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.

When it comes to some of the most fantastical movies or TV shows, the first thing I always think of is the best fantasy movies or the best fantasy series, because those are the best kinds of escape. But this list is for those who want a massive sheet of some of the best fantasy adaptations that are awesome to watch – and will totally transport you to another world.

Harry Potter Franchise

I mean, if you know me, you know I love the Harry Potter franchise and no matter what, I will stand by it until the end of time – even if the author sometimes makes me want to cringe. Either way, the Harry Potter movies are some of the best out there, and the worldbuilding that has expanded from this series has only made it that much better.

The Lord Of The Rings

I don’t think I could do a fantasy adaptation list without mentioning The Lord of the Rings movies. Based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings is the kind of fantasy that only comes once in a lifetime, and the moment you get into these movies, you’ll never be the same.

The Wheel Of Time

Based on the novel series of the same name, The Wheel of Time is the kind of high fantasy that has so much going on with it that you’re going to need an entire glossary of terms to keep up with the worldbuilding. But there’s no denying that this series is a fun one – and one of the best shows to watch on Amazon.

Shadowhunters

Based on The Mortal Instruments novels by Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters is all about a girl who finds out on her eighteenth birthday that she comes from a long line of Shadowhunters, human-angel hybrids whose job is to hunt down demons. It’s just as wild as you could probably imagine.

His Dark Materials

Based on the novels by Philip Pullman, His Dark Materials is the kind of fantasy drama that truly takes it to another level. It’s the kind of fantasy series that I really don’t want to dive too heavily into because it’ll reveal so much. Still, the main premise is about a teenager looking for a lost friend and finding out things related to her life that she never would have imagined. The fantasy is ever-changing, as they move from several different worlds, which is so cool.

The Sandman

If you’re looking for a fantasy drama with a tinge of the supernatural, then The Sandman is the show for you. The series, hailing from Netflix and based on the comic book of the same name, follows the personification of Dreams, who is captured for a century and then breaks out, aiming to restore his power.

Game Of Thrones

I have to put Game of Thrones on here. How could I not put this series? From the Game of Thrones cast to the heartbreaking deaths we witness, the shocking Game of Thrones moments, this series has it all if you’re looking for an intense fantasy show that will keep you hooked for eight seasons straight – even if the last one isn’t that great.

Outlander

While Outlander isn’t the typical fantasy I would put here, it’s still a fantasy nonetheless. Based on the novels of the same name, Outlander follows the story of a WWII nurse who somehow travels back in time and falls in love with a Highland warrior. Yes, that is the plot, and yes, it’s just as swoon-worthy as you can imagine. It’s one of the best Starz shows, for sure.

A Discovery Of Witches

For all the ones out there who love witches, you have to check out A Discovery of Witches. Based on the All Souls trilogy by Deborah Harkness, A Discovery of Witches follows a historian who must work together with a vampire in order to protect a bewitched manuscript from the hands of evil monsters.

Wicked

Out of every movie I was imagining to put on here, Wicked was one I knew had to appear. This movie, based on the Broadway musical and, in turn, based on a novel about the wicked witch called Wicked, the film follows the life of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, and how she was actually once friends with Glinda the Good Witch. Truly such an iconic piece of cinema.

Once Upon A Time

If you love all those incredible Disney movies but want to see them in an adult way, then Once Upon a Time is the series for you. Many of the episodes and characters are based on classic fairy tales. The series is all about a boy discovering that the people who live in this new town they traveled to are actually all storybook characters.

Percy Jackson And The Olympians

While I’m toeing the line between Greek mythology and fantasy, I still believe these novels are more fantasy than anything else, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians are the best adaptations of them. The series is about a young man who finds out he is a demi-god, the son of Poseidon, and must go on a quest to retrieve Zeus’ lightning bolt to prove his innocence and restore order.

Attack On Titan

As much as Attack on Titan has traumatized me with its heartbreaking deaths, at the end of the day, it is a dark fantasy anime because this world most certainly does not exist. The series mainly follows Eren Yeager, a recruit of the Scout Regiment, who aims to explore beyond the three walls of their human civilization and take down humanoid Titans who seek to kill them. But there's A LOT more about this series that you will never expect – so go into it with an open mind. It’s based on the manga with the same name.

The Green Knight

Based on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, this movie is a visual masterpiece, and I need more people to watch it. The film, starring Dev Patel, follows a young man named Gawain who travels to face the titular Green Knight, a giant, green humanoid of a man who challenges those who come across him.

Locke & Key

Based on the novel of the same name, Locke & Key is a fantasy drama that follows the lives of three siblings who discover several keys throughout their new home that lead to mysterious doors. They unknowingly unlock gates that bring in dangerous entities that turn their lives upside down. While it’s not as crazy of a fantasy, it’s still a fun one with some cool visuals.

The Witcher

The Witcher is based on the novels of the same name and primarily follows the story of Geralt of Rivia. This monster hunter is known as a “witcher,” and his time was spent not only protecting the princess of Cintra but also running into horrors you could never imagine. Some of these monsters, man…they are a lot.

Sweet Tooth

Based on the novel of the same name, Sweet Tooth mainly follows a boy who is a deer hybrid after a virus has killed most of the world’s population. In this story, he looks to find his mother after his father passes, taking him on a fantastic journey.

The Hobbit

If you like The Lord of the Rings, chances are, you’re going to like The Hobbit. The movies are a prequel to famous films, and they follow Bilbo Baggins as he travels across the realm to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from a dragon that has overtaken it. This is J.R.R. Tolkien, so you know it’s going to be an intense fantasy.

The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina

While The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina takes place in the modern day, there are plenty of moments in this that make it stand out as a fantastical fantasy series. Based on the comics of the same name, it follows Sabrina, a witch who, on her sixteenth birthday, must decide between leaving her mortal life behind to fully become a witch or leaving that to embrace her friends.

Arcane

Hands down, Arcane is one of the best shows on Netflix to binge-watch. The series, based on the video game franchise League of Legends, takes you into the worlds of both Piltover and Zaun, an overcity and the underground one beneath, where two sisters are separated by years of tragedy and are thrown into a magical conspiracy you could never imagine.

House Of The Dragon

If you liked Game of Thrones, you’ll probably enjoy House of the Dragon. Based on Fire and Blood by George R.R. Martin, the new series follows the life of the Targaryen family tree, mainly during the time of the Dance of Dragons, where two Targaryen heirs fight for the throne and cause thousands of deaths.

Good Omens

Based on the novel of the same name, Good Omens is a hilarious fantasy comedy that follows a demon and an angel who are representatives of heaven and hell – oh, and they just so happen to be friends despite coming from two completely different sides. And now, they must work together to prevent Armageddon and the Antichrist.

My Lady Janes

My Lady Jane, based on the novel of the same name, follows the titular character as she is convinced to marry a lord while also trying to vie for the throne of England – oh, and people in this world just so happen to possess the ability to take animal forms, so…there’s that fantasy twist. Seriously, this show is wacky but fun all the same, and it's a cute fantasy romp.

The Chronicles Of Narnia

I have to put The Chronicles of Narnia movies on here, even if there have only been three, but these films seriously take you to another world on a different level. The series is obviously based on the novels of the same name and follows the lives of siblings who discover that there is a whole other world on the opposite end of their wardrobe back home.

One Piece

Okay, before you get mad, I am not going to recommend the anime to you because trying to catch up with that will take you years. However, I will recommend the Netflix adaptation. The series, based on the manga of the same name, follows Monkey D. Luffy, a wannabe pirate who builds a crew to find a famous treasure in order to become King of the Pirates—oh, and he also has awesome magical powers that are crazy.

The Golden Compass

Based on Northern Lights by Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass is actually another adaptation of His Dark Materials, but it takes a lot more of a deep dive into fantasy. The main character, Lyra, travels by sea to the North in order to search for kidnapped children. It’s an epic fantasy.

Wednesday

While Wednesday certainly took the world by storm when it first came out, it’s still a fun, dark fantasy to watch. Based on the Addams Family franchise, the series follows Wednesday Addams as she attends a fantasy academy with all kinds of beasts, only to find out that her father is connected to a murder that occurred years ago, and now she must solve it herself.

The Princess Bride

Based on the novel of the same name, The Princess Bride follows a farmhand who travels across the land with some friends to rescue his beloved. The film is a comedy at its core, with hilarious moments and fun fantasy aspects, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants something light for an afternoon.

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

Based on the novels by Lemony Snicket, A Series of Unfortunate Events follows the lives of recent orphans Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. They struggle to find a permanent foster home as they are relentlessly hounded by Count Olaf, who seeks to claim their parents' fortune. This fun series has so many twists and turns, and the fantasy aspects are fun.

Warrior Nun

Based on the comic Warrior Nun Areala, this fantasy drama will have you on the edge of your seat. The series follows the life of a former quadriplegic orphan who discovers that she has powers now and must join an order of warrior nuns to fight against demons. Yes, this is a crazy premise and one that is perfect for dark fantasy.

Shadow And Bone

Based on the novels of the same name, as well as Six of Crows, the series follows the story of Alina Starkov, who, after believing herself to be powerless, finds out that she is a Grisha with a powerful ability that could save her world. While there are only two seasons, it’s a fun one to follow.

Cursed

Based on the book of the same name, Cursed is a one-season fantasy series that reimagines the King Arthur story. The series follows Nimue, a heroine who goes on a quest with Arthur to bear an ancient sword to Merlin. Arthur takes her on an adventure filled with beasts and magic.

