe, especially for her widower Corlys. And with his beloved granddaughter Baela not interested in becoming his heir, instead his focus has been put on the two bastards he ignored for most of their lives: Addam and Alyn of Hull. So when Rhaenyra snubbed his family, even after all he's sacrificed, Toussaint's character snapped.

The fact that Corlys called the Queen's kids bastards, especially so soon after Jace's death in Episode 1, is truly wild. I have to assume that there will be consequences, although Rhaenyra does need Addam and Seasmoke for the ongoing war. Later in the same interview, the 61 year-old actor spoke more about Corlys' need for family and connection this season. In his words:

This makes sense, and offers some context as to why Corlys would say something so crazy to Rhaenyra that could get him and his sons killed. Only time will tell how she reacts to this disrespect. But if there's dissension among Team Black, then it could spell disaster for the ongoing Dance of the Dragons.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The book to screen adaptation has been especially spicy this year, and it feels like just about anything could happen.

If you’ve been watching House of the Dragon Season 3, now airing on the 2026 TV schedule, you know Aegon Targaryen has never had an easy ride in the prestige streaming series. But this season has put him through a very different kind of misery. After how Season 2 ended and everything that happened to him, the king is not only emotionally wrecked. He is permanently scarred by dragon fire, and his body is broken. That created a very specific acting problem for Tom Glynn-Carney, the actor behind the fallen monarch. He had to remember that Aegon now lives with a limp and, apparently, that was easier said than done.

Glynn-Carney talked about playing Aegon after the character was left permanently injured and disfigured. The actor explained to People that Season 3 required a major physical transformation every morning, but that aforementioned part of Aegon’s condition kept slipping his mind once he was actually performing:

It would be an understatement to say Aegon has so much going on that it makes sense Glynn-Carney would occasionally lose track of that one detail. After all, he's playing a king on the run, a wounded son, a bitter brother and a man clinging to power. Also, like so many of the best Game of Thrones characters, Aegon is someone whose entire body has been disfigured by trauma. Somewhere in that mess, remembering to favor one leg over the other probably becomes another plate to keep spinning.

So the actor came up with a solution that sounds simple, clever and deeply unpleasant. He told the outlet:

Stones in the boot is a wonderfully miserable little trick. Despite seeming unpleasant and uncomfortable, the trick makes perfect sense. If your brain forgets the limp, your foot will remember for you. This is actually a particular acting hack I’ve heard performers using before.

This also says a lot about how Glynn-Carney is approaching Aegon now. Obviously, the limp is not just a bit of movement business. It's a reminder that the damage done to Aegon did not end when the flames went out. Every step tells the audience his body has changed, and that kind of physical detail can do a lot of quiet storytelling.

The makeup and prosthetics help too. Glynn-Carney explained that the intense work in the chair is useful because it constantly reminds him of Aegon’s injuries. That makes sense as well. It has to be hard to forget what your character has survived when your face and body are being transformed before you even step onto the set.

What's interesting is that the actor still describes the process as fun. He teased a richer narrative for Aegon this season, saying viewers will see different versions of him and that Aegon may use his brain, and maybe even check in with his heart, a bit more than before. That is part of what makes Glynn-Carney’s Aegon so watchable. He is awful, or at the very least, has been awful in the past. He’s damaged, funny, needy and dangerous, sometimes all within a few lines. Now, with Aegon physically diminished but still obsessed with regaining power, the performance has a new kind of tension.

Aegon may still want the Iron Throne. But thanks to a few stones in Tom Glynn-Carney’s boot, every step toward it hurts as it should. New and explosive episodes of House of the Dragon drop Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO, before becoming available to stream with an HBO Max subscription.

Game of Thrones was a HBO show that got the world talking, and fans have been brought back to Westeros with its spinoffs like House of the Dragon (streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The Season 3 premiere saw Henry Collett's Jace die at the Battle of the Gullet, and the second episode featured Rhaenyra's reaction to this devastating loss. And actor Emma D'Arcy explained to CinemaBlend and other outlets about why they "dreaded" filming the scene where Rhaenyra said goodbye to her son.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has already had a number of major character deaths, and smart money says the loss of Jacaerys is going to influence the season as a whole. While speaking to myself and other journalists in a round table interview, D'Arcy got real about why they were dreading filming Rhaenyra's reaction to Jace's dead body. In their words:

This really tracks. Because while we're only in the third season of the GOT spinoff, the House of the Dragon cast has been working together since back in 2021. And while character deaths have repercussions in the narrative of the series, it also means that actors who played those roles are also leaving the set. And that added extra emotional weight to Emma D'Arcy's final scene with Harry Collett's Jace.

While folks like to keep up with which HOTD dragon belongs to who, it's also fascinating hearing how the sausage gets made on set. And after speaking to my roundtable about why they dreaded the Jace goodbye scene, Emma D'Arcy spoke to how it'll affect their signature character throughout the rest of Season 3. In the actor's words:

Is it Sunday yet? Because with Rhaenyra now on the Iron Throne and seemingly leaning into nihilism, I can't wait to see what comes next for Emma D'Arcy in House of the Dragon Season 3. While Team Black was able to take King's Landing with minimal bloodshed, I'm sure the challenges are still coming. And after losing two songs (including her heir), I'm curious about how brutal Rhaenyra might end up becoming.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. The Dance of the Dragons is far from over, so I'm preparing for more character deaths-- both human and dragon.

Spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2.

Years after Game of Thrones' finale, audiences continue to be treated to new stories in Westeros thanks to spinoffs like House of the Dragon. Those with a HBO Max subscription were recently tread to Season 3's first two episodes, both of which ended in major character deaths. And actress Olivia Cooke spoke to CinemaBlend about what Alicent is thinking after seeing Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne... and her father Otto dead on the floor next to it.

House of the Dragon Season 3 has been a doozy so far, especially tragic moments like Jace's death in Episode 1. I had the chance to do some round table interviews with the the HOTD cast ahead of the season's premiere, where Cooke was asked what Alicent is thinking after seeing her father's dead body in the Throne Room. As she told me and other journalists:

Well, suddenly I am in dire need of Episode 3 to drop. Because while Alicent spent much of the first two episodes of Season 3 helping to make it easier for Rhaenerya and The Blacks to fly into King's Landing, the fact that her former best friend has now killed her father Otto Hightower is going to complicate things. Not only because of his death, but because of how much Alicent doesn't know about how/why he ended up imprisoned and decapitated.

While Rhaenerya and Alicent worked together to try and end their conflict with minimal bloodshed, that was before Otto was so brutally killed. There are clearly a ton of thoughts and questions going through the head of Cooke's character, and it should be fascinating to see if things go from bad to worse now that Alicent's father has been executed.

Alicent has really been going through it in Season 3 so far, starting from her wild kiss with Aemond and now walking into the Throne Room to see Otto's dead body. I have to assume that her uneasy alliance with Rhaenerya is officially over, especially since she's the one who beheaded her father. We'll just have to wait and see how Olivia Cooke's character is treated now that she's (presumably) a prisoner of Team Black.

New episodes of House of the Dragon air Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. I was only given the first two in advance for my interviews, so I'm ready to tune in like every other fan and see how things shake out in the ongoing war.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

While folks are still debating the controversial series finale of Game of Thrones, audiences are invested in the spinoffs like House of the Dragon. Season 3 of that show just began for those with a HBO Max subscription, and the premiere was full of action and the death of Jacaerys Velaryon. Actor Harry Collett recently revealed a line he improvised on set, and I'm so glad he did.

House of the Dragon Season 3 started off with a bang with The Battle of the Gullet, which had action on the seas as well as in the air courtesy of HOTD's Dragons. While Jace perished, Collett revealed to TV Line that he actually improvised one of the most iconic lines in Westerosi history. Namely "Dracarys", which is used to prompt drgons to breathe fire. As he told the outlet:

Since Harry Collett always knew that his character would die in The Battle of The Gullet, the 22 year-old actor knew that the Season 3 premiere was the final chance to call out "dracarys" on camera. That's exactly what he did, and he was delighted to see that it ended up in the final cut of the explosive premiere episode. That's why sometimes you have to take a chance on set.

During this same interview, Baela Targaryen actress Bethany Antonia asked if her co-star had permission to throw in that extra line, to which Collett said:

Sometimes its better to ask for forgiveness instead of permission. And considering how much editing goes into editing sequences like The Battle of the Gullet, there was ample opportunity to cut Jace's "dracarys" if they wanted to. Luckily for Harry Collett, it made it into the theatrical cut.

Unfortunately Jacaerys' death means that we won't be able to see Collett utter that command to his dragon Vermax on screen again. We'll just have to wait and see if he ends up returning via a flashback or dream sequence.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule.

Shrek 5 is on the way, but if there's ever a live-action movie, I think we all know who should be asked to play Fiona. And that's House of the Dragon's Olivia Cooke. Thankfully, she's aware of the similarities, too, as she addressed this funny fan conspiracy involving her HOTD character Alicent and Shrek's princess in an interview.

As new episodes of HOTD hit the 2026 TV schedule, Cooke had to spend time addressing the fan conspiracies that her character looks like pre-Ogre Princess Fiona. During a conversation with ET, her co-star Fabien Frankel brought the topic up, too, which led to the following back-and-forth:

• Fabien Frankel: I always think she looks like Fiona in Shrek.
• Olivia Cooke: Thanks.
• Fabien Frankel: That's a compliment! The same color scheme. The dress, the red hair, you know what I mean?
• Olivia Cooke: When she's ogre-fied?
• Fabien Frankel: No! No...When she's Fiona the princess. I feel like there is a similarity in terms of the color scheme and sort of a fantastical world?
• Olivia Cooke: Thank you.
• Fabien Frankel: Who would be Shrek in our world?
• Olivia Cooke: You.

I've always noticed the resemblance between Fiona and Alicent too, so I'm happy we're finally talking about it.

Also, the Ser Criston Cole actor would be a great pick for human Shrek if the hypothetical live-action had a sequel, and I'm slowly talking myself into wanting to see this happen. While recent live-action adaptations have made me rethink the idea of adapting animated movies to real life, I think seeing these two House of the Dragon stars lead a Shrek movie sounds like a dream come true.

Until that day comes, I can just pretend they're in an ultra-violent remake when streaming episodes of House of the Dragon with my HBO Max subscription. We haven't seen much of Cole and Alicent together in Season 3 thus far, which makes me appreciate this playful exchange between the two actors even more:

It's such a shame that I've grown to hate both of their characters, but honestly, I'm at a point where I'm not sure anyone battling for the Iron Throne is the right person to lead Westeros. I guess Alicent and her attempt to try and reduce bloodshed was admirable, though she is also largely responsible for why this war started in the first place.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is off to a rocking start, with a major death that's bound to have some big ripple effects. As someone who hasn't read the books, I can't imagine how Rhaenyra is going to react to the news, as well as other major players in this ongoing conflict.