While these are just some of the most fun fantasy adaptations out there, all of these are great picks, and there are so many others, too, that I didn’t even have the chance to write down. It’s time to escape.

When it comes to specific channels on television, there is but one that has produced television shows that have genuinely taken the world by storm and got people talking for years on end. And that, my friends, is HBO. The premium channel – known as “Home Box Office” – has created some of the biggest shows of the last thirty years or so. And here are some that truly got the world talking.

Game of Thrones

You knew Game of Thrones would be on here somehow. The series, based on the novel series “A Song of Ice and Fire” by George R.R. Martin, was the biggest show for years on HBO, with several huge Game of Thrones shocking moments and a Game of Thrones cast that exploded onto the scene and became household names. It’s one of the best shows of the last decade.

Westworld

Running for three seasons, Westworld was a sci-fi western based on the novel of the same name. It was a huge show when it first came out. The Westworld cast was large and impressive, and the story took so many twists and turns that it was almost hard to keep up with it.

The White Lotus

Did you ever think a series about guests at a five-star hotel resort would become the phenomenon that it’s become? Because I sure didn’t. The White Lotus, which began as a limited series, has run for three seasons so far and has captured the hearts and attention of viewers worldwide, with views growing steadily with each new season.

Insecure

Created by Issa Rae and Larry Wilmore, Insecure is the kind of comedy-drama that everyone needs to see. With five seasons total, the series followed two young Black women who are navigating their twenties and just trying to survive everyday life. It’s hilarious, won several awards, and was popular for all the right reasons.

True Detective

With a new cast each season and a new mystery to solve, True Detective kept coming back with even better stories and excellent acting. From the lands of California to the snow landscape of Alaska, this series finds new ways to surprise its audience each time, making viewers return for more whenever a new season is confirmed.

The Last of Us

Based on the video game franchise of the same name, The Last of Us ended up becoming one of the biggest shows on the channel, as well as on Max, the streaming platform for HBO. The series follows the life of Joel, a smuggler in the apocalypse, and Ellie, a girl who is immune to the virus. They journey across the United States, where her immunity might be the cure to this whole thing. The series is beloved by most, and is one of the best video game adaptations out there.

Deadwood

Considered one of the best Western shows, Deadwood is the series to watch if you want a good, classic crime drama with some of the best acting. Featuring an all-star cast with so much to love, the show was so popular that it spawned a movie after it ended, which also premiered on HBO.

Euphoria

While there have been years between seasons of this show, there’s no denying that Euphoria is one of those series where, when it premieres, the world stops to watch. Starring an impressive Euphoria cast led by Zendaya, the dark teen drama altered pop culture when it premiered and has remained iconic years later.

Big Little Lies

Based on the novel of the same name, Big Little Lies is a mystery and dark comedy in which you never truly know who to trust. With two seasons and cast members who are mega-stars like Meryl Streep, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and more at the helm, this series got people talking and more.

House Of The Dragon

While the Game of Thrones universe has continued to expand, the first series that came out after the main show concluded was House of the Dragon, based on the novel Fire and Blood. With more dragons than ever before, a civil war that has fans on the edge of their seats, and acting that takes your breath away, this series was primed to become one of the biggest shows out there the moment it premiered.

Six Feet Under

For five seasons, one of the biggest shows on HBO was Six Feet Under, a series that followed the lives of a family who ran a funeral parlor. I know, at first, that kind of premise sounds like it wouldn’t mean much entertainment, but this was a very well-received series and one that fans absolutely loved.

The Wire

Whenever anyone thinks of an HBO show, one of the first that comes to mind is always this one. The Wire was a crime drama set in Baltimore and told a different storyline each season about a new institution of the city, from drugs to the lack of education in the city. It’s extremely well-told.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

There are some comedies out there that become huge, and then there’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, a show that ran for twelve seasons, 120 episodes, and continued to remain critically praised for years. Fans could not get enough of Larry David in the lead role and the hilarity of the story that his fictional self would get into in this iconic HBO series.

Mildred Pierce

A miniseries on HBO, Mildred Pierce, is based on a book by the same name and stars Kate Winslet. Through five episodes, we watch a divorcee of the Great Depression trying to find herself again and establish a business within the restaurant industry while also dealing with her problems. The miniseries was a massive hit for HBO and earned several Emmy nominations – and a couple of wins.

Big Love

Running for five seasons, Big Love was a drama that took the world by storm. It followed the story of a Mormon man and his three wives who lived in modern-day Utah. The series was another huge hit for the channel and earned several major awards during its run.

The Sopranos

I mean, obviously, I have to include The Sopranos. I feel like The Sopranos is as synonymous with HBO as Game of Thrones is. The series made the channel huge and won many awards. The Sopranos cast is filled to the brim with incredible talent, and even now, years later, it has a long-lasting legacy.

Girls

Created by Lena Dunham, Girls was a comedy-drama that aired over six seasons and followed the lives of four women living in modern-day New York City. It had some hilarious storylines but wasn’t afraid to dive deeper into modern themes and darker subjects, which made the show such a hit.

Chernobyl

When I think of some of the best miniseries on HBO, Chernobyl is one that comes up every time. The series tells the true story of the Chernobyl disaster and was critically praised for its acting, accuracy, and fantastic cinematography. Once you watch Chernobyl, you’ll never return to who you were before.

Veep

I could go on and on for hours about Veep and how amazing it was. Starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the Veep cast was hilarious. It told the story of a U.S. vice president and how she tried to deal with the modern-day politics of America while also working with an idiotic president next to her. It’s hysterical in every way, shape and form.

Watchmen

Based on the same comic series, Watchmen is an HBO miniseries that truly redefines the superhero drama of television. It tells bold and dark tales of a world of crime and justice. It also has an incredible cast that only cemented its legacy on HBO. I always wished there was a Season 2, but I’m content with it running for the one miniseries we got.

Barry

For four seasons, Barry was the best dark comedy on the channel – and later, it really turned into more of a drama than anything else. The series, starring Bill Hader as the lead of the spectacular Barry cast, tells the story of a hitman who finds some purpose in acting in L.A. and begins to question his life. The show takes twists and turns you would never expect.

Mare Of Easttown

This miniseries, Starring Kate Winslet, was a huge hit for HBO. With seven episodes, it tells the story of a detective who investigates a murder in a small town outside of Philadelphia while also dealing with her own personal life. The series won several Emmy Awards and was talked about for weeks.

The Leftovers

The Leftovers ran for three seasons, but it cemented itself on HBO’s roster the moment it did, and people still talk about it today. The series follows the lives of people on Earth who were left behind when 2% of the entire population of the world vanished. Now, it’s up to the leftovers to survive.

The Righteous Gemstones

The Righteous Gemstones is one of those series that has a cast that is too good to be true. The show stars Danny McBride, Adam DeVine, John Goodman, Walton Goggins, and so many other major stars – and what makes it better is that it’s so funny. With four seasons, the series follows a family of televangelists and their personal lives, and it’s just as hysterical as you can imagine it would be.

Band Of Brothers

The miniseries Band of Brothers was based on the novel of the same name and is a war drama that was praised for its impressive Band of Brothers cast, as well as how realistic the series was. The show was so popular that it spawned two spinoff shows years later – The Pacific and Masters of the Air.

Succession

Oh, you knew this show would be on here somehow. Succession was a huge HBO show that followed the story of a family fighting for control over their father’s media conglomerate when his health was put into question. The series was praised for its acting, from the incredible Succession cast, as well as its storyline that anyone could get into.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

While it’s not a scripted series like many of the others on this list, this talk show has become a massive hit for HBO and has won several Emmys throughout the years. Starring John Oliver, the talk show covers what has happened in the world in a funny way, mostly regarding politics, and always features clips that end up becoming huge on social media.

Silicon Valley

Running for six seasons, Silicon Valley is a comedy series that is exactly what you expect it to be—a series about tech bros in the iconic Silicon Valley of California and the struggles of working there. The series earned plenty of award nominations during its run, including Emmys, and was a major hit.

Oz

If you’re looking for a prison drama, then Oz is one that you have to check out, and it became a huge deal for HBO. The series follows the lives of prisoners and guards and everyone else involved in a maximum security prison, with enough drama to last a lifetime that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I May Destroy You

This single-series show took the world by storm. I May Destroy You is a black comedy about a young writer who is trying to rebuild who she is and her life after suffering a horrible sexual assault. The show was nominated for many awards and was a significant success for the channel.

Sharp Objects

Starring Amy Adams and based on the novel of the same name, Sharp Objects is about a reporter who is covering the murder of two girls and has to return to her hometown. Her hometown is filled with memories of her past that haunt her to this day. The miniseries was an award-winner and earned several acting nominations.

Mr. Show With Bob And David

While it’s one of the oldest shows on this list, Mr. Show with Bob and David was what kickstarted the careers of Bob Odenkirk and David Cross. The series was a sketch comedy that ran for four seasons with hilarious bits and moments that really cemented the two lead stars in the world of comedy.

There are so many other great HBO shows that people loved, but these are just a few of the ones that I enjoy watching every time I get the chance. If you haven’t checked them out, you need to now!

Fans of what one could call spectacle television (anything mega-budget and/or on the sci-fi/fantasy side of things) realize that they might not get new seasons of their favorite shows on a yearly basis. Series like Game of Thrones and its incredibly successful prequel spinoff, House of the Dragon, take a lot of work before, during and after filming. While the 2025 TV schedule won’t bring HOTD Season 3 to our screens just yet, the upcoming installment is currently filming, and that giant naval battle we’re all looking forward to has actually been in the works for three years. Luckily, they have a production manager from Titanic on board to help them get it all done.