As for what's happening in the world of Shrek, a fifth movie is on the way, and there's even talk of Donkey getting a spinoff. While we haven't heard news of a live-action adaptation, it feels like Dreamworks is investing in the franchise again in a way we haven't seen in a while. That isn't to say it's a lock to happen, but maybe by the time this series wraps, Olivia Cooke will be in talks to star as Fiona!

Until then, new episodes of House of the Dragon are on HBO on Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. I don't expect these dragons to fall in love with a donkey, but I am expecting some monstrous fallout after that wild start to the season.

Olivia Cooke is now arguably one of TV's big names, thanks to her impeccable work on House of the Dragon. So, as Season 3 airs on the 2026 TV schedule, it's wild to think that the actress who plays Alicent Hightower could ever lose out on a job. Of course, every actor has a role that got away and, as I just learned, Cooke missed out on a job of a lifetime in Star Wars after bombing an audition.

During an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Cooke revealed that she was in the running for a big role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and fans can probably guess which. While there's always still a chance she can show up in upcoming Star Wars movies, it won't be as Rey Skywalker, since she blew her chance at that role:

As we all know, everyone and their dog fell short, and Daisy Ridley became the new face of Star Wars. That's sad for Olivia Cooke but, obviously, everything happens for a reason, and who knows if she'd be crushing it as Alicent in House of the Dragon had she gotten picked over Ridley. Ironically, Emilia Clarke and Gwendoline Christie both did GOT and Star Wars, and I'd love for there to always a reality in which both could've happened for Cooke.

Of course, considering Cooke's talent, I was most surprised to hear her take on how the audition went. Based on the comments she shared with podcaster Josh Horowitz, the Ready Player One star's attempt to land the role was quite rough. Cooke ran down how it all transpired and gave props to Ridley for actually landing the job:

What's interesting is that while she allegedly "bombed" her Rey audition, Olivia Cooke remained in conversations to appear in Star Wars years later. She was rumored to join the cast of The Last Jedi. Based on the character description that was shared at the time, the role seemed to be Rose Tico, who was played by Kelly Marie Tran. Yet Cooke actually clarified that she never auditioned for that role and didn't know where the rumor came from.

It all worked out, of course, and she's now playing the character who might be the most traumatized in House of the Dragon. Honestly, I'd argue that the role has prepared her for what it could be like if she ever eventually joined Star Wars down the road, especially when it comes to handling the passionate fans. It's not easy being a star of a sci-fi or fantasy series, especially in the age of the internet when fans have more access than ever to stars.

We'll see if the stars ever align and we get Olivia Cooke venture into the galaxy far, far away. In the meantime, though, catch her on House of the Dragon, which airs on HBO on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET and is streamable with an HBO Max subscription. And, of course, fans can also check out Daisy Ridley's performance as Rey by streaming the Star Wars movies with a Disney+ subscription.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

House of the Dragon is the first spinoff for Game of Thrones, following its controversial finale. Folks with an HBO Max subscription were recently treated to the premiere of Season 3, which started off with a bang with the epic Battle of the Gullet. The epic scene saw the death of both Jace and his dragon Vermax, although actor Harry Collett explained why he wasn't upset about his time on the show ending.

After a long wait, House of the Dragon Season 3 has finally begun. The book to screen adaptation has taken some liberties from the source material, including the details about how Jacaerys died. I had the chance to speak with the cast in round table interviews ahead of its premiere, where Collett shared his POV on his character perishing in the season premiere. In his words:

While HOTD fans who didn't read the book were shocked by Jace's death in the Battle of the Gullett, the same cannot be said for the actor who brought Rhaenyra's son to life on the small screen. He's been emotionally preparing for his time on the show to end, and just seems happy that he was able to join the House of the Dragon cast at all. And smart money says this twist is going to have major implication for the rest of the season.

It's fitting that Collett did all of his dead scenes at the end of his tenure filming House of the Dragon, and one can only imagine how emotional it was on set. Later in the same interview, the 22 year-old actor gushed about his character's ending on the show, saying:

There you have it. Some fans might be bummed about Jace's fate, but that seemingly isn't the case for Harry Collett. He loved how it all turned out, including his character and the dragon Vermax being tragically killed by the Triarchy's forces. We'll just have to wait and see if the actor returns at any point; we'e seen visions/dreams bring back former characters already on the series.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Smart money says that Jace won't be the only major character death to come this season.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

Despite Game of Thrones' controversial finale, Westeros is so back for those with a HBO Max subscription. Following the first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, House of the Dragon Season 3 has officially begun, with more major characters already kicking the bucket. The premiere also featured another wild incest plot, and Olivia Cooke spoke to CinemaBlend and other outlets about what was on in Alicent's head when her son Aemond kissed her.

HOTD has had tons of incest in the first two seasons, as House Targaryen isn't hung up by relatives getting together. We've seen both siblings and cousins get married, but the Season 3 premiere shocked fans when Aemond kissed his mother Alicent out of nowhere. CinemaBlend did a roundtable interview with the cast about the first two episodes, where Cooke revealed what he character is thinking during this already-viral moment. As she put it:

While House of the Dragon fans need to keep up with which dragon belongs to who, the interpersonal relationships between its cast can also be mystifying. Case in point: Aemond kissing Alicent, who seems as shocked as the audience was. And Olivia Cooke's comments offer some much-needed context, revealing how few options her signature character has when dealing with this incestuous connection.

Despite being a Targaryen by marriage, Alicent is a Hightower at heart who deeply worships The Faith of the Seven. You can see the confusion and fear in her face when her son kisses her, but she ultimately hides that in order to get Aemond on her side and out of King's Landing. She succeeds in this, and it should be fascinating to see how the two characters' relationship changes moving forward.

Olivia Cooke also addressed this wild scene during the Inside The Episode video for HOTD's Season 3 premiere. The actress offered:

Honestly, same. But Aemond is one of the most volatile characters in House of the Dragon, and has arguably the most powerful dragon of them all in Vhagar. And this is yet another reason to fear what he'll do in the ongoing war against The Blacks.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And it seems like no character is safe from the Dance of the Dragons.

Spoilers ahead for the Season 3 premiere of House of the Dragon.

Despite Game of Thrones' controversial finale, fans have returned to Westeros thanks to the spinoffs A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and House of the Dragon. The latter is finally back for Season 3, and the book to screen adaptation started off with an epic battle for those with a HBO Max subscription. The Battle of the Gullet was awesome, and the way it was shot is truly blowing my mind.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is here, and the showrunner had been teasing The Battle of the Gullet for a while now. The event was largely a naval fight, although a few of HOTD's Dragons got involved in the air as well. I had the chance to speak with the show's cast in round table interviews, where Baela Targaryen actress Bethany Antonia revealed how the dragon riders were kept in the loop. As she put it:

Talk about attention to detail. While it would have been easy to ask the actors who were riding on dragon back to simply imagine what's happening below them when filming, that's not what House of the Dragon did. Instead, they were given the full scope of the sequence, allowing them to visualize the crazy Battle of the Gullet and act appropriately to bring their part of it to life.

Later in that same conversation, Antonia shared more about just how much work went into the dragon rider's POV for House of the Dragon's Season 3 premiere battle. In her words:

"Dragons gone wrong" would also work as an alternate title for House of the Dragon, and especially that first episode of Season 3. Because in the midst of the naval conflict Baela arrived on Moondancer, Jace showed up with Vermax and then (in a plot twist) Rhaena flew in on Sheepstealer. Unfortunately the latter's decision was a huge misstep, because the wild dragon didn't obey her commands. And the episode ended with yet another major character death.

House of the Dragon airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll have to see how many more epic battles and dragon fights happen throughout the following episodes.

Game of Thrones' finale might be controversial, but there's no denying just how popular the Emmy-winning series was during its run on TV (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription). Fans have returned to Westeros with its spinoffs, the first of which was House of the Dragon. The show's about to return for its third season, and creator/showrunner Ryan Condal recently teased the "crazy" opening battle that'll kick things off.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is nearly here, and all-out war between the Targaryens is about to begin. There are tons of dragons in play, and fans are eager to see what Westerosi warfare looks like with the giant creatures. During a conversation with Deadline, Condal spoke about how hard it was bringing the Battle of the Gullet to life, and all the practical effects in play. As he put it:

Is it June 21st yet? It sounds like Season 3 of HOTD is going to start off with a bang, with fans being brought back to the story with an epic and bloody medieval battle. And rather than bringing it to life primarily through visual effects, it seems like there was a ton of practical work done.

Shortly after its premiere, House of the Dragon joined the ranks of HBO shows that got the world talking. The show can be brutal at times, with even young children being targeted and killed during the conflict between the Targaryens. The Battle of the Gullet seems like it'll be thrilling, and I can't wait to see how it all shakes out. Later in the same interview, Ryan Condal spoke more about that forthcoming action sequence, offering:

This really makes the Season 3 premiere of HOTD sound epic, and luckily the wait is nearly over for its arrival. The trailer for Season 3 definitely teased that it was going to a bloody affair, and I can only imagine how much death will be at the Battle of the Gullet and beyond.

All will be revealed when House of the Dragon returns for Season 3 on June 21st as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And it sounds like we're going to be treated to be a wild and violent start to the season.

Despite Game of Thrones' controversial series finale, TV audiences are still invested in George R.R. Martin's fantasy world. We were able to return to Westeros with some spinoffs, the first of which is House of the Dragon (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription). The show's creator Ryan Condal recently compared one upcoming battle to Lord of the Rings' Helm's Deep, and now the stakes feel so much higher.

What we know about House of the Dragon Season 3 has been limited, but since its a book-to-screen adaptation, there are some fans who know what to expect. During an interview with EW about the forthcoming batch of episodes, Condal confirmed that the Battle of the Gullet was coming, referencing The Two Towers in the process. In his words:

Well, I'm invested. While I don't know what goes down in the Battle of the Gullet, it sounds like the stakes are going to be extremely high whenever that episode drops in Season 3. The Battle of Helm's Deep is arguably the most iconic fight scene in the Lord of the Rings franchise, so it sounds like it's going to be a truly epic moment in television. We'll just have to wait and see how all the medieval warfare and dragon battles shake out.

Aside from which HOTD dragon belongs to who, GOT fans who haven't read the books are curious to see how the war between the Targaryens will shake out on the small screen. The conflict between the Greens and Blacks seemingly ends House Targaryen's power forever, so smart money says we'll see lots of humans and dragons killed off throughout the final two seasons of the spinoff. But luckily, it sounds like we're going to be treated to an epic battle akin to Helm's Deep. Take my money, already!