What’s Been Said About The Naval Battle House Of The Dragon Has Been Planning For Three Years?

Many fans of House of the Dragon were incredibly disappointed when Season 2 ended without getting to one of the major battles described in Fire & Blood, the George R.R. Martin book on which the show is based. This, of course, is The Battle of the Gullet, which is known in the lore as one of the bloodiest sea battles in Westeros history.

However, the ever increasing civil war between the Blacks and the Greens of the Targaryen family tree will be a major part of the third season, and showrunner Ryan Condal confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that the devastating Gullet sequences have been in the works for a long time, and said:

Can you imagine? Working on one battle for three whole years, and doing it while having to work out innumerable other sequences/story issues at the same time? If anything, this speaks to how dedicated the team is to making as faithful and impressive of an adaptation as possible, even if Martin isn’t exactly happy about some of the changes that have been made so far.

As noted previously, one of the executive producers of HOTD is Kevin de la Noy, who just so happens to have experience working on big scenes set at sea, because he was a production manager on the aforementioned blockbuster, Titanic. He helped with the prep work to launch this major sequence, which will include Targaryen dragon action and lots of folks who will absolutely die horribly. About de la Noy and the battle as a whole, Condal continued:

It definitely sounds like fans will be rewarded for the wait whenever the third season finally hits HBO, and hopefully The Battle of the Gullet will be enough of a game-changing spectacle that any differences from the book won’t matter to viewers that much overall.

Major House of the Dragon updates have been few and far between since the Season 2 finale back in August 2024 with the show's strongest Game of Thrones connection yet, but fans can now celebrate that production has started on Season 3. While that doesn't mean a premiere before the end of the 2025 TV schedule, the HBO adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood is moving forward. That said, it'll move forward in the wake of some scathing comments from the author, and showrunner Ryan Condal responded with a claim about what Martin wouldn't acknowledge.

Within a month of the Season 2 finale, George R.R. Martin wrote in a since-deleted post on his Not A Blog website about his thoughts on Ryan Condal cutting Maelor, Aegon and Helaena's youngest son in the book, from the "Blood and Cheese" sequence of House of the Dragon. Readers know that Maelor's presence made the murder of young Jaehaerys all the more devastating in Fire & Blood, with the House of the Dragon version actually making Daemon look better.

In that post, Martin cited a conversation with Ryan Condal in which the showrunner said that there were "practical reasons" for cutting Maelor, including the challenges of casting a toddler to film, and Maelor could be born in Season 3. The author wrote that he then "withdrew my objections and acquiesced to the change." Now, months later, Ryan Condal spoke to EW about Martin's post about the source material and cutting Maelor:

I can honestly see both points here. Fire & Blood was never going to get a precise page-to-screen adaptation thanks to its status as an in-universe Targaryen history book with unreliable narrators as sources, and the budget to fully create the Dance of the Dragons as written was implausible even for HBO, so practical cuts had to be made by Condal. I can be reasonable!

At the same time, cutting Maelor isn't the same as trimming some of the battles to cut costs. As a reader, I definitely see how his absence could hurt Season 3, and it already made Blood and Cheese less ghastly than it was in the book. I'm all for Team Black and still think Season 1 was easier on the Greens than necessary, but it felt wrong for Season 2 to dampen Daemon's most despicable act. Condal went on:

With House of the Dragon reportedly aiming to end after four seasons, there's still time for Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin to potentially finish the adaptation in "harmony," as the showrunner hopes. I'm just curious about how Martin will react to any further major changes from the book. I don't want to spoil anybody who hasn't read Fire & Blood, but the show seemingly combining Rhaena with another character is bound to have repercussions on the endgame, and I have no idea what the direction is for Alicent moving forward.

Three more characters from Fire & Blood have been revealed for Season 3 at this point. James Norton was announced as playing Ormund Hightower first, with news of Tommy Flanagan as Ser Roderick Dustin and Dan Fogler as Ser Torrhen Manderly breaking alongside word of filming starting for the next batch of episodes. Check out Emma D'Arcy back in costume as Rhaenyra:

No premiere date has been announced for House of the Dragon Season 3 at the time of writing, and that's undoubtedly a ways off since filming has only just begun. You can always revisit the first two seasons as well as every episode of Game of Thrones streaming with a Max subscription now. A return to the world of Westeros is on the way before the end of the year with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which George R.R. Martin is much happier with than he seemingly is with House of the Dragon.

The world of Westeros is packed with rich lore, but Game of Thrones' creative team often had to streamline George R.R. Martin’s sprawling mythology. Now, its prequel House of the Dragon is leaning into more of the author’s intricate world-building, and showrunner Ryan Condal teased the addition of a long-referenced, never-before-seen object from the books in HOTD Season 3, sparking intense speculation from die-hard fans. Let’s jump into some of the theories.

Ryan Condal Teases a Mysterious Season 3 Prop

During an episode of The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of, a podcast centered on movie props and design, Condal discussed the extensive world-building in House of the Dragon and hinted at a prop that book fans will instantly recognize once it shows up in the anticipated season. Condal explained:

When asked if there was a specific prop he "had" to include, Condal apparently smiled ear to ear and added:

That was all the positivity it took for fans to start digging through Fire & Blood, all the short stories set in Westeros, and of course the A Song of Ice and Fire novels to try and suss out exactly what this mystery object could be.

Here's Why Fans Think It’s a Glass Candle

Over on Reddit, the most popular theory seems to be that Condal is referring to a Valyrian glass candle, a magical object that’s never made it to screen despite its significance in Martin’s books.

One Reddit user, @Nigma_, pointed to the show’s increasing focus on Oldtown in the upcoming installment and suggested:

Other fans quickly jumped on board. User @JoesShittyOs simply stated:

Meanwhile, @NoLime7384 agreed. Adding:

For those unfamiliar, glass candles are legendary Valyrian artifacts crafted from dragon glass (obsidian) and are rumored to possess magical properties. In the books, they are said to have once burned brightly in the days of Valyria, allowing their users to see across vast distances, communicate telepathically, and even influence dreams.

During the flagship Westeros saga's timeline, they were believed to be long dormant—until they mysteriously reignited. Theories suggest that powerful magic is tied to them, making their potential inclusion in HotD particularly intriguing.

Why Glass Candles Make Sense For Season 3

Unlike Game of Thrones, which often downplayed supernatural elements, the series centered around the Dance of the Dragons has embraced the mystical side of Martin’s world. The show has already featured Daemon’s Weirwood visions and the Green Man at Harrenhal, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the latest batch of episodes further explored the magic that lingers in Westeros.

If a glass candle appears, it could have major implications for:

• House Hightower – The family ruling Oldtown has long been rumored to have access to secret knowledge and magic. If the show explores their role in the Dance of the Dragons, a glass candle could symbolize their hidden influence.
• Helaena Targaryen’s Visions – Fans have speculated that Helaena has prophetic abilities. A glass candle might explain how she perceives the future and tie into the show’s ongoing mystical themes.
• The Targaryens’ Connection to Prophecy – Many members of the Targaryen family tree have been linked to dreams and visions, and the presence of a glass candle could reinforce this aspect of their lineage.

If glass candles do appear in the next chapter, it could be one of the biggest expansions of House of the Dragon’s magical elements to date. It might also set the stage for future projects in The Song of Ice and Fire universe, such as HBO’s upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will be the next new Game of Thrones spinoff.

Since Seven Kingdoms (which GRRM is really happy with) is set around 100 years after the Targaryen-centered prequel, introducing glass candles now could help establish their lingering presence in Westeros, leading into the era of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, Egg—future King Aegon V Targaryen.

Fans will have to wait for House of the Dragon Season 3, which is currently expected to premiere sometime in 2026. If only we had a Valyrian glass candle, we might be able to see a more concrete release date. In the meantime, check out our 2025 TV schedule to discover other exciting shows coming to the small screen. Or revisit the previously released seasons of GoT or HotD, which are available to stream with a Max subscription.

House of the Dragon finished its second season back in the 2024 TV schedule with a finale that provided the show's strongest tie to Game of Thrones, with members of the Targaryen family tree still hoping to trim off a few enemy branches. With eight episodes from start to finish, Season 2 ended two shy of Season 1's ten-episode run, without the expected Battle of the Gullet as a climactic final act. HBO will evidently make up for that with the beginning of Season 3, with the network's Head of Drama Series and Films Francesca Orsi promising big things... or, as the case happens to be, Titanic-level things.

Readers of George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood likely expected an grand sea battle to end the second season on a much grander scale than the Blood and Cheese tragedy of the premiere. I won't get into major spoilers here for the sake of non-readers, but it would have been an epic way to leave fans of the Blacks and/or the Greens hanging over hiatus. According to HBO exec Francesca Orsi, the delay for the Battle of the Gullet will pay off in House of the Dragon Season 3. Orsi told Deadline:

Season 2 had a pretty epic battle with Rook's Rest and the death of Rhaenys, but it sounds like the Battle of the Gullet will be on a totally different scale. (You can revisit Rook's Rest and the rest of Season 2 streaming with a Max subscription now.) Personally, I'm encouraged by the fact that it sounds like there will be some practical effects to this battle, with Orsi impressed by what she saw on set.

Sure, the dragons in House of the Dragon will undoubtedly have to be primarily CGI, but the HBO exec's comments about bringing in a Titanic vet lead me to suspect that there will be some fun practical elements. Orsi said:

Considering how impressive 9-1-1's tsunami crisis was with its Titanic touch back in 2019 on network TV without an HBO-level budget, hopefully the Battle of the Gullet delay giving the producer extra time will pay off. Plus, as a reader of Fire & Blood who is looking forward to the Gullet, I'm not mad about the delay. Despite Season 2 ending with more of a whimper than a dragon-fueled bang, Season 3 starting on an epic scale sounds pretty good to me.

Besides, for as much as Blood and Cheese was softened from Fire & Blood, there's no way that the aftermath of this battle won't be pretty juicy to play out, perhaps with better momentum than if it had been immediately followed by a hiatus. Of course, even non-readers can guess that there's plenty more bloodshed beyond just this one battle in the war between the Greens and the Blacks, and I can't help but wonder how other battles – such as the Battle of the Honeywine after a key player was recently cast – will come across in comparison.

With production on Season 3 not yet begun, it'll be a while before fans will likely see any finished footage from any upcoming battle. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will arrive as the next Game of Thrones spinoff as part of the 2025 TV schedule, though, so HBO will be going back to the world of Westeros before the end of the year.

House of the Dragon ended Season 2 back in August with its strongest Game of Thrones connection to date, but the third season of the clash between the Greens and the Blacks isn't expected until well after the end of the 2025 TV schedule and into 2026. As the wait continues, though, news breaks of another actor joining the cast to play a character straight out of the pages of George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood.

Of course, given how Season 2 rather infamously departed from the plot of the book, there's no guarantee that his storyline in House of the Dragon Season 3 will resemble what the A Song of Ice and Fire author penned. My hopes are high, though, with James Norton joining the cast to play Ormund Hightower.

James Norton As Ormund Hightower

House of the Dragon cast an HBO alum to join the third season, as James Norton was part of The Nevers cast before landing roles in projects like Bob Marley: One Love and Playing Nice over the past five years. Variety reports that he's landed the role of Ormund Hightower for when HOTD returns. The character was referenced in Season 2, and the outlet reports that he's the nephew of Otto Hightower, cousin to Alicent and Gwayne, Lord of Oldtown, and leading the Hightower army against King's Landing and Rhaenyra's forces.

Basically, even if he won't be riding any of the dragons of House of the Dragon or a member of the Targaryen family tree, he could cause a fair amount of trouble for the Black Queen as a leader among the Greens. It's possible that he unofficially appeared at the end of Season 2, with the glimpse of a marching Hightower host and the blue dragon of the Daeron Targaryen. (Daeron hasn't appeared yet either as Viserys I and Alicent's youngest son.) Both seasons so far are available streaming with a Max subscription.

Why I Want To See George R.R. Martin's Version Of Ormund Hightower

Light spoilers ahead for George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood.

House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin's in-universe history book about the Targaryen dynasty, called Fire & Blood, and the accounts from unreliable narrators always meant that the show didn't have one set story to follow as an adaptation. As Martin himself pointed out, though, there were some massive changes from book to screen in Season 2 that may fundamentally alter how the story can end, and opinions are certainly mixed on what changed from his original Blood and Cheese to what happened in the show.

So, there's no guarantee that any character that makes the cut from Fire & Blood will be recognizable in House of the Dragon. All bets are really off after how the show handled Rhaenyra and Alicent's relationship in Season 2, not to mention the omission of Maelor as Aegon and Helaena's youngest son. Yet I have some hope for Ormund Hightower, especially with the final scene of Season 2 featuring the blue dragon Tessarion.

I won't get too deep into Fire & Blood spoilers here to spare any non-readers, but I'm hopeful for book-accurate Ormund because I'd love to see a solid adaptation of the Battle of the Honeywine. In that battle, the Hightower host is led by Ormund and ultimately a victory for the Greens, although mostly due to some very cool dragon action from Daeron and Tessarion rather that heroics from Ormund.

Now, I'm a Team Black supporter all the way, but Ormund could be a very interesting character for the Greens. Plus, depending on how far Season 3 extends into the Fire & Blood timeline, he could be involved in some other impressive battles. House of the Dragon of course isn't going to feature every single battle from the book, but with at least another year expected until the new season, why not hold onto some hope?

As for whether the story on the whole will follow Fire & Blood more in Season 3... well, at least Daemon's spooky arc in Harrenhal is probably done.

Sometimes, you get to a point where you need a new show to binge – and thankfully, there are plenty of great dramas out there that are readily available. Whether it’s some of the best shows to binge on Netflix or some of the best HBO shows out there, there are so many dramas that you can dive right into. Here are some of the best that I would recommend.

Yellowstone (2018 – 2024)

Running for five seasons, Yellowstone is one of those neo-Western dramas that just exploded when it first came out. The series follows the lives of those who live on a large cattle ranch – the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch – as well as the Broken Rock Indian reservation and the land developers who want to take it all away. I can literally think of no other drama to dive headfirst into other than this one.

Narcos (2015 – 2017)

Narcos, a Netflix series with three seasons, follows the story of Pablo Escobar, a real-life drug lord, and how he became the legend we all know him as. Season 3 follows the aftermath of his defeat. As someone who loves a good crime drama, I think this show is one of the best to sink your teeth into.

Game Of Thrones (2011 – 2019)

There is no better cast out there than the Game of Thrones cast, and you will think the same thing once you watch this series. The legendary HBO show is based on the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R.R. Martin. It follows the story of several influential individuals who all look for one thing – to rule Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms, as well as the lives that are taken in the process. With eight seasons, it’s an easy binge.

Outlander (2014 – Present)

Based on the novels of the same name, Outlander takes romance and history and makes it into the steamiest drama that you’re going to love. The series follows the story of a World War II military nurse who is sent back in time to the 1700s and falls in love with a Highland warrior. Yes, this is a legit series, and it takes so many twists and turns that you’ll love every second of it.

The Wire (2002 – 2008)

The Wire is considered one of the best HBO shows of all time, and for good reason. The crime drama is set in Baltimore, Maryland, and each season discusses a new part of the city and how it’s related to the legal system there, from education to drugs. While it’s shocking that the series never won Best Drama at the Emmys, it’s still an incredible show, one that deserves so much praise.

Stranger Things (2016 – Present)

While plenty see Stranger Things as sci-fi (for good reasons), it is, at its core, a fun drama that features some really cool mysteries. The series begins in the 1980s with Will Byers going missing and his mother and friends trying to find him in a town full of secrets. The series itself is one of Netflix’s biggest hits, so it’s certainly worth the time to watch.

The Bear (2022 – Present)

I legitimately don’t care what people say. This show is way more drama than comedy, and I stand by that. The Bear follows the story of a young chef who travels back to Chicago in order to save his brother’s restaurant after he passes and tries to turn it into a fine-dining restaurant. The series has an incredible The Bear cast and is constantly nominated for so many awards. It’s so good.

Ozark (2017 – 2022)

Over four seasons, Ozark follows a married couple as they move to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri to launder money for the Mexican drug cartel. However, as they arrive, they run into trouble that turns their lives upside down. The series was a huge hit on Netflix and earned plenty of praise during its run.

Silo (2023 – Present)

One of the best Apple TV+ shows will have you on the edge of your seat. Silo, which is based on the trilogy of novels Wool, Shift, and Dust, follows the story of a community that somehow lives in a vast underground silo that has 144 levels and the conflicts that arrive in this dystopian world.

Lost (2004 – 2010)

When we think of dramas, Lost certainly tops the list. The series, which aired for six seasons, follows the lives of plane passengers who survive a crash on a distant island. However, they start to realize that this place is not a typical island and that there are deadly forces at work. While the Lost finale is highly discussed as one of the worst out there, the rest of the series is great to watch.

House Of The Dragon (2022 – Present)

If you love Game of Thrones, chances are you’ll enjoy House of the Dragon as well. The series, based on the novel Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin, focuses on the story of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and how she fights for the throne in the legendary Dance of Dragons when her half-brother takes it. It’s undoubtedly one of the best fantasy shows right now.

Peaky Blinders (2013 – 2022)

Starring Cillian Murphy as the iconic Tommy Shelby, Peaky Blinders is a period crime drama that follows the lives of the Peaky Blinders crime gang and their rise to power in Birmingham after World War I.

Bridgerton (2020 – Present)

If you’re looking for a romantic drama to dive into, then Bridgerton is the one for you. With three seasons (so far), the series follows the lives of the Bridgerton children back in the 1800s in England, with each season focusing on a new romance filled with scandalous drama and steamy moments.

Squid Game (2021 – Present)

Squid Game is hands down the biggest Netflix show of all time, and for good reason. This drama, hailing from South Korea, tells the story of a group of competitors who all play children’s games in order to win a large amount of money – but the competition takes a deadly twist when people are literally eliminated from life when they lose the games.

The Walking Dead (2011 – 2022)

The Walking Dead was, at one point, one of the biggest shows on television, and as someone who has watched all eleven seasons of The Walking Dead, I still think it’s a great series to dive into. Based on the comics of the same name, the show mainly follows Rick Grimes, a former cop, who leads his group of survivors as zombies – known as “walkers” – take over the world.

Yellowjackets (2021 – Present)

Yellowjackets is hands down one of the best Showtime shows, and I will always recommend it to anyone who wants to dive right into it. The series follows two timelines—one in which a high school soccer team must survive in the Canadian wilderness when their plane crashes over the mountains and do whatever it takes to make it out alive, and the other decades later, where the survivors are still dealing with the consequences of their actions.

The Last Of Us (2023 – Present)

If you want to talk about the best video game adaptations out there, I can think of nothing better than The Last of Us. Based on the video game franchise of the same name, The Last of Us follows Joel Miller, a survivor of a zombie outbreak, who is tasked with getting a teenager across the United States because she might be the cure for the rest of the world.