This news about the Battle of the Gullet should please hardcore House of the Dragon fans who read the books. The show famously didn't show The Battle of the Burning Mill in Season 2, instead cutting to the bloody aftermath of the skirmish. Luckily, that's not going to happen with Season 3, and I'm so invested in what happens when the Dance of the Dragons continues.

All will be revealed when House of the Dragon returns for Season 3 on June 21st as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to wait and see when the Battle of the Gullet goes down.

It’s been about two years since Season 2 of House of the Dragon ended, and yes, I’m still not thrilled about how underwhelming the finale was. However, I haven’t given up on the show, and I am very excited for Season 3. My excitement also just increased tenfold, as two stars teased what’s to come and confirmed that my biggest complaint about that sophomore season will be fixed immediately.

The problem with Season 2 of House of the Dragon is that it felt like it spent the entire season building up to a battle that didn’t happen. They just started walking toward it by the time the final seconds of the installment aired. It felt like we were building up to Season 3 of HOTD, not witnessing the climax of Season 2. However, when this junior season starts on the 2026 TV schedule, we’ll be getting right into the battle we’ve been waiting for, as Ewan Mitchell, who plays Aemond, told EW:

Now, that’s what I’m talking about. We’ve been building up to the Targaryen family’s big battle for two full seasons, so it’s about time for a “blitz straight out of the gate.”

We knew that The Battle of the Gullet was coming; however, this new report confirmed that it will happen in the Season 3 premiere. That means, this installment will kick off with one of the “most violent sea battles in the history of” Westeros. Talk about a way to start!

On top of that, it’s also an immediate remedy to the issue I had with Season 2. This is the battle I’ve been waiting for, the one we’ve been building toward, and according to Emma D’Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra, it will be just as intense as I want it to be, as they said:

As D’Arcy said, we’re “finally watching a war that has been building for two seasons.” These last two installments of House of the Dragon have been exposition for the battle that’s been brewing. And while I’m all about Targaryen family history, at some point, we need to stop talking about an impending battle and actually have one.

Boy, are we getting one, too. Co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal said this episode is “arguably the craziest episode of television ever made.” So, it really sounds like whatever they’re cooking is epic and will more than make up for any apprehension I was feeling at the end of Season 2.

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long to see this either. Season 3 of House of the Dragon will premiere on June 21 at 9 p.m. ET, and you can watch it on HBO or with an HBO Max subscription.

Whenever another one of Warner Bros’ upcoming DC movies comes out, you know that the fandom is going to have thoughts about it. So, I totally get why Milly Alcock found herself “utterly terrified” when she first landed the role of Supergirl. But, now that the movie is just a month away, I think the 26-year-old has the right attitude about the whole thing.

Lucky for her, this isn’t her first rodeo given she was previously cast in House of the Dragon as young Princess Rhaenyra, which has a fandom that’s similarly quite opinionated. While talking to Variety, Alcock recalled how she was pitted against Emma D’Arcy, the actor who plays older Rhaenyra, online, saying it “broke [her] heart”. But, it sounds like the experience is helping her implement healthier boundaries around toxic fandom. As she shared:

These days anyone can say what they want without consequences because anonymous comments, or from someone without any ties to their actual identity can say hurtful things to anyone. But when it comes to a public facing actor like Alcock, the chance of this grows exponentially and can be very damaging. This is proved by the many examples of women specifically who star in big franchises who have quit social media (such as Daisy Ridley at one point) following getting famous for their roles.

While we don’t know yet how Milly Alcock’s Supergirl will be received by fans, Alcock is already implementing positive ways to get offline rather than giving in to whatever “discourse” may crop up. In her words:

Supergirl is the second movie from James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios redesign that is a reboot of the comic book universe with last year’s release of Superman. So far, we know Milly Alcock’s version of Kara Zor-El will be a bit “messy” as the movie explores the character’s trauma associated with watching her whole planet get destroyed. Even though Alcock has learned a lot about dealing with the toxic side of fandom, she also got real about how difficult it can be to totally unplug, saying this:

While Alcock may look invincible in Supergirl, let’s remember every one we see on our big and small screens are human too, OK? Supergirl is set to hit theaters on June 26, nearly a year after she made her debut with a cameo at the end of Superman last summer.

Many of us were first introduced to Milly Alcock as Princess Rhaenyra in the Game of Thrones spin-off series, House of the Dragon. But this summer, she takes flight in the upcoming Supergirl, which is bound to launch her into a whole other stratosphere of fame. Of course, when her casting as the second-most famous Kryptonian was announced, there was online backlash, which the actress says she learned to deal with thanks to her time on HotD.

Ahead of the 2026 calendar release of one of the most anticipated new superhero movies, Milly Alcock sat down with Vanity Fair for a wide-ranging interview, touching on how her time in the world of Westeros made her swear off big franchises. However, after a year without work, she became nervous that her career was stalling, and then Supergirl was offered to her. But is she primed for the inevitable backlash that comes with such a major project? She explains how GoT taught her what to expect:

For the Sirens star, moving from House of the Dragon, a role she's famously spoken about her struggles with starring in, to taking on a major new DC movie as the headlining superhero has brought a ton of anxiety. According to her, she has been having “crazy dreams,” imagining herself at the “foot of a tsunami,” as her first major motion picture appearance as Kara Zor-El gets closer to release. Of course, she wants the movie to be well received, but she is preparing herself for the title wave of outspoken members of the fandom who aren’t so keen on her or her take on the character.​

Alcock’s take on how entertainment audiences feel emboldened to speak about women’s bodies is very similar to Sydney Sweeney's description of how she dealt with people feeling comfortable talking about her body a few years ago. And much like the Upright actress, Sweeney explained the odd feeling of having no control over how viewers perceive or respond to her. The only thing she can control is her choices in work.

Like Sweeney, the Australian-born star is focusing on her next career moves and approaching each project with intent. Beyond Supergirl, she has an amazingly diverse slate of projects on the horizon. These include Thumb, a comedy about a severed (you guessed it) thumb, featuring Sofía Vergara and Kate McKinnon. Plus there's Hot Mother, which tells the story of a mother (Toni Collette) and daughter (Alcock) trapped in a sauna at a remote wellness spa. With these projects lined up after her superhero debut, she already has her sights set on where she’d like to go next:

The Game of Thrones franchise is world-famous, and its first major spinoff made Milly Alcock a familiar face to anyone with an HBO Max subscription. But, with Supergirl soon to hit theaters, she’s preparing to take on the spotlight in a way she didn't set out looking for. Luckily, it seems she has a solid head on her shoulders and is prepared to face that online backlash, no matter how undeserved it may be, head-on.

Supergirl lands in theaters on June 26, 2026. As expectation builds, all eyes are on Milly Alcock and how she will bring this iconic character to life in her biggest role yet.

The Game of Thrones franchise remains super popular, with its spinoff House of the Dragons joining the ranks of HBO shows that got the world talking. But those with an HBO Max subscription know that we can't expect new seasons to arrive every single year like other TV shows. And the network's chief Casey Bloys recently explained the thought process behind the show's scheduling.

Fans are patiently waiting for Season 3 of HOTD, which will begin airing this summer. On top of wondering which dragons belong to which Targaryen, fans have questions about how the book to screen adaptation is released. During a conversation with THR, Bloys spoke about the specific balance that's needed in HBO's programming. As he put it:

Points were made. Because while certain network TV shows consistently air new seasons every year shows like House of the Dragon, The Last Of Us, or the upcoming Harry Potter TV show have a much larger scale. The production itself is huge, and there's also a ton of visual effects work that needs to be done once cameras go down. So it's simply not realistic to expect new seasons to be shot, edited, go through the post-production process every calendar year.

Despite Game of Thrones' controversial ending both HOTD and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms have helped to restore interest in future Westerosi stories. But fans have high expectations for its production value, requiring more time before each new installment is released. In the same interview Casey Bloys compared those big titles to shows like The Pitt, which can more easily be shot and released in quick succession. In his words:

Honestly, this does make a great deal of sense. And while I'd rather have more episodes of House of the Dragon sooner rather than later, that's simply not realistic. Fans will recall how Game of Thrones also took long breaks between seasons, thanks to being shot across multiple countries and its massive scale. Luckily the shows with less CGI are able to come back more consistently, such as The Pitt and Industry.

Season 3 of House of the Dragon is expected to arrive sometime in June of this year as part of the 2026 TV schedule. While we wait for more information, the first two seasons, as well as all things GOT, are streaming over on HBO Max.

Despite Game of Thrones' controversial ending, fans with an HBO Max subscription have been brought back to Westeros with a number of spinoffs. The first of which was The House of the Dragon, which instantly became a HBO show that got the world talking. The trailer for Season 3 just dropped, and it teased a ton of violence in the war to come. Although I also have a question about one dragon in particular.

While watching HOTD, part of the challenge is keeping track of which Targaryen has which dragon. The above trailer for Season 3 showed how much destruction will come with the Dance of the Dragons, with soldiers being burned alive. But there was also a quick shot of what looks like Meleys. This is confusing because both she and Rhaenys perished last season. Here's the shot in question:

So what's going on here? One possibility is that we'll get a flashback, where both Meleys and Princess Rhaenys are still with us. I'd love if that happened, because she was probably my favorite character in House of the Dragon. Alternatively, this could simply be one of the other dragons that are still alive at the top of Season 3. Only time will tell, but this mystery has me even more invested in what's coming.

The trailer for HOTD's new season picks up immediately after the Season 2 finale. The Greens and The Black are gearing up for all-out war, and with their dragons involved the stakes are super high. This is especially true with Alicent Hightower seemingly preparing a mutiny. We'll just have to see if she actually has the courage to do it, especially with her son Aemond seemingly on to her, and taking The Iron Throne himself.

A number of dragons are featured throughout this trailer, with Vhagar shown burning soldiers alive and our best look at Tessarion aka the Blue Queen. But a number of the winged creatures are noticeably missing. For instance, it's unclear if Rhaena Targaryen was able to successfully claim the wild dragon Sheepstealer. Either way, Alicent seems concerned about just how many dragons Rhaenyra has at her disposal.

Aside from the dragon violence shown, we also see the brutal nature of medieval combat. That includes Daemon bringing down his sword in the battlefield, as well as what looks like Aemond taking a knife to a soldier's abdomen. There are charred bodies, arrows flying, and more. So we should probably gear up for the brutal nature of war in Westeros.

There are countless questions about what will go down in Season 3, but fans are going to have to wait a few more months for some answers. We'll get more information when House of the Dragon Season 3 premiers sometime in June as part of the 2026 TV schedule.