The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

I only put one miniseries on this list, but trust me when I say The Queen’s Gambit is the best miniseries to dive into. The series, based on the novel of the same name, follows the story of a young woman named Beth Harmon in the 1950s and 60s as she rises to fame as a chess player but also deals with substance abuse. The series was a huge hit and was a career-changing role for star Anya Taylor-Joy.

Barry (2018 – 2023)

I could go on about Barry for years. The series follows the life of a former U.S. Marine who takes on a new job as a hitman, but when he goes to California for a job, he finds himself drawn to the life of an actor and questioning his role in his life. The Barry cast is so talented, and all four seasons are so intense you’ll want to binge it for hours.

Alice In Borderland (2020 – Present)

Japan has always had some amazing dramas to dive into, and one that I love is Alice in Borderland. The series, based on the manga of the same name, follows the lives of two young people who work together to survive dangerous games in Tokyo. If they don’t succeed, they are killed by lasers shot from the sky. Yes, this is an intense drama, but it’s worth every second watching.

Breaking Bad (2008 – 2013)

I have to put Breaking Bad on this list. The famous AMC series follows the life of a high school science teacher who turns to a life of crime in order to provide for his family after his sudden cancer diagnosis. Considered one of the best dramas of all time, Breaking Bad is worth every second watching – and of course, the Breaking Bad cast is incredible as well.

Better Call Saul (2015 – 2022)

If you’ve seen Breaking Bad, then Better Call Saul is the subsequent drama that you should dive into. The series, which is a spinoff of Breaking Bad, follows the beginning years of the iconic lawyer, Saul Goodman, who originally began as Jimmy McGill. But throughout six seasons, we see him fall into a life of crime.

This Is Us (2016 – 2022)

This Is Us is one of those dramas that only comes once in a lifetime because, I swear, there is something that we can all connect to with this show. The series mainly revolves around the lives of three siblings and their connections to each other from across the United States, as well as seeing flashbacks of their past to growing up with their parents. It doesn’t sound like it would be dramatic, but trust me when I say you’ll find something to cry about with this show in the first episode.

The Sopranos (1999 – 2007)

The Sopranos is another great drama that I think everyone thinks of when they hear the word “crime.” The series, which comes from HBO, tells the story of Tony Soprano, a mobster from New Jersey, and how he deals with his personal and professional life with the mob and the problems he runs into.

Black Mirror (2011 – Present)

There are some excellent anthology shows out there, but Black Mirror is the type of drama that will have you on the edge of your seat. The series has different episodes each season, and all of them display some strange dystopian concepts in a not-so-far future that will truly shock and entertain you, from strange afterlives to how we view social media.

All Of Us Are Dead (2022 – Present)

South Korea has some of the best horror shows out there, and one that I will always recommend is All Of Us Are Dead. The series follows a group of high school students who must survive when a zombie outbreak begins within their walls and how they try to communicate to the outside world that they need help.

You (2018 – Present)

Oh, hello there, you. Yes, you, reading this, because surely, you’ll end up being the next thing Joe Goldberg is obsessed with. You is a drama that follows Joe, a seemingly normal man who falls in love way too quickly – and when he loves, he loves hard and will take out whoever threatens that relationship or your life.

Black Doves (2024 – Present)

Starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw, Black Doves is the latest spy thriller that will have you on the edge of your seats. The series follows a young woman whose identity is revealed, putting her life in danger. Her employers send an old friend to keep her safe, sending them on a whirlwind espionage adventure.

The Haunting Of Hill House (2018)

There are plenty of Mike Flanagan TV shows to check out on Netflix, but I always recommend The Haunting of Hill House before any of the others. The series alternates between two timelines: one of a family moving into a seemingly normal house with a dark past, and the next day, the family comes back together to face the darkness they had once encountered in their new home.

The Crown (2016 – 2023)

The Crown, which detailed the life of Queen Elizabeth II, had six seasons that followed her rise to become the monarch we all knew her as and how her reign changed as the decades progressed. The series earned several awards and nominations over its six-season run.

Dexter (2006 – 2013)

While plenty of people talk about the Dexter finale, the series itself is still a great drama to drive into. Following the titular character, Dexter is a blood splatter analyst by day and a serial killer by night, who uses his job to find horrible people and take them out as a way to suit his dark urges. But when one other killer starts to challenge him, he decides to take matters into his own hands and end them.

Succession (2018 – 2023)

HBO has been a huge producer of dramas for years, and Succession is hands down one of the best in the last decade. The series follows the Roy family, a hugely successful family that owns an entertainment conglomerate. Their lives are thrown upside down thanks to a health scare from their patriarch. Now, the question of who will own the company after he passes causes drama.

These are just some of the best dramas out there to check out – all of which are great ways to spend a weekend. I think it’s time for another binge. Who’s up for a marathon?

As we steadily get closer to the release of Season 3 of HBO’s House of the Dragon, fans are understandably excited to get to the meat and potatoes, as it were, of the showdown for the Iron Throne. Now, showrunner Ryan Condal has shared a vague timeline of when shooting will commence for the junior season and a hint as to how long we'll be waiting to stream the upcoming episodes with a Max subscription. And it has me both pumped and honestly a little bummed.

House of the Dragon's showrunner Ryan Condal talked about Season 3’s filming schedule on the podcast The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of. For those who have seen the show, the upcoming season should include a lot of high-intensity battles as we have reached the head of the fight between the Greens and the Blacks, so anticipation is high. When asked how the current year is shaping up for production, Condal had this to say:

Co-host David Mandel gave some insight into the process of what goes into writing a long-standing show too. He talked about how a second season is used for fixing the obvious glaring issues that were present in Season 1, while the third season is where the show finally finds its footing because it will just be making small tweaks and fixing any lingering issues. With that in mind and considering what's coming down the line story-wise, Condal's HOTD update has me excited about what we'll see in Season 3, because it sounds like they are hard at work.

Without revealing any specifics, Condal went on to tease that production will begin early this year on Season 3. Noting that he wouldn't give out a date, he did give a rough estimate, saying:

While that is not a definitive date for the start of production, they will be starting work very soon. So talks and content surrounding HOTD will start drumming up again as we see shots from production and whatnot, which is very exciting.

As a book fan though, I will admit that I am a little bummed that production hasn’t begun yet. That is mainly because there are lots of high-profile battles that I'm dying to see on screen, such as The Battle of the Honeywine, Butchers Ball, the Storming of the Dragonpit, and, of course, The Battle of the Gods Eye. Not to mention, HOTD's Season 2 finale set up the massive war that should go into full effect in Season 3, so waiting for all of this is quite hard.

Not to mention, I'm also feeling quite cautious about what's to come with House of the Dragon and its ability to stick the landing, considering how its predecessor, Game of Thrones, concluded. Concerns regarding the direction of the show also aren't alleviated as George R.R Martin himself aired his grievances over some of the choices made during Season 2. So, as a loyal book fan, I've been nervous about the next season and the wait makes me antsy.

Overall, not much is known about what we’ll see in Season 3, as of so far the HOTD cast doesn’t have much information about what’s to come and we’re still awaiting that official production start date. However, by the blessing of the seven, more information will be forthcoming soon, and I am keeping my hopes high as I've enjoyed what we have seen so far.

So, as the wait for new episodes continues, we'll keep an eye out and share everything we know about House of the Dragon's next season. And of course, you can catch Seasons 1 and 2 on Max while we wait for this junior installment.

2024 TV started off pretty shaky as the industry returned to normalcy following strike-related delays, but it wasn’t long before everything felt normal again. And “normal” tends to mean “lots of big character deaths” to go alongside all of the cancellations and series endings. Thankfully, we had a full year to get through all the genuine emotions that were sparked by so many scripted tragedies.

So let’s take a look at what I thought matched the combination of being the most heartbreaking and unexpected TV deaths of 2024, while accepting the dread of knowing that the cycle of televised trauma will start up anew when the 2025 premiere schedule gets underway. So join me in pouring one out for all of our fallen TV brethren, as well as for the many talented artists who were also lost along the way.

It should probably go without saying, but SPOILERS BELOW for a variety of different series that aired across 2024. So tread lightly if there are some major shows that you haven’t gotten around to just yet.

Victor Aguilar (The Penguin)

For a TV show focusing on someone that every single viewer knew was a major villain going in, The Penguin somehow bewitched me into thinking Rhenzy Feliz's Victor would continue thriving with confidence under Oz's wing for years to come. Instead, Victor's fate was sealed the moment Oz laid eyes on him, no matter how charming or empathetic he proved himself to be. At least he didn't have to be around to watch Colin Farrell's criminal go hard on his Oedipal urges.

Isabelle Carriere (The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon)

An extension of one of TV’s deadliest franchises. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon gave longtime fans a stellar reunion in Season 2 between Norman Reedus’ titular survivor and Melissa McBride’s Carol. But along the way, the show killed off its best character in Clémence Poésy’s Isabelle, and in the episode right after her and Daryl’s big kiss. It was an angering shock, and Season 3 will need to deliver something amazing to truly make up for it.

Asher Wolke (The Good Doctor)

Noah Galvin’s Dr. Asher Wolke arrived at St. Bonaventure in The Good Doctor’s fourth season and worked his way up to becoming a resident under Shaun’s wing by the ABC drama’s final season. Tragically, after Asher stopped a pair of men from vandalizing a synagogue — during which he openly declared himself gay and Jewish — the young doc was murdered on the street when one of the antisemitic vandals clubbed him in the head with an iron bar.