The last few weeks have flown by in the world of Westeros, and we’re already over halfway through A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Season 1 run in the 2026 TV schedule. This past weekend, the series delivered what has been deemed its best episode yet (and might have confirmed one Ser Duncan mystery), and there's a big reason the show should be celebrated.

The Milestone A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms Just Crossed

The new HBO series earned the highest IMDb rating for a Game of Thrones TV show in nearly a decade with its most recent episode, called “Seven.” If you take a look at its IMDb page, the episode has a stunning average of 9.7 out of 10 after 36,000 ratings, with over 84% of those giving it a 10 out of 10.

This score marks the first time an episode from the Game of Thrones universe has reached those heights since the original series, specifically in Season 7, Episode 4 called “Spoils of War.” If you’re curious about some of the thoughts from users about the episode that created a franchise milestone for A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms, check these comments out below:

• “Goated in every aspect… This single episode and its elevation can easily eat many house of dragon season.” - ahamedmn
• “If anything is the true successor to GOT, it's not House of the Dragon - it's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. You can feel it being written into something special, a great series in the making. And those last few minutes with the classic GOT intro theme? Absolute goosebumps.” - @readraf-50167
• “By the seven gods, what have we just witnessed?! Just when you think it can't get any better, this show proves you wrong with an absolute masterclass episode, worthy of the title of A Game of Thrones.” - @moritzherz
• “Impeccable job, this was the best episode so far, and in my opinion, the most book accurate one. I genuinely think this one hit the 100% mark.” - @satko_d

Clearly, the episode just outdid itself and really impressed longtime fans. We won’t get into too many specific details here if you haven’t caught up to the episode yet, but it sounds like this one could go down in history among fans as an all-timer.

What Are The Other Highest-Rated Game Of Thrones Episodes?

We’re only four episodes into A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, but the first season’s scores currently average out to 8.8. If we take a look at House of the Dragon’s scores by contrast (which has a third season on the way), Season 1’s average is 8.7 and Season 2’s average is 7.8. The second GOT spinoff, which has been notably lighter than the previous two with things like hilarious poop jokes and nudity, is clearly off to a great start, but how often did Game of Thrones actually make near-perfect episodes?

Per IMDb users, there were eleven episodes across its eight-season run that ranked at a score of 9.7 or higher. They are Season 2’s “Blackwater,” Season 3’s “The Rains of Castamere,” four episodes in Season 4 (“The Lion and the Rose,” “The Laws of Gods and Men,” “The Mountain and the Viper," and “The Children""), Season 5’s “Hardhome,” three episodes in Season 6 (“The Door,” “Battle of the Bastards,” and “The Winds of Winter”), and Season 7’s “Spoils of War.”

Considering that Game of Thrones on HBO first debuted way back in 2011, it’s great to see the franchise still has some peaks to deliver for fans. You can catch up now with an HBO subscription.

With both television and film, adaptations from book-to-screen are bound to generate all kinds of conversations between fans of the source material who had certain expectations. Sometimes, fans are on board with any necessary changes; other times, the chatter about the adaptation is overwhelmingly negative. Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians has had author Rick Riordan involved from the start, and executive producer Craig Silverstein opened up about why that’s “critical,” especially compared to George R.R. Martin’s recent complaints about HBO’s House of the Dragon.

Percy Jackson, available streaming now with a Disney+ subscription, wrapped the second season in late January of the 2026 TV schedule and is already well into production on Season 3. Author Rick Riordan has been an executive producer on the series from the start after being famously critical of the film adaptations, tweeting (via People) that the movies were like “my life's work going through a meat grinder when I pleaded with them not to do it” and “I certainly have nothing against the very talented actors” but “I'm just sorry they got dragged into that mess.”

I spoke with Craig Silverstein, an executive producer and co-showrunner on the Percy Jackson series, at SCAD TVfest first about him having the support of Rick Riordan, which the author doubled down on after the Season 2 finale. Silverstein shared:

Rick Riordan is directly involved in bringing his own story to the screen, which was not what happened with the first Percy Jackson movie in 2010 or its 2013 sequel. While the adaptation from page to screen has meant necessary changes from the source material, all signs point towards a collaborative process between the author and the producers.

That status quo is a stark contrast to what George R.R. Martin has said about House of the Dragon, the first Game of Thrones spinoff. He aired some grievances shortly after Season 2 finished airing on HBO and has referred to his relationship with showrunner Ryan Condal as “worse than rocky” and abysmal, blaming Condal for how he “basically stopped listening to me” and his notes about bringing Fire & Blood, the source material, to TV in House of the Dragon.

The Percy Jackson EP confirmed that he’d seen the controversy that followed George R.R. Martin’s comments, as well as that it would “definitely” be a nightmare of a response from an author to an adaptation of their work:

Fortunately, there hasn’t been backlash from Rick Riordan or changes to the source material going viral like what has happened with George R.R. Martin and House of the Dragon, although Martin is notably complimentary towards A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. (You can find the second Game of Thrones spinoff streaming with an HBO Max subscription now.)

As for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Craig Silverstein shared that there’s “about a month and a half left of shooting” for Season 3. It remains to be seen when it will be ready to join Seasons 1 and 2 on Disney+, but the pace for releasing new seasons continues to be steady. For now, you can always revisit those first two seasons and/or the books written by Rick Riordan.

Only two episodes of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms have aired so far on HBO in the 2026 TV schedule, but the newest Game of Thrones spinoff didn’t even need more than the first five minutes to prove how different it is from House of the Dragon. One show is almost entirely populated by Targaryens and their relatives; Targaryens are few and far between on the other. Several generations have passed between the timeline of House of the Dragon, so the series really could be taken pretty separately.

That said, there’s one element of Knight of the Seven Kingdoms that I believe vindicates Rhaenyra in the TV version of Westeros. It feels more accurate to George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood than the show actually based on that fictional history book. For that, though, we do have to start out with a branch of the Targaryen family tree that has barely been explored just yet.

Note for spoiler-phobes: there are no spoilers for House of the Dragon Season 3 or A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms beyond Episode 2, but I will touch on George R.R. Martin’s Targaryen lore from Fire & Blood.

The Targaryens Of A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms So Far

The Targaryens rode into the tourney in the second episode, with the immediate joke of Baelor being announced as “Firstborn son of King Daeron the Good, Prince of Dragonstone, Hand of the King, and Heir to the Iron Throne,” followed anticlimactically with “...and his brother, Maekar." By the end of the episode, we had these updates on the Targaryens in the show:

King Daeron's Sons

• Crown Prince Baelor, first in line to the Iron Throne
• Prince Maekar

Baelor's Son

• Prince Valarr, second in line to the Iron Throne

Maekar's Sons

• Prince Daeron (officially missing)
• Prince Aerion
• Prince Aegon (officially missing)

While we’re certain to learn more about these Targaryens in the coming weeks of Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, there are already some things clear. For one, Baelor appears to be the responsible and respectable heir to the throne, whereas Maekar gets to be snarky and sulky as a younger son. Baelor has dark hair and a mostly dark beard, while Maekar has hair as white as any we’ve seen on House of the Dragon.

Prince Valarr hasn’t been featured much, but what we have seen of him indicates that he’s 1) brave in a joust, 2) capable on a horse, 3) less grating than his cousin, and 4) seemingly dark-haired.

Aerion is the only one of Maekar's sons openly presenting himself as such so far, with the other two MIA and – to paraphrase Dunk – hopefully not dead. He too has hair so white that it’s worthy of Daemon Targaryen on House of the Dragon. (His attitude is also reminiscent of Daemon on HOTD.)

Bear With Me: Genetics, Targaryen-Style

There’s been no indication in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms that Baelor and Maekar are anything other than full-blooded siblings with the same mother and father, with George R.R. Martin’s lore telling us that those parents are Daeron II Targaryen and Myriah Martell of Dorne.

One brother and his son have the white hair that fans have come to associate with Targaryens as far back as the pilot of Game of Thrones; the other brother and his son have dark hair they would have inherited from their Dornish mother and grandmother.

We don’t have data points for any of Daeron and Myriah’s other children to say which parent they take after, but Baelor and Maekar are enough to prove that multiple Targaryens can be born to the same parents and turn out to have either dark hair or the traditional white. Both brothers have the same amount of Targaryen blood from their father, and Baelor seems quite popular as next in line for the throne.

So where was this acceptance from the realm when Rhaenyra was the heir and had three dark-haired sons?!

Rhaenyra’s Eldest Sons Could Have Been Laenor's (In Theory)

Look, I know and you know and anybody who has watched House of the Dragon knows that Rhaenyra’s oldest three sons are actually the children of Ser Harwin Strong rather than her first husband, Laenor Velaryon. But Jace, Luke, and Joffrey were all physically born of Rhaenyra’s body, so there was no denying that they had as much Targaryen blood as any member of the family who married a non-relative, and having dark hair shouldn’t have been enough for the realm to declare them bastards.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ dark-haired heir to the throne with a white-haired younger brother is seen as perfectly valid by the time of the spinoff; the same should have been true for Rhaenyra at the time of the Dance of the Dragons. Nobody had any actual proof that Jace, Luke, and Joff were Harwin’s sons, as they were claimed as sons by Laenor and accepted as grandsons by King Viserys. Legally, they weren’t bastards, and blaming their looks wasn’t valid.

What House Of The Dragon Could Have Done Better For Rhaenyra

After his descriptions of his “abysmal” relationship with showrunner Ryan Condal (and HBO’s CEO acknowledging the “dysfunction”), I have no doubt that George R.R. Martin would agree with me that House of the Dragon could have done some things much better in translating Fire & Blood to the small screen. As far as I'm concerned, the show sabotaged Rhaenyra from the jump by not matching Rhaenys’ appearance to the book.

Because in Fire & Blood, we learn that as the daughter of Prince Aemon Targaryen and Lady Jocelyn Baratheon, Rhaenys had dark hair. That should have been true in Fire & Blood as well to match with the Game of Thrones canon about dark-haired, blue-eyed Baratheons that helped Ned connect the dots about Jaime and Cersei.

Book Laenor still had the traditional pale Targaryen hair, but if Rhaenys had been given her dark hair in the show, Rhaenyra could have gotten away with claiming that her three kids got their dark hair from their grandmother. Show Rhaenyra having an affair with Harwin Strong, and seeing from Jace that their children would likely take after their father, seems ludicrous.

House of the Dragon has done many characters dirty, but the color of Eve Best’s wig managed to sabotage Rhaenyra as an adult. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms isn’t afraid of Targaryens with dark hair (who aren't red herrings in human form like Jon Snow), and more room for doubt about Rhaenyra’s kids would have made the conflict between the Greens and the Blacks more compelling.

So, I’m going to take Baelor and Valarr’s hair from their Dornish mother as vindication for Rhaenyra, whose dark-haired sons should have been accepted as legitimate by the realm. (Also, it’s possible that the long wait for HOTD Season 3 is getting to me.)

See more of how A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms handles Targaryens with new episodes on Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and/or streaming with an HBO Max subscription.

The main conflict of House of the Dragon was once between the Greens and the Blacks, but the shots fired over the post-Season 2 hiatus have mostly come from George R.R. Martin over the show taking significant liberties with his source material. Ahead of Season 3's arrival in the 2026 TV schedule, HBO CEO Casey Bloys opened up about the conflict between Martin and showrunner Ryan Condal, which recently heated up.

Shortly before the premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms as a fresh take on the Game of Thrones franchise, George R.R Martin described his relationship with Ryan Condal as "abysmal" and "worse than rocky." It didn't come as a huge shock after he aired his grievances about House of the Dragon Season 2, but Casey Bloys didn't waste any time in responding to the most recent comments. He told Deadline:

Bloys acknowledged the existence of "dysfunction" when it comes to George R.R. Martin, Ryan Condal, and House of the Dragon, and notably didn't address the problems that the A Song of Ice and Fire author had with Condal's adaptation of Fire & Blood. (Both seasons so far are available streaming with an HBO Max subscription now.)

In 2024, Martin's dramatic blog post (which has since been deleted) called out the show's version of Blood and Cheese, the infamous portion of his book that sets a lot of changes in motion and is arguably the worst thing that Daemon ever did. There were enough changes to the source material that it wasn't hard to compile a full list.

But what about George R.R. Martin's future at HBO, when he was reportedly pleased with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms? Casey Bloys went on to confirm that there's still a deal between the network and the author:

The CEO did then confirm that Martin "definitely took a step back" in his involvement with House of the Dragon for Season 3, with more focus on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Bloys also noted that "the Rotten Tomato scores of the first two seasons" have House of the Dragon at 87%, saying that Ryan Condal has been "a great collaborator with us" in making the first Game of Thrones spinoff successful. At the time of writing, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Casey Bloys' comments now aren't too different from when he initially addressed George R.R. Martin's grievances in late 2024 by comparing the working relationship to a "marriage" that can get "rocky." Ryan Condal was less diplomatic last year, claiming that Martin "just became unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way."

For now, it's just a matter of waiting to find out how much Season 3 of House of the Dragon departs from how Martin told the history of the Targaryen dynasty in Fire & Blood. Having read the book myself, I will say that some big changes would have to happen early in the third season for HOTD to get on track with the publication, but I'm confident at least the biggest battles will be included. While a premiere date has yet to be announced, the new season is expected to arrive in the summer.

I know I was late to the party when it came to watching Game of Thrones with an HBO Max subscription. In fact, I binge-watched it all a couple of years after it ended. So, I understand that not everyone has seen the hit fantasy series. However, I was shocked to learn that Emilia Clarke’s Ponies co-star Haley Lu Richardson had only seen one season of the show. Clarke was shocked to learn this, too, especially after realizing that while her fellow actor hadn’t seen much of GOT, she had seen its spinoff, House of the Dragon.

While Emilia Clarke and Haley Lu Richardson were promoting their new series on the 2026 TV schedule, Game of Thrones came up. That’s when The White Lotus actress admitted she’s only seen one season of it, while also opening up about the fact that she does watch House of the Dragon. The Daenerys actress truly had a priceless reaction in response, as you can see in the following back and forth they had during an interview with ET:

• Haley Lu Richardson: I only watched the first season of Game of Thrones. You know what, I have watched the spinoff.
• Emilia Clarke: You watched House of the Dragon, you’ve not seen Game of Thrones? Motherfucker! What? Can you believe that?
• Haley Lu Richardson: I know, this is actually mean of me.
• Emilia Clarke: What?!?
• Haley Lu Richardson: But the thing is…
• Emilia Clarke: I’m gonna bypass the one my friend is in?
• Haley Lu Richardson: I’m so sorry.
• Emilia Clarke: I’m joking, I’m joking.

Truly, it’s kind of wild to think that someone would watch House of the Dragon (which will return for Season 3 this year) without having seen Game of Thrones. However, it is a prequel, so it’s not like it’s illogical to watch it first.

Anyway, after that hilarious reaction from Clarke, Richardson said she should really go back and rewatch the HBO show that got the world talking. However, her co-star swiftly assured her that there’s no need to do that, explaining:

The Game of Thrones cast member is right, it is a commitment. However, despite its ending, I’d say it’s worth it. Plus, if Richardson likes House of the Dragon, she’ll likely enjoy its predecessor too.

Now, when Richardson asked if her co-star was mad about this, Clarke passionately said, “No!” So, there’s absolutely no bad blood. Truly, we went through a whole range of joking emotions here, and it’s utterly entertaining, as you can see in the video below:

Well, these two are a hoot! And now, while I hope Haley Lu Richardson is catching up on Game of Thrones, I’ll be checking out their new show with my Peacock subscription.

So far, Ponies’ reviews have been good, and people are calling this spy thriller “crazier than fiction.” For those who don’t know, this new series follows Clarke’s Bea and Richardson’s Twila, who take over their CIA husbands' jobs because they are Persons of No Interest (PONIs). Clearly, it’s nothing like Game of Thrones; however, it does seem like it’ll show off the actress's range much like the fantasy series did for Clarke.

Now, if you want to watch Ponies, the entire first season is available on Peacock. Meanwhile, if you are like Richardson and need to get caught up on Game of Thrones, you can stream it, House of the Dragon and the franchise’s newest spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, on HBO Max.

The works of George R.R. Martin have been hugely influential on HBO, going back to Game of Thrones becoming a smash hit in 2011 to the successful launch of House of the Dragon to the upcoming debut of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms in the 2026 TV schedule. While the author has only had good things to say about the new prequel and is slowly but surely working on continuing the Game of Thrones book saga, he wasn't so effusive about his "abysmal" relationship with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal.

It hasn't exactly been a secret that George R.R. Martin has had some issues with House of the Dragon after some dramatic comments regarding Season 2, which he followed up with some specific grievances about changes Ryan Condal made from the Fire & Blood source material to the screen. Now, the author has gotten candid about their working relationship, telling THR:

Ryan Condal was originally the co-showrunner of House of the Dragon, sharing the job with Game of Thrones director/producer Miguel Sapochnik until Sapochnik unexpectedly quit in early 2023. Significant changes from the book were evident in Season 2 as early as the premiere with its alterations to the memorable "Blood and Cheese" sequence, which was one of the alterations that Martin called out on his blog in 2024. He went on:

The blog post in which George R.R. Martin criticized the Blood and Cheese change that had huge implications for a character in future seasons was quickly removed, after an HBO exec contacted the author's team, who then contacted his manager, who then contacted his assistant to delete it. That doesn't mean he regrets his words, however, as he went on to tell THR:

HBO CEO Casey Bloys responded to the critiques from George R.R. Martin months later, with a fairly diplomatic statement about Ryan Condal "making creative decisions" in "adapting work," and bumps are "to be expected" in "a creative process." Condal himself went a bit harder the next year, saying that as they "got deeper down the road," Martin "just became unwilling to acknowledge the practical issues at hand in a reasonable way."

For now, it's a waiting game to learn if House of the Dragon Season 3 will be any more faithful to Fire & Blood than Season 2 was. As a reader of the fictional history of the Targaryen dynasty, I will say that even if there are efforts to go back to the book's narrative, big changes will have to happen to get back on track.

The good news for book purists is that A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is set to be an incredibly faithful adaptation of George R.R. Martin's novella. Tune in to HBO on Sunday, January 18 at 10 p.m. ET for the series premiere of the new Game of Thrones prequel, which is set far enough after House of the Dragon that the two shows can be watched independently.

As someone who binge-watched Game of Thrones years after it ended, I’ll be the first to admit that it was a daunting task. Getting into this world created by George R.R. Martin was intimidating, and I did it before the spinoffs existed. So, now, if I were someone interested in going to Westeros for the first time, I’d be overwhelmed. However, there’s a solution to this problem, because the GOT series that’s about to premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, is actually a great “on-ramp” into this universe, according to the show’s boss.

To kick off 2026, we’ll get the Game of Thrones prequel series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. It follows Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg, and the trailer for AKOTSK shows that this series has a much lighter and comedic tone than House of the Dragon and GOT. Speaking to differences like this and what sets this series apart from its predecessors with SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend, showrunner Ira Parker also noted that this spinoff is actually a great entry point into this franchise, saying:

I totally see what he’s saying here. The world of Game of Thrones is intense, complex and, for lack of a better term, overwhelming. There’s a lot going on, it’s a lot to take in, and now that there are three shows, it’s tough to know where to start. Based on what I know about A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, this feels like a great jumping-off point.

You can wade into the world of Westeros. You won’t be thrown into the dark, deep end with this new series. It’s lighter, it does not take place during the events of House of the Dragon or Game of Thrones (it takes place between them), and as Parker explained, Dunk is also not in the know about Westeros royalty and politics. Speaking to how that fact impacts this show, the boss said:

Overall, based on what was said here, I see two reasons why A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a great introduction show. First of all, it’s not as serious as Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon; it’s lighter, which will more than likely make it easier to watch. Secondly, this comedy comes from the fact that the main character is not like any other character we’ve met before in this world. He’s new to it all, too, and I have to assume that that will make this series easy for new viewers to dive into.

Now, while A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will be quite different from the shows that came before it, which could make it jarring to jump to the other projects, I still stand by it being a good on-ramp. You can take a little stroll through Westeros with Dunk and Egg, and get to know it. And then you can go to battle and dive into the massive, violent, world-changing stories of Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.

Then, you’ll be all caught up, and ready for Seasons 3 and 4 of HOTD, Season 2 of Seven Kingdoms, and maybe even a rewatch of the show that started it all.

To get started, you can stream the Season 1 premiere of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms with an HBO Max subscription on January 18, 2026.

The long wait for House of the Dragon Season 3 continues as the 2025 TV schedule winds down, and the hiatus isn't anywhere near ending with an expected premiere date in August of the 2026 TV schedule. Filming wrapped in October, and Matt Smith still seems to be able to channel his character without any problems. In true Daemon Targaryen fashion, the actor gave the middle finger when asked to describe the upcoming third season.

Of course, it would be hard to blame the actor if he channeled some real-life frustration into the gesture. With Season 2 ending back in August 2024, he's had to spend a long time keeping a tight lid on spoilers for what's to come. Even readers of George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood can't say with certainty what's on the way after all the departures in Season 2. Check out the move that feels exactly like what Daemon would do to the Greens on behalf of the Blacks:

Take that, Team Green! Honestly, my favorite part of the video might be how quickly he flipped the bird – or flipped the dragon? – in response to the request by Hits Radio that he pull a face that sums up House of the Dragon Season 3. While Daemon and Rhaenyra reconciled at the end of Season 2 after he had a Game of Thrones-esque vision, I think it's a safe bet that he's still the Rogue Prince of the Blacks.