Colby Mayfield (Yellowstone)

Yes, Yellowstone featured multiple jaw-dropping deaths in the long-delayed final six episodes of its fifth season, from killing off John Dutton sans Kevin Costner to having Beth finally take out Jamie. But it was the lowest-profile death that actually hurt the worst, with the western drama taking out one of the bunkhouse’s best by having a wild horse lethally clomp Denim Richards’ ranchhand Colby. Hopefully Teeter can find a way to get over that heartbreak down in Texas.

Gambit (X-Men ‘97)

One of TV’s most celebrated revivals, X-Men ‘97 took little time in taking viewers right back to the animated fan-fave’s roots, but with a modern storytelling touch that heightened the character dynamics and upped the ante for danger. Case in point: the fifth episode rocked many viewers’ cores when the charismatic, crop top-wearing Gambit impulsively chose to sacrifice himself to take out the newly upgraded Master Mold. Sure, Rogue was sad, but I dare say everyone at home was even more taken aback.

Rhaenys (House Of The Dragon)

Okay, so those who are more intimately familiar with George R.R. Martin’s source material were no doubt awaiting the death of Eve Best’s Rhaeynys Targaryen, but not even such foreknowledge made her demise at Rook’s Rest easier to witness or live with after the fact. The Queen Who Never Was became the first to die in the Dance of the Dragons — at least the first human — crashing into the rocky walls in a fiery explosion.

Doug Williams (Days Of Our Lives)

Something of a unique (but equally heartbreaking) outlier of a 2024 TV death, Days of Our Lives honored veteran character Doug Williams with a final episode in July 2024, roughly six months after soap actor Bill Hayes passed away at 98. (He starred off and on from 1970-2024.) Making the episode all the more emotional is the fact that the actor’s real-life wife Susan Seaforth Hayes portrayed Doug’s wife Julie, and so his final episode featured the widowed actress once again mourning her hubby’s death by paying fictional respects.

Hughie Campbell Sr. (The Boys)

The Boys’ comic Hughie owes his whole look to Simon Pegg, and while the actor’s live-action impact on the Prime Video series has been limited, Eric Kripke & Co. thankfully(?) gave his Hughie Sr. a Season 4 death that was truly gut-wrenching both literally and metaphorically. Post-coma and with V in his veins, the seemingly healthful chap was suddenly unable to maintain his place in time or space, and unmenacingly blazed a gory train of panicked mayhem through a hospital before the eyes of his son and rekindled love.

The Hargreeves Siblings (The Umbrella Academy)

If The Umbrella Academy can be described with any one word, “unpredictable” would likely work best, as no one could have foreseen the comic adaptation’s mega-mutant culmination of “The Jennifer Incident.” Or the threat of existence’s destruction due to Ben’s marigold mixing with Jennifer’s durango. Or that the entire group of characters at the end of Season 4 would have to sacrifice themselves to save seemingly everyone else who met doomed fates throughout the series. I guess that’s just the (Gerard) way it goes when Five’s the one in charge of anything.

Emma Morley (One Day)

Sure, any shock surrounding One Day’s tragic 13th episode comes with the caveat of “never having read David Nicholls’ novel or the Nicholls-scripted 2011 movie.” But for those whom that applies, it applies so fucking hard. The highs of watching Ambika Mod’s Emma and Leo Woodall’s Dexter finally dovetailing into a relationship soon cascaded into all-too-real middle ground and then abject tragedy when Emma is knocked off of her bicycle and dies. Even for those already aware of Emma’s fate, I can imagine twelve episodes of build-up helped keep it soul-crushing, if not surprising.

Mrs. Hart / Sharon (Agatha All Along)

Despite killing its titular witch off in the second-to-last installment, Agatha All Along’s most shocking death, if perhaps not the most emotional, belonged to Debra Jo Rupp’s mind-warped Sharon — Mrs. Hart during WandaVision’s hex — who rather unceremoniously drowned in the second episode right as the coven figured out how to get past the first trial of the Witches Road. (And after she suffered a traumatic flashback hallucination.) Despite an abundance of theories proposing how she could return, and despite Agatha herself returning in a ghostly form, Sharon apparently had no such luck.

George Cooper (Young Sheldon)

Technically, George Cooper’s death was set in stone on The Big Bang Theory before Young Sheldon even existed, but only through the prequel series were viewers able to emotionally invest in the character’s life and legacy. So that by the time Lance Barber’s patriarch actually did bite the metaphorical bullet, which went down in the series’ penultimate episode, it truly did warrant a full in-episode funeral to provide him a worthwhile farewell.

Chloe Yasuda (Grey’s Anatomy)

Grey’s Anatomy should have multiple eponymous awards for heartbreaking and shocking deaths, with Mike’s sister Chloe arguably the show’s most jarring in the past year. Julia Rose’s character appeared in just three episodes, but after the emotional triple scoop of cancer, surgery, and recovery, it seemed like she was off to enjoy recurring character status. But no, it was more suffering for one and all after Mika fell asleep at the wheel and caused a crash that eventually led to Chloe succumbing to her injuries in ICU, and the reverberations were intense, y’all.

Clark And Lois (Superman & Lois)

By being The CW’s final post-Arrowverse DC drama, Superman & Lois was arguably already aimed at some kind of forever-ending as opposed to a happily ever after. Yet it was still both an emotional and surprising journey into the near and distant future with Clark and Lois after taking Lex Luthor down. Happy weddings and pregnancies gave way to Lois’ cancer returning and her death, then Clark’s own death due to heart failure. But wait! A happily-ever-after conclusion is indeed reached when Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch’s characters reconnect once more in the afterlife. I’m wiping smudges off my glasses, not tears.

Grace Garvey (Bad Sisters)

Perhaps Bad Sisters was giving Anne-Marie Duff’s Grace some legitimate in-universe grace with her left-field Season 2 death, given all of the skeletons that escaped her closet across Season 1. But given the darkly comedic tone of creator and co-star Sharon Horgan’s series during that stretch, the idea of forever breaking up the five-sister bond seemed wildly unlikely, if not impossible. And yet that car crash and funeral went down in the first three episodes. Hug your siblings if you got ‘em.

Larry Dalrymple (The Simpsons)

The Simpsons has been on the air long enough for some to think it’s no longer capable of producing fresh ideas, but the show’s creative team took a wild swing early in Season 35 by killing off a longtime background character that viewers may not have even known had a name: Larry Dalrymple, the jacket-wearing barfly. Fans were both surprised and outraged by the canonical death, which sparks a bonkers funeral-jumping caper for Homer & Co.

HBO has always been a place for prestige television, and few shows have had the wild popularity of Game of Thrones. The fantasy series (which is streaming for those with a Max subscription), might have a controversial ending, but that hasn't stopped fans from tuning back in for the prequel series House of the Dragon. GOT's Hodor actor compares the original series to HOTD, and he has the perfect analogy. Let's break it all down.

Actor Kristian Nairn is a notable member of the Game of Thrones cast, appearing in 23 episodes throughout the series before Hodor's death. He spoke with ScreenRant about his relationship to House of the Dragon, and got honest by saying:

Honestly, I love this analogy. They are two very different shows, but there's a clear connection in their iconography and tones. And in that way it's like HOTD and GOT are just two semesters in the same school.

House of the Dragon's Season 2 finale inspired discussion with fans about the show's quality, as well as its pacing. Some folks were disappointed that it the finale ended in a cliffhanger, but that was usually how GOT went down too; the penultimate episode was explosive while the finale showed fallout and set up for the next season.

Later in that same interview, Nairn expressed his own feelings about House of the Dragon Season 2, and its connection the original series that he appeared on. In his words:

You can't deny that the dragons featured in House of the Dragon make an impact. While Game of Thrones only featured Dany's three "children", we're shown a variety of different shapes and sizes of dragons, but there are plenty to get attached to in the prequel. Unfortunately, most of them are seemingly going to perish thanks to the war occurring between the Blacks and Greens.

It certainly seems like Season 3 of HOTD will be a wild one, as all the places have been assembled for all-out war between the Targaryens. And it should be thrilling to see what goes down, especially for those who haven't heard George R.R. Martin's book.

House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones are both streaming now on Max. Check the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch, including more stories set in Westeros.

When it comes to HBO’s House of the Dragon, George R.R. Martin is not afraid to share his thoughts on it. Earlier this fall, in fact, he really aired his HOTD grievances in a blog post that is now deleted. Now, HBO and Max’s Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys has addressed the author’s criticisms as well as the network's relationship with him.

At a press presentation, Bloys was asked about Martin’s criticisms, and he responded (via Variety) by keeping things positive while admitting that “like any marriage, sometimes it gets rocky:”

For context, in Martin’s blog post, he wrote about how much he disliked the show for not including the youngest child of Aegon and Helaena, Maelor. It was a long post, and it was clear the author was upset about the omission.

Meanwhile, in the past, showrunner Ryan Condal has been clear about the challenges of adapting this project, noting that when they are transitioning Fire & Blood from page to screen they do a lot of “coloring in the lines that we’re given…and a lot of that color is admittedly our own.”

Now, on top of his complaint about Maelor not being in Season 2, Martin has also had specific criticisms about the dragons in the show. The Game of Thrones author has shared his general take on HOTD too, at one point writing on his blog that he does not look forward to writing about “everything that’s gone wrong with House of the Dragon.”