Whether he'll do any worse than Blood and Cheese in Season 3 remains to be seen, but he's sure to be a force to be reckoned with. (You can find the first two seasons streaming with an HBO Max subscription.) Production on Season 3 reportedly wrapped back in October, after Matt Smith teased "a lot of blood and guts" in the "bigger and better" new season over the summer. More recently, he stated on This Morning that he thought Season 3 would be out "in August next year."

Depending on when in August the date will be, Season 3 could well arrive more than two full years after the end of Season 2, with that finale airing on August 4, 2024. (Fans may be in the mood to flip the bird as well at how much longer the hiatus is!)

For fans of the entire world of Westeros, however, HBO has guaranteed at least one release per year through 2028 thanks to the early Season 4 renewal of House of the Dragon. Take a look:

The next entry in the world of Game of Thrones will be A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which arrives on January 18 in the new year. The upcoming show is set nearly a century after the events of House of the Dragon, so it should be interesting to see if the new series drops any clues about what will happen to Daemon and Co. in Season 3 and beyond.

At least the adventures of Dunk and Egg will be a taste of the world of Westeros as the wait continues for Daemon, Rhaenyra, Alicent, and the rest to return.

As House of the Dragon heads toward its already-wrapped third season, fans are bracing for even more chaos in Westeros. What we know about HotD season three is that the Dance of the Dragons is only heating up, and few characters are caught in the storm more than Alicent Hightower, played by Olivia Cooke. While talking about the show’s future, the Ready Player One actress offered a glimpse of what’s ahead—and hinted at how long she plans to stay in the role.

When asked what Dragon fans can expect from the next chapter, Cooke didn’t sugarcoat it. She boiled the entire season down to one concise, bleak summary. She explained to The Times:

Anyone who has watched the first two seasons with an HBO Max subscription knows that’s not an exaggeration. Alicent has spent most of the series torn between loyalty to her children and the political machine she helped build. If Season 2 marked the moment the war truly began, Season 3 seems set to push her even further into emotional freefall.

As for how long she’ll stay on the show, Cooke kept things light but honest. She added:

It’s a half-joking answer that fits a franchise known for killing characters at their peak. Fans of George R.R. Martin’s source material already know how bloody the Dance of the Dragons becomes. Cooke’s comment makes it clear she isn’t getting too comfortable, even as she anchors one of television’s biggest series.

Season 3 is shaping up to be the biggest swing the series has taken yet. HBO hasn’t announced an exact premiere date, but the show is expected to land sometime next summer. With production now wrapped and heavy post-production underway, if post runs on its usual HBO scale, a 2026 Television schedule premiere is all but certain.

The third season will run for eight episodes and, according to showrunner Ryan Condal, marks the point where the Dance of the Dragons finally erupts into full-scale war. He’s teased not just one but two massive battle sequences—both designed to outdo Rook’s Rest—and confirmed that the long-awaited naval clash, the Battle of the Gullet, will hit earlier than fans might expect.

Beyond the spectacle, Season 3 will also broaden the political landscape. Nearly the entire core cast returns, and several new players join the board, including James Norton as Ormund Hightower and Tommy Flanagan as Ser Roderick Dustin. The season is also expected to introduce Daeron Targaryen at last, a key figure whose absence has been a point of speculation since his dragon quietly appeared in Season 2. Condal has hinted at a standout “conceptual” episode that breaks the show’s usual structure—leaner on battles, heavier on character work—which suggests Season 3 won’t just go bigger, but also stranger and more ambitious.

As for the Bates Motel alum, her enthusiasm for the role remains clear. Alicent has become one of the show’s most layered figures, and Cooke’s performance has earned consistent praise, especially for the way she plays the former queen’s internal conflicts without slipping into melodrama. Season 3 giving her “more trauma” may not be good news for the character, but it likely means more compelling material for the actor.

With Season 3 nearing its release and the Targaryen civil war heading into its ugliest phase, fans should expect bigger battles and some brutal heartbreak. If Cooke’s tease is any sign, Alicent will once again be at the center of it. Here’s hoping she survives long enough to reach the already announced Season 4.

The first two seasons of House of the Dragon are available to stream with an HBO Max subscription.

It’s not exactly a hot take to say Game Of Thrones fans aren’t happy with how the last season went. I’m a little more defensive of the final few episodes than most people, and even I would say Season 8 has some major issues. Exactly who is responsible for the downfall, however, is an argument fans are still having. Recently, someone on social media pointed the finger at George RR Martin and accused him of being the real culprit, and let’s just say the diehards did not respond positively.

It all started a few days ago when a user made a thread in Reddit’s ever popular Unpopular Opinion sub. They argued that the acclaimed author ruined the show because he never finished his novels. The user claimed that showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss “signed up” to direct and write a TV show based off source material, and because the conclusion to the source material never came, the executive producers had to create their own ending to someone else’s work, which is “100x harder.”

The argument sounds very reasonable on paper. Fans have been complaining for years about the slow progress of Martin’s novels, and the acclaimed HBO show was finished before the books, which still haven’t come. Hundreds of comments and thousands of engagements, however, have made it clear many, many diehards disagree.

There are several reasons why so many are unwilling to blame Martin, but the most common definitely has to do with the source material itself. Numerous GOT fans in the thread pointed out how little of the books Benioff and Weiss actually adapted. The first two seasons of the show are fairly faithful adaptations of Martin’s books, but they start diverging very regularly late in the show, especially in Season 5 and beyond. Here’s a sample comment that has almost 1,000 likes…

There’s also the issue of the pacing and the episode count. The thing that bothered me most as an obsessive Game Of Thrones fan was how fast everything moved, especially during the 7th and 8th seasons. It was like the showrunners were in a rush to get things over with, which, of course, they were because they were planning to go make Star Wars movies.

To me, I didn’t really have a problem with the basics of what happened during the ending (although I still hate the Bran stuff). It was more that it was hard to get on board with the trajectory because it all happened so quickly. The early seasons are such a slow build. You really spend time with the characters and can see why they make the decisions they do. We still get a little foreshadowing and character development in the later seasons, but what we do get is wedged between so many “and this happened” moments. Here’s another comment from a user…

It’s worth noting that even though an overwhelming majority of users were very defensive of Martin and said he was not to blame, there were a very tangible percentage who were happy to throw at least a little shade at Martin. Overwhelmingly, people blamed Benioff & Weiss for the overall issues but admitted Martin has taken forever to finish his novels. Some claimed he’s taking so long because it’s impossible to weave together all the complicated storylines. Others claimed he’s never going to finish the books because the stories are supposed to be ongoing and never have a real conclusion like real life.

Regardless of who is to blame for what happened during Season 8, I prefer to look at the show positively. The characters, worldbuilding and intrigue of the first six seasons are unlike anything I’ve ever seen on television, and I’m really enjoying the first spinoff House Of The Dragon, as well (even if it has the same episode count problems). That’s a credit to George RR Martin and everyone else involved, especially showrunners Benioff and Weiss.

Game of Thrones fans, get excited, because we get to go back to the world of Westeros for years to come! In a big announcement from HBO, it was revealed that House of the Dragon has been renewed for Season 4 already, and the universe’s newest spinoff, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, has been renewed for Season 2. However, while all of this is very exciting, I do have a GOT-sized question about HOTD and what will happen after Season 4.

We’re Getting House Of The Dragon Season 4 Next Year

It was announced by HBO that House of the Dragon Season 3 will premiere on the 2026 TV schedule during the summer. Along with that news, Season 4 was confirmed, and it was given a target release window of 2028, which falls in line with the show’s pattern of releasing during even years (Season 1 debuted in 2022 and Season 2 followed in 2024).

So, make sure your HBO Max subscription is ready to go, because there’s a lot more story to tell. That’s because, along with HOTD, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will premiere its first season on January 18, 2026, was also renewed.

Speaking about these shows’ futures, Francesca Orsi, the Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, said:

I’m sure it will all be epic, and I’m so excited that we’ll get even more of both projects. However, the confirmation of House of the Dragon’s senior season left me with a question.

Will Season 4 Be House Of The Dragon’s Final Season?

Back in August of 2024, it was reported that House of the Dragon would end with Season 4, via Variety. During a press conference, showrunner and co-creator Ryan Condal explained that they planned to make Seasons 3 and 4.

However, notably, HBO’s announcement about Season 4 didn’t include any information about it being the final one. I’d assume that if it were, in fact, the end, the network would want to go out with a bang and market the upcoming installment as an epic conclusion. However, that’s not what happened here; the press release simply called it “a fourth season.”

So, it leads me to wonder what the future holds for House of the Dragon. Will it end with Season 4? Or will the Targaryens’ story continue into a fifth season and potentially beyond?

Obviously, its predecessor Game of Thrones ran eight seasons, and its infamous ending makes it a series that some think overstayed its welcome. I don’t want that to happen to HOTD, so I’d actually love it if it ended with Season 4. However, I’m open to more, and HBO’s latest announcement seems to leave the project’s future up in the air.

So, now the wait is on. Season 3 of House of the Dragon will premiere next year, and it will be followed by Season 4 two years later. What comes after that feels a little bit more unknown than it was before; however, as we learn more, we’ll keep you posted.

Ahead of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ release, they finally dropped the first teaser, and in it, you might notice something different about the Targaryen family’s sigil. You’re not seeing things either; they really are a bit different, and the Game of Thrones spinoff’s co-creator explained why while also revealing the conversations they had with House of the Dragon’s creative team about what needed to stay the same about it.

As the first trailer for the upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff premiered, EW spoke to co-creator and showrunner Ira Parker about a specific Targaryen detail featured in it. This detail has to do with the family’s flags you can see waving in the wind. In this new show, they’re slightly different from HOTD and GOT as it features a dragon with its wings extending backward as fire encircles the creature, as you can see in the left image. The right image shows the sigil used in the other two shows, and it features the dragon's wings crouched in as part of the circle.

According to Parker, while a lot of things about Westeros wouldn’t change over the course of generations, the art will evolve. He explained that that’s the case here, saying:

Adding on to that, the Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner noted that as they were doing this, they had a lot of conversations with House of the Dragon’s team, and its showrunner, Ryan Condal, specifically. Parker said they had “a lot of conversations” with him about this exact topic, explaining that the sigil discussion had come up before.

In Game of Thrones, there were two versions of the sigil. One was a three-headed dragon with two legs, which is how it’s described by George R.R. Martin. Then, later on in the show, which you can stream with an HBO Max subscription, when Daenerys Targaryen sailed for Westeros, they used a four-legged dragon. That later design was also used in House of the Dragon, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms wanted to keep their sigil similar when it came to the number of legs, as Parker said:

Of all the details for these two shows to discuss, the number of legs the dragons on the Targaryen symbol have was not one I’d thought of. However, it makes sense.

While this new show, which George R.R. Martin is “so so so pleased with,” takes place decades after the events of HOTD and 100 years before Game of Thrones, obviously, fundamental details need to carry over and stay the same. As Parker said, not a lot about Westeros changes. So, I’m happy they touched base with their fellow prequel to make sure everything was right before they tweaked it just a smidge to give it their own personal touch.

It’s been said before, but it’s worth saying again: this show will be different from Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, and that’s clear in tiny details as well as bigger elements of the trailer, like the tone. However, other details will stay the exact same, because every series takes place in the same world of fantasy, and that consistency is key.

So, to compare, contrast and catch all of this on screen, make sure to tune into A Night of the Seven Kingdoms on January 18 and House of the Dragon Season 3 whenever it comes out on HBO Max.

House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones are known for gruesome deaths and oftentimes violent confrontations; there’s no ifs, ands or buts about that. However, in the case of HOTD, we rarely see Olivia Cooke’s character, Alicent Hightower, partake in said violence. But in a rare moment of rage during Season 1, she confronted her son, the eventual king, Aegon, and slapped him. Now, the actress has opened up about filming that moment, revealing what it was like to actually slap her TV-son and why it made her feel “awful.”

Throwing it back to the Game of Thrones spinoff, Cooke recalled this story to The i Paper during a discussion about her new project on the 2025 TV schedule, The Girlfriend, and her career so far. She explained that before she actually hit Glynn-Carney, it was made clear that he wanted her to really go for it. She said:

Making an educated guess, it would seem she's referencing what happens in Season 1, Episode 8 (which you can stream with an HBO Max subscription). However, it's worth noting that in Episode 7, she does slap Aegon out of rage after Aemond lost his eye. But Glynn-Carney isn't playing Aegon in that episode; it's a younger actor.

So, going back to Episode 8, Alicent had just found out that Aegon had raped Dyana, and she went to confront him about it. She found him passed out in his bed, and after slapping him, she says, “You are no son of mine.” It’s a harsh moment, and it results in Aegon getting emotional and saying he can never impress his parents.

Cooke explained that when they filmed their scene together, she hit her fellow House of the Dragon cast member so hard, it “made him cry.” While that seemed to be the plan, it shook her up a bit, as she explained:

Back in 2022, Cooke told this story to THR, specifying that it was during Episode 8, and noting that she “just really fucking went for it to the point where it echoed all the way through the hall.” She said she was “completely taken out of the scene” because she was trying not to awkwardly laugh, and noted that they only did one or two takes.

It’s worth noting, you can’t see Alicent’s face in the shot in Episode 8; you only see Aegon’s during the literal slap. However, it cuts to Cooke immediately after as she delivers that heartbreaking “You are no son of mine line.”

Both times Alicent slapped Aegon, I took it as her ragefully trying to slap some sense into him. The end of Season 1 is fraught with tension, as Viserys slowly dies and the origins of the Green vs. Black battle begin to take form. And that battle for the throne and the stress of who will sit in it next plagues everyone, including Alicent.

Truly, the slaps were visceral to watch, and knowing it was visceral to film makes it even more intense. I can’t say I blame Cooke for feeling “awful” about it; hitting someone would not be fun. However, all those feelings certainly added to the moment and helped make this tense scene between mother and son even more emotional.

Now, I’ll be curious to see what kind of intense moments we get when House of the Dragon Season 3 comes out. I’m certain there will be more as the Targaryen war continues, and you better believe we’ll be talking about them as they happen.

The world of Game of Thrones returned to HBO in 2022 with House of the Dragon, just a few years following the original series’ divisive finale. Like how plenty of viewers have been pretty ruthless about the Thrones finale, House of the Dragon and its cast have gotten plenty of hate over two seasons so far. Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent Hightower in the hit drama, opened up about the brutal feedback she and her costars have received, but also credited two actors from Team Black for how they handled it.

Like Game of Thrones before it, House of the Dragon (which will arrive at some point after the 2025 TV schedule) started out pretty faithfully to George R.R Martin’s source material but then diverged later on in some directions that have been controversial with readers and non-readers alike. If you checked in on social media when the first season and especially the second season of HOTD were releasing, you likely spotted some hateful comments from viewers who didn’t like the direction of the series... to put it nicely.

That’s certainly not to say that all House of the Dragon viewers have been toxic towards the people involved in the show, but the dark side of the fandom has clearly made an impression on Olivia Cooke. She told THR:

I don’t think many TV viewers are innocent of criticizing even their favorite shows, and George R.R Martin himself publicly aired some grievances about Season 2 before deleting his comments. That said, there's a difference between criticizing and targeting incredibly harsh comments towards actors who are just performing what's written for them. Cooke went on to share that she’s also had “wonderful” experiences, and credited some of her costars for how they deal with the hate:

Emma D’Arcy took over the role of Rhaenyra Targaryen after the Season 1 time jump, and opened up about being tired of being asked about gendered awards categories as well as pitching a fun idea for her character. D’Arcy and Cooke were on the same page about how “exhausting” Season 2 was to film, with Season 2 ultimately featuring a surprising number of scenes between Alicent and Rhaenyra despite being on opposite sides of the Targaryen civil war.

As for Matt Smith, House of the Dragon isn’t even his first time playing a lead role in a fantasy series with a very passionate fanbase. While the Eleventh Doctor seems to be a fan-favorite nowadays, I recall his Doctor Who character getting a rough reception back in the day from some viewers who may not have been ready to say goodbye to David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. (Smith is also heading over to Star Wars, so strong reactions from viewers clearly haven’t turned him off of joining big franchises.)

For now, the wait is still on for Season 3 of House of the Dragon, which is expected to arrive on HBO at some point in 2026. Whatever happens, hopefully the stars won’t have as much hate to deal with moving forward. In the meantime, you can always revisit the first two seasons streaming with an HBO Max subscription.

The one-year anniversary of House of the Dragon's Season 2 finale came and went in August 2025 without any big news about the upcoming third season, despite production being underway. The show won't arrive on HBO before the end of the 2025 TV schedule, and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is likely to premiere next year before Season 3. The long wait means actors haven't been able to say much about what is coming to avoid spoilers, and Matt Smith's response in a recent interview makes me suspect that he's tired of not being able to talk freely about where the show is going next.

Matt Smith recently completed a WIRED Autocomplete Interview, and couldn't say much when he got to the question of what he's working on right now:

In fairness, Matt Smith did also recently tease "a lot of blood and a lot of guts" and a scale that feels "a lot bigger" and "more epic" to ET, and he was participating in quite an unconventional interview when he gave his bare bones response about the Game of Thrones spinoff.

Still, saying that 1) he's on House of the Dragon, 2) he plays a guy named Daemon in the Targaryen family tree, and 3) has blond hair has been the same kind of safe answer that Smith could have given ahead of Season 1 and Season 2 as much as Season 3. In fact, given his recent comments about his wigs as Daemon Targaryen, I'm guessing he's pretty tired of those too!

In all seriousness, I mean no offense to Matt Smith when I say that I thought his description of what he's working on is pretty standard. It's a safe bet that the House of the Dragon and HBO teams want to keep as tight a lid on spoilers as possible, and that can mean limits to what actors can talk about.

Olivia Cooke, who plays Alicent Hightower as one of Daemon's enemies, teased that the season starts off "with a bang," but that was already pretty guaranteed after the last two intended episodes of Season 2 were pushed back to premiere Season 3. She didn't give much away either. Even in my highest of hopes, I wouldn't expect any cast member to drop any juicy third season secrets at this point.

I won't get into spoilers for George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, but the timing at the end of Season 2 definitely pointed toward a major battle happening next. In fact, the delay of this epic naval battle (involving Titanic's production manager) is why I consider the Season 2 finale to be underwhelming.

Hopefully that means a spectacular opening to Season 3! Then again, book readers had certain expectations of how the opening of Season 2 would approach Daemon's "Blood and Cheese" move against the Greens, and George R.R. Martin had some scathing comments about it.

Suffice it to say that I am among fans who are more than ready for some more solid information (or footage) for Season 3, which would perhaps mean that Matt Smith and other actors could safely talk about more than vague teases or standard answers. Until then... well, the Doctor Who vet plays Daemon Targaryen, who has blond hair, and is on House of the Dragon. If you want to revisit the first two seasons, you can find them streaming with an HBO Max subscription now.

The Game of Thrones franchise became a global phenomenon, and those with an HBO Max subscription have been able to return to Westeros thanks to the prequel House of the Dragon. The third season has been filming, and Alicent Hightower actress Olivia Cooke just teased a thrilling two-part premiere. What's more, her comments will likely please fans who were disappointed with HOTD's Season 2 finale.

Game of Thrones' series finale was very divisive, and fans feel strongly about the franchise as a whole. What we know about House of the Dragon Season 3 is limited, but it looks like all-out war between the Greens and Blacks is about to begin. Cooke spoke to Collider about what to expect when the spinoff returns to screens, sharing:

Honestly, sign me up. It sounds like we're going to hit the ground running in the first two episodes of HOTD Season 3, giving us a battle that was teased last season but never shown. And I have to wonder how many soldiers and dragons might perish when it happens. Give us the episodes ASAP!

While some of us are still figuring out which dragons belong to who in House of the Dragon, fans who read George R.R. Martin's book Fire & Blood pretty much know what to expect. And it sounds like Season 3's start will offer the action that was so sorely missing from Season 2's finale.

Westeros is known for being a brutal place, and House of the Dragon has already featured some absolutely chilling moments. Because the Targaryens and Hightowers are fighting for The Iron Throne, we've already seen a number of children slaughtered. But these haven't been full-on medieval battles, so things are about to get crazy.

Since HOTD is a book to screen adaptation, there are some fans who know what's going to happen. Fans have been looking forward to the Battle of the Gullet, which will seemingly be the conflict that Cooke is teasing in her comments. I'm personally nervous about all of the dragons involved, especially after seeing Rhaenys and Meleys perish in Season 2.

Unfortunately, House of the Dragon Season 3 doesn't currently have a concrete release date. The third season of the Game of Thrones spinoff is expected to arrive sometime in 2026, but we'll have to wait for news from the powers that be at HBO. For now, we can re-watch the first two seasons over on HBO Max.

There are popular TV shows, and then there's the Game of Thrones universe. Those with an HBO Max subscription returned to Westeros with the prequel House of the Dragon, which is all about The Targaryens and their dragons. Actor Matt Smith plays Daemon, and recently offered a thrilling update about where things stand on the third season.