During this presentation Bloys did, he reiterated his point that they are still working with Martin. While it might not be all hunky dory all the time, the boss claimed that that is simply the nature of creative relationships:

Now, with Season 3 of House of the Dragon in the works, and other upcoming Game of Thrones shows – like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms – on the way, it will be interesting to see if we learn more about Martin and HBO’s relationship. As of right now, though, it’s clear George R.R. Martin isn’t thrilled about House of the Dragon, while it seems like HBO is working to maintain their relationship with the fantasy writer.

With Season 3 of HOTD coming and various other projects in the works, we’ll be sure to keep you posted on the evolving relationship between Martin and the network that has put his words to the screen. In the meantime, to watch the show that caused this back and forth, you can stream the first two seasons of House of the Dragon with a Max subscription.

House of the Dragon wrapped with its strongest Game of Thrones connection yet back in August, with plenty of questions still unanswered. More of the Targaryen family tree's civil war is on the way, and details are few and far between about what comes next. As it turns out, even the cast doesn't know much about House of the Dragon Season 3, but Emma D'Arcy's idea for a change for Rhaenyra is fun to think about while the wait continues and the 2024 TV schedule winds down.

The Stars Don't Know Jack

Otto Hightower is one character whose future is not only unclear, but House of the Dragon never explained what happened to him in the second half of Season 2 after he was fired by Aegon and left King's Landing. Whether or not the hit fantasy show will shed much light on what went down off screen remains to be seen, and actor Rhys Ifans couldn't explain either. Speaking with Inverse, Ifans shared:

Considering that the Greens went even further off the rails after Aegon fired Otto and replaced him with Criston Cole, it should be interesting to see how Otto's loyalties have shifted... or not shifted, since it's hard to imagine him being so alienated from his family that he'd flip to support the Blacks. Alas, fans will have to wait even longer than Ifans to find out.

And even the actors who were in more of Season 2 than Rhys Ifans was don't have answers. During a New York Comic Con panel (via Variety), Tom Glynn-Carney – a.k.a. Aegon – said that he knew "Not a jot, not a letter" about any Season 3 scripts, while Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen) weighed in:

Considering that Daemon's hallucinatory arc was one of the biggest departures from George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood source material in Season 2, even reading the book might not give him much insight on the next steps for his character! Fabien Frankel, who plays Ser Criston Cole, dropped more of a tease than his co-stars could:

House of the Dragon's Criston Cole was another character notably different from his book counterpart, far beyond how Season 1 changed one of Cole's kills from the source material. His arc wasn't what George R.R. Martin's called out in his grievances against Season 2, though, and Frankel didn't spoil the "things" he's heard about Season 3.

Emma D'Arcy's Fun Idea

Whether or not Emma D'Arcy knows any more than their co-stars about what the House of the Dragon team has planned for Season 3, the star has a fun idea that would be a shift from what Rhaenyra did for the war effort in Season 2. Speaking with The Guardian, D'Arcy shared what they enjoy about the show and what they'd like to see change:

While Rhaenyra hasn't stayed entirely out of the fray with the war effort, her contributions have been on dragonback. As she was reminded, the Blacks' claim rested entirely on her, so it would have been unwise for her to risk her life by flying off into battle on a regular basis. Could Season 3 find a reason for Rhaenyra to take up a sword?

Unfortunately, while Emma D'Arcy is bound to find out sooner than most, fans will remains in the dark for the foreseeable future. It's unlikely that House of the Dragon could return any sooner than 2026. For now, you can always revisit the first two seasons streaming with a Max subscription, as well as all eight seasons of Game of Thrones.

If you watched Season 2 of House of the Dragon when it hit the 2024 TV schedule, you’ve already seen Matt Smith rocking arguably cable's wildest hairdo, and let’s be honest—as everyone's favorite unconventionally handsome crush, he somehow makes the 'do work every time. But his silver-gold flowing locks are just the beginning, so get ready to see the Doctor Who vet step up his hair game with a bright and bold mohawk for his upcoming film Caught Stealing.

Say goodbye to the Targaryen locks of Westeros—Matt Smith has traded them in for a fierce and punk-inspired look, complete with a towering orange and blonde mohawk that just screams follicle rebellion. These first looks at the film, which also stars Austin Butler (so Academy voters, take note), show off this striking new style. Based on the popular novel of the same name, the Caught Stealing film is already shaping up to be one of the most anticipated upcoming page-to-screen adaptations, with this head of hair already being a big draw.

As if the hair wasn't punk enough, the Morbius star was spotted rocking a studded leather jacket paired with zippered tartan trousers, totally nailing the give-zero-fucks aesthetic. While we know he’ll be sharing the screen with Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Liev Schreiber, and Regina King in this upcoming film, details about his specific role as this edgy punk character are still under wraps.

In another behind-the-scenes snap, the Crown alum is locked in what looks like it could be a fiery confrontation with Austin Butler. The actor is fresh of The Bikers, but is probably best known for winning the Golden Globe and BAFTA for his portrayal of Elvis Presley, and was spotted on set with Smith in far less extreme attire.

The two were seen intensely facing off seemingly across the roof of a car, caught up in what seemed like a seriously charged moment as cameras rolled, with Smith's character appearing to have suffered some kind of cut or scrape above the left eye.

Caught Stealing is reported to center on Austin Butler as a washed-up former baseball player who finds himself in way over his head, fighting for survival in the gritty criminal underworld of 1990s New York City. Production kicked off in September, and with a star-studded cast, it’s no surprise this movie is already making waves. Allegedly drawing inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s hidden gem After Hours, Darren Aronofsky’s next big thriller is set to hit the 2025 movie schedule, and along with Smith’s fresh cut, it's one to watch out for.

Just a month prior in September, Smith was seen sporting a more toned-down version of his mohawk on set. The dramatic size upgrade we’re seeing now might hint that the movie spans a decent chunk of time. While it doesn't give away too much, it definitely has me hyped to see what the team behind this thriller has cooked up for us, and unlike After Hours, it will likely not span merely one night, unless he's got access to some wild hair-growth tonics.

As we await the film’s release, these early set photos have certainly stoked anticipation, not just for Smith’s performance but also for his bold and eye-catching look that perfectly encapsulates the anarchic world his character inhabits. Buckle up because Caught Stealing is bringing Matt Smith as you’ve never seen him before.

For now, Smith fans can revisit his Targaryen look by revisiting the first two seasons of House of the Dragon, now streaming with a Max subscription.

Game of Thrones' fandom has continued in the years following the show ending, as fans of the books and show look forward to the release of House of the Dragon Season 3. Among the hype, HotD has also brought some attention back to the original cast of Game of Thrones, as people are still very interested in their lives after the show's conclusion. Some such cast members include Daenerys Targaryen actress, Emilia Clarke.

The Internet can be a bit of the Wild West when it comes to comments, and actors involved in highly watched and heavily talked about programs can often get the brunt end of that. And I'm not even getting into how Tik Tok and Youtube often host videos or promotional clips showing actors reacting to the things people have googled -- which is meant to open a dialogue about their experiences. Speaking about what people have said online on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Emilia Clarke was quoted saying people heavily scrutinized her and her body.

Clarke herself has been outwardly vocal about her experiences on and off of set. She has spoken out about some of the pressure she received when it came to the early Game of Thrones nudity scenes on the show. She has also shared details in the past about Jason Momoa coming to her aid when she didn't know what to expect about filming scenes sans clothing on a TV set. But it wasn't just stuff on set that happened that was really uncomfortable for her when she was still really young, or as she put it, basically still "a kid" filming Game of Thrones.

The success of HotD has reignited old discussions that were left over from its predecessor. This included conversations regarding the writing, pacing, violence, and as expected, the nudity and graphic nature of the show's content. While people like Clarke have found some fun and humor in filming nude scenes for the show, she also said it was necessary the show handled her character in the way it did.

During of the height of her success on GoT, Clarke felt anxious whenever she was approached for selfies with fans because of the public responses to her performance on the show. Clarke stated that looking at social media messed with her head, and she felt herself thinking negatively about her outward appearance. She stated that it kept her from entangling her self-worth with public perceptions. So, Clarke made the rule for herself to only do autographs and not google herself to minimize her anxiety.

While Emilia Clarke isn't the first actress of a major fandom to outwardly speak about the negative impacts the Internet has had on her mental health, thankfully she has found solutions that work for her so she can continue in the industry.

You know, the last person I expected to comment on 2024’s movie releases and the 2024 TV schedule was Beyoncé, but here we are. As the pop star reflected on the release of Cowboy Carter, she also opened up about the entertainment she’s been enjoying this year. While I love that she’s also been watching House of the Dragon, what I’m truly obsessed with is the fact that Inside Out 2 is her favorite movie of the year.

During an email Q&A with Beyoncé, GQ asked her about “what is currently inspiring” her in “music and film.” Her response began with shoutouts for female musicians like Raye, Chloe x Halle and Reneé Rapp. However, in the end, she divulged that she’s a fan of “classics,” and that’s how her favorite watches of the year came up:

There’s a lot to unpack there, however, I’m hyper-fixating on the fact that Beyoncé watches House of the Dragon and loves Inside Out 2, so let’s talk more about that.

I Love That Beyoncé Is Watching House Of The Dragon

Like many of us, Beyoncé has been watching House of the Dragon, which is incredible, because if we want to talk about fierce queens, her and Rhaenyra Targaryen are toward the top of my list.

Knowing that she’s been watching now, I can’t help but wonder how she felt about the Game of Thrones connection in HOTD’s Season 2 finale, and I need to know if she was as peeved as many fans (myself included) were by the note the latest season ended on.

Is she anticipating Season 3 of House of the Dragon as much as I am? That’s never a question I’ve considered until right now. However, there’s something very fun about knowing Beyoncé is watching the same show many of us are. And that point was further amplified by her favorite movie of the year.

However, I’m Obsessed With The Fact That She Loves Inside Out 2

Doing a tonal 180 here, Beyoncé’s favorite movie of the year so far is Inside Out 2.

As you likely know, Inside Out 2 got great reviews, and it made over $1.6 billion at the box office worldwide. Many went to the theaters to see Riley and her emotions back on the big screen and were deeply moved by it. It sounds like the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer was too.

I can picture her, Blue Ivy and her twins Rumi and Sir watching the film together, and it’s such a wholesome picture. It makes me wonder if she cried watching it. Did she feel secondhand embarrassment like I did? These are all questions that make me even more obsessed with the fact that she loved Inside Out 2.

In my mind, Beyoncé sits on top of such a high pedestal that it’s hard to imagine her doing and watching things that we all do. However, this little peek into what she’s been viewing this year reminded me that that’s not the case, and I absolutely adore the fact that she’s into projects like House of the Dragon and Inside Out 2.

If you are looking to watch the two projects we talked about here that Beyoncé called out, you can stream Seasons 1 and 2 of House of the Dragon with a Max subscription now and Inside Out 2 with a Disney+ subscription starting September 25.

Between The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and House of the Dragon, it feels like the fantasy genre is having a much-needed run in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the genre is still not as prevalent as others currently, but on the bright side of things, I recently came across an anime series on Crunchyroll to help fantasy fans scratch that itch even further.

I wouldn't consider myself an anime expert, but I've seen enough over the years that I was shocked I was completely oblivious to Record of Lodoss War. After having it pop up on my recommendations I decided to fire it up, and I'm so happy that I did. if you're a fan of dark fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons and, of course, the big fantasy shows I just mentioned, this is a must-watch.

What Is Record Of Lodoss War About? 

Record Of Lodoss War originally started out as fantasy novels written by author Ryo Mizuno that were adapted from Japanese tabletop RPG replays he serialized for the magazine Comptiq. The stories were crafted out of actual Dungeons and Dragons-style RPG sessions, which Mizuno then created a more fleshed-out story for afterward. These were later adapted in manga, as well as multiple anime series.

The original anime released in 1990 follows Parn, the son of a dishonored knight looking to restore his family name. He's joined by his friend and priest Etoh, an old dwarf named Ghim, the high elf Deedlit, the wizard Slayn, and the rogue Woodchuck. Together, they hope to restore order to the land of Lodoss, which is embroiled in a civil war between King Kashue and Emperor Beld. There's also the mysterious wizard Carla, and other major characters who factor into the story as it continues, but I'll leave out spoilers for now.

The 13-episode original series works as a standalone story, but there are follow-up shows that came in later years. One downside is that the ending of the 1990 anime was made up for the series, so when one jumps to the 1998 follow-up they'll notice characters who died are no longer dead, and characters who knew each other met for the first time. It was a little jarring to me at first, but ultimately, it didn't deter me from enjoying the story.

If you're a fan of classic '80s and '90s anime shows, this is one I completely missed out on. The storytelling is strong, and the characters are very likable. I also found the animation very in line with the "dark fantasy" aesthetic that seems to be popular on TikTok these days, so those yearning for something in that vain will love watching on that alone. If you're more of a fantasy show vet with less anime experience, however, here are more reasons to jump in.

Why Rings Of Power Fans Will Like It

If you're someone who loves watching Rings Of Power with that Prime subscription, I'd highly recommend Record Of Lodoss War. The typical tropes of fantasy one will find in the LOTR franchise are also present in this anime, such as the inherent tension between dwarves and elves. There's also an army of orcs that are controlled by a dark wizard, though I'll say right now, I'm making a bit of a generalization to make the comparison fit better.

I think what's most reminiscent of Rings Of Power and will make those who appreciate Fellowship of the Ring is the ensemble party of heroes. Parn and their friends are just as likable and fleshed-out characters as Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship. I would say that the main difference I appreciated more in the anime is that we learn pretty quickly that not all of these characters are as untouchable as the main characters of LOTR, and some pretty shocking things happen throughout the show.

It's all very familiar to the world of Lord of the Rings, but at the same time entirely different. I credit that to the animation and perhaps the Japanese influence on it, as there was clearly more inspiration taken from the world of Dungeons and Dragons for this fantasy adventure. Still, there's plenty to love if you're watching Rings of Power Season 2 and looking for something else to watch between episodes.

Why House Of The Dragon Fans Will Like It

If the picture above with multiple dragons above wasn't a sign enough that there's something for House of the Dragons fans to love about Record of Lodoss War, I don't know what is. "There be dragons" in this series, though they don't have owners like their HOTD counterparts. I would also say that the dragons in this anime are much more powerful than the ones of HOTD, but that's just my opinion.

The true hook for House of the Dragon fans is that Record of Lodoss War has deeply interesting characters who are living their lives amidst a series of battles that they have put themselves at the center of. If it's an added bonus to anyone reading, there's also zero incest as far as I can tell, which I know always gave me the ick when it comes to Game Of Thrones.

One thing I also love about Record of Lodoss War is that, much like House of the Dragon, it knows when to turn up the violence. Unlike other anime, this show does not dial back on the violence, but it also knows when to save the extra gory scenes from when it'll hit the hardest. I wouldn't say any of the violence is gratuitous, but there were a few jarring scenes I've seen.

What's most important is that Record of Lodoss War is a great fantasy adventure, and whether you dig Rings Of Power or House Of The Dragon more, I think anyone interested in this anime will walk away satisfied. I'm recommending it because never in a million years would I have thought to seek it out had Crunchyroll not recommended it, and I'm so glad I did.

Check out Record of Lodoss War, along with many other quality anime, right now on Crunchyroll. As someone who has used it to watch a lot of new and old anime in 2024, I can't recommend it enough for anyone looking to take a big dive into the genre for the first time in a long time, or even for the first time ever.

Any time a book is adapted for the screen the people doing the adapting risk the ire of everyone who adores said book by making changes, however small those may be. In the case of House of the Dragon (which will return for Season 3 in the future), fans have had a lot to say about the differences between Season 2 and Fire & Blood, but it’s also pretty clear that author George R.R. Martin has some strong thoughts on the matter. After he went off about the drama in a now-deleted blog post, the showrunner has already addressed the “challenge” of adapting Martin’s book.

What Did House Of The Dragon’s Showrunner Say About The Challenges Of Adapting Fire & Blood?

By now, we all realize that it would be extremely difficult to win every viewer over when adapting the work of George R.R. Martin for a television show. Despite its enduring popularity, there’s still controversy over how things were handled on Game of Thrones, so it’s little surprise that the same has been true for House of the Dragon across its two seasons so far.

The second season wrapped on the 2024 TV schedule in early August, and Martin was originally rather dramatic when indirectly writing about his thoughts on the many changes by describing the “gloom” of having to eventually address his feelings on Season 2. Then, Martin unloaded on HOTD about the absence of Maelor, a character who becomes very important in the narrative of his book. Now, in a conversation with HBO’s official HOTD podcast, showrunner Ryan Condal has addressed the many challenges of turning such complex material into a TV show, saying:

Condal noted that he has, since the beginning, looked at Fire & Blood with as much “reverence as possible and respect,” adding “but it’s important to draw the line between reverence and worship.” As he pointed out during his interview (and something that more casual fans who haven’t read the book might not know), the tome on which this series is based isn’t told as a narrative, but as a history that’s been documented by “three unreliable narrators.” This means that there are either purposeful holes in the historical account or places where the narrators disagree on the “how and why” of what occurred.

So, along with compressing events, removing characters, etc., Condal and his team also had to choose a point of view for the story (those in the Targeryen family tree, specifically Viserys’ massive extended family) and then construct things in a way that explains the “how and why” of what happens from that POV. He added:

Basically, the writers had to choose characters to focus on and also create motivations for those characters’ actions, because those things aren’t usually spelled out in F&B. I’m sure a lot of fans are sympathetic to Martin’s position on the changes, as well as many likely feeling the same way for Condal and his team. It will be a while before we see how those differences impact Seasons 3 and 4, but we can all hope that the story continues to be engrossing even if it does veer greatly from what was previously written.

Nearly a month has passed since the second season of House of the Dragon came to an end with the Targaryen family tree smaller than it was a season before, and that was evidently enough time for Fire & Blood author George R.R. Martin to put his thoughts in order about what happened... or, more importantly, what was majorly changed from the pages of his book to Ryan Condal's HBO adaptation. As expected, he had a lot to say about Blood and Cheese, and despite HBO's response, I'm a little surprised that he didn't mention what I see as Season 2's second biggest omission.

George R.R. Martin Weighs In On Season 2

Spoilers ahead for the Blood and Cheese section of Fire & Blood. Fans knew that some blunt words were probably coming after Martin's dramatic post about House of the Dragon just last week, and Season 2 delivered enough changes from the book to speculate about what got to the author. In a post that has since been deleted from his Not A Blog website, Martin went into detail about the changes to the characters involved in Blood and Cheese (up to and including Cheese not having a dog).

His biggest issue? How Season 2 cut out Maelor, the third and youngest child of Aegon and Helaena in the book, whose existence was not only part of why the whole sequence was so much more heinous on the page, but continues to affect the story beyond Blood and Cheese. Martin wrote of his conversation with showrunner Ryan Condal:

Martin went on to note that "Sometime between the initial decision to remove Maelor, a big change was made," and Helaena and Aegon's youngest child will never be born. While