What we know about House of the Dragon Season 3 is limited, but fans are eager for any information about what's coming next. Over on ET's TikTok, the actor was asked about how things are going on the third batch of episodes. He answered excitedly, offering:

Do you hear that sound? It's Game of Thrones fans everywhere cheering. Because while the first two seasons were pretty epic in scale, it sounds like HOTD Season 3 is going to be even bigger and bloodier. And I'm scared for the entire Targaryen family.

There are a few reasons why House of the Dragon Season 3 may be even "bigger and better". For one, the show is presumably free of COVID protocols that had be followed when filming Season 2. And with all-out war about to begin in Westeros, we'll presumably be seeing epic battles.

The House of the Dragon Season 2 finale saw the Greens and Blacks preparing for all-out war, assembling troops and dragons ahead of battling over Westeros. I haven't read George R.R. Martin's novel, so the book-to-screen adaptation will be able to shock me with its deaths. I know I was shook when my favorite character got killed off in Season 2. Seriously, I'm not over Rhaenys' death.

It should be interesting to see what comes next for Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen in Season 3 of HOTD. He spent much of Season 2 going mad in Harrenhal, and debating how he was going to ultimately betray Rhaenyra. But he has once again committed himself to his wife as Queen, and they should presumably be a more united front in the next batch of episodes.

While the finale of Game of Thrones remains controversial, House of the Dragon is hitting all the nostalgic beats and feels more like classic Thrones. The pressure is on for it to deliver where its predecessor did not, but since the prequel is telling a more contained story, I think that's exactly what'll occur.

House of the Dragon doesn't currently have a release date, but is expected to arrive sometime in 2026. We'll just have to patiently wait for the network to give us some sort of tease of what's to come.

When you think of iconic Matt Smith looks, the platinum-blonde Targaryen mane on House of the Dragon has to come to mind. The show has gained immense popularity, and the look has become iconic. Now, Smith has a new hair he is debuting for the 2025 movie release, Caught Stealing, and it’s a wild, colorful punk mohawk. Both are bold, scene-stealing hairdos that look like a nightmare to maintain. Smith is now revealing which look he thinks is more difficult to rock, and honestly I’m pretty surprised by his answer.

In a recent interview with ScreenRant, Smith joined his co-star Regina King to chat about their latest Austin Butler-led Darren Aronofsky movie, which follows a man who volunteers to care for his neighbor Russ's cat. This ends up leading to his involvement in a dangerous criminal conspiracy. Smith’s look for the film is notably striking, and elaborate hair pieces seem to be becoming his thing.

While it wasn’t exactly easy getting his mohawk just right for the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, the Doctor Who star revealed that it was actually easier to maintain than his Daemon Targaryen hair for House of the Dragon. He said:

This actually surprises me, considering the mohawk seems like it would be more difficult to pull off successfully. Getting his hair to stand up like that must’ve involved a lot of products. Also the colorful hair dye alone must’ve been a trip. It’s hard to determine how much of it is his actual hair or extensions, but it couldn’t have been the most nourishing thing to do for your hair.

Plus he had to maintain some semblance of a mohawk throughout filming. You can see a photo of the Caught Stealing look below:

However, Smith truly seemed to believe that the House of the Dragon hairstyle was more intensive, which makes me wonder how much goes into making that wig work. Of course, it isn’t Smith’s actual hair, as bleaching a mane that color would be illogical, as Emilia Clarke learned when she dyed her hair for Game of Thrones. Even though it’s a wig, Smith has previously said he is in the makeup and hair chair for over an hour and a half before he shoots his scenes as Daemon. A lot of work goes into making a wig look natural and seamless, especially a wig that color. It’s probably a mix of the time commitment and the fact that long hair can be uncomfortable for people not used to having it.

Even though Smith thinks that his HoD hair is ultimately a more difficult feat than his elaborate Caught Stealing mohawk, this doesn’t mean that this most recent hairstyle was a cake-walk by any means. Getting his hair to stand up was one thing, but getting all of that product out was another which made the whole thing even more of a hassle. He said:

This, combined with the hair maintenance he took on for the GoT spinoff, truly shows the lengths Smith is willing to go to in order to capture a character’s essence. Hair is a big part of a person, and you can tell a lot about a character based on how they choose to wear their hair, especially if it’s as bold as a colorful mohawk or a long bleach blonde mane. Smith is a rare case where I think he can pull off both, and I can’t wait to see what other hair moments come his way in the future.

You can see Matt Smith rock a mohawk in Caught Stealing, which will be playing in theaters nationwide starting on August 29, 2025. Fans can also see Smith and his flowing white hair as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, which is currently streaming its first two seasons now with an HBO Max subscription.

As the one-year anniversary of House of the Dragon’s Season 2 finale looms, Season 3 isn’t expected to arrive on HBO until well past the end of the 2025 TV schedule. That said, there’s still news to get excited about as the weeks pass without any new footage, and readers of George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood can take note of the latest casting.

None other than a fierce warrior from the riverlands has been added for Season 3 rather than another branch of the Targaryen family tree, and while I won’t get deep into spoilers for the sake of non-readers, I will say that it gets my hopes up a little higher that some very funny Fire & Blood Easter eggs make the cut in Season 3.

House Of The Dragon’s Newest Warrior

Red Skies actress Annie Shapero has been cast to play Alysanne Blackwood, a.k.a. the archer and warrior Black Aly, for Season 3 of House of the Dragon (per Deadline). Without getting too deep into spoilers from Fire & Blood, Black Aly is Team Black and fights for Rhaenyra in the Dance of the Dragons, and will forge an important tie with Lord Cregan Stark when the North becomes more heavily involved in the war.

While I would have automatically expected Black Aly to be cast if House of the Dragon was a faithful adaptation of Fire & Blood, the show has increasingly diverged from the source material, with George R.R. Martin himself listing his grievances with certain choices. This particular book character has made the cut (unlike a certain prince during Blood and Cheese), and Annie Shapero will reportedly appear in five of Season 3’s eight episodes, although she’s not billed as a series regular.

Depending on how faithfully HOTD adapts Alysanne’s story, I’d expect that she’ll have a role to play in the fourth and final season as well. Only time will tell, but I’m choosing to take her casting as a sign that we could get to see more of the riverlands in House of the Dragon Season 3. And more of that region could bode well for a wish of mine.

Historically in both Game of Thrones and HOTD, the riverlands are just not a place anybody would want to be during a time of war, but I’m hoping that the addition of Black Aly – a Blackwood of the riverlands – could be a sign that something funny is on the way with that particular area. (Funny for fans, at least!)

George R.R. Martin’s Riverlands Easter Eggs

In House of the Dragon just as in the earliest seasons of Game of Thrones, House Tully were the Lords Paramount of the riverlands region. The second season introduced Oscar Tully, the young lord of Riverrun after the death of his father and grandfather. In Fire & Blood, there are more Tullys recorded by George R.R. Martin, and their names are funny enough that I can forgive the author for naming so many characters “Aegon.”

Key members of House Tully in the Dance of the Dragons chapters of Fire & Blood include:

• Grover Tully
• Elmo Tully
• Kermit Tully
• Oscar Tully

War comes to the riverlands by way of Sesame Street in this era of the history of Westeros, apparently! In all seriousness, I don’t know that George R.R. Martin was deliberately trying to make readers associate Tully men with Muppets, or even wanted any readers to pick up the trend.

My theory has always been that the author was tired of coming up with Westerosi name after name after name for this section of Fire & Blood, and simply picked ones that came to mind just to cross these Tullys off of his list. I can’t confirm, but why else name a bunch of characters after Sesame Street icons?

Of course, Grover and Co. don’t really have much to do with Black Aly in Fire & Blood other than hailing from the riverlands, but if I can celebrate that she’s been cast for Season 3, why not hold onto some hope for the Seven Kingdom’s Muppets to make the cut too? With a little tweaking to the Blackwood family tree, they could all be included in the show with a different line of succession than in Fire & Blood.

Besides, without details about when to expect the third season other than expectations of 2026, it’s fun to latch on to something from Fire & Blood that could make it to HBO. For now, you can always revisit the first two seasons of House of the Dragon as well as the full run of Game of Thrones streaming with an HBO Max subscription.

House of the Dragon is still smoldering from Season 2’s chaos, but thanks to Tom Glynn-Carney, we’ve already got a tease of what’s cooking in HOTD's upcoming Season 3. Between Alicent and Criston Cole’s sudden shift, Daemon brooding on an island and in Harrenhal, and Aegon II getting literally roasted, Season 2 was a lot. But if you’ve been waiting for Aegon to evolve beyond a scorched “royal mess,” your patience might finally pay off.

Tom Glynn-Carney peeled back the armor a bit to discuss Aegon’s next chapter during an interview with Awards Buzz. The English actor offers insight into the embattled king’s shifting mindset, and it sounds like Season 3 won’t be business as usual for the bottle-swigging, chaos-courting monarch. The actor shared:

Some say Aegon’s the most compelling character in the prestige fantasy series—I’m one of them. So yeah, this tease from the man under the white Targaryen wig is exciting. It's a long way from the guy we met in Season 1, who was naked, drunk, and hiding from his own coronation.

According to Glynn-Carney, Season 3’s version of the current King of Westeros will be more locked in:

If that doesn’t sound like a king finally taking the Iron Throne seriously, I don’t know what does.

It’s a smart and necessary move. Aegon hasn’t exactly been a beacon of stability, as his rise to power was more akin to an “accidental frat bro with a crown” than that of a legitimate ruler. And while Season 2 started nudging him toward emotional depth (losing his son and nearly dying will do that), he’s still had the subtlety of a wildfire in a wheat field. Now, though, it sounds like he’s on the verge of becoming something more than a narrative punching bag. And for my money, that is truly exciting.

Truthfully, House of the Dragon needs this sort of depth. The show’s been leaning hard into team Black and Rhaenyra’s point of view, painting Aegon and the Greens as the faction to root against. That worked early on, but we’re deep enough into this Targaryen civil war that viewers need more than one sympathetic camp. And if Aegon starts showing layers —real, messy, morally gray ones— that could finally restore some of the franchise’s trademark ambiguity.

What’s important to remember is the audience doesn’t need Aegon to be likable. He just has to be human. Like so many of the best characters of Game of Thrones, he should be flawed, he can be cold and calculating—but maybe, just maybe, a little self-aware.

We’ll have to wait and see what happens when Aegon, power in hand, finally asks himself why he wanted it. Season 3 is expected in 2026, though no date has been set. In the meantime, you can stream every shocking Game of Thrones moment and House of the Dragon episode with an HBO Max subscription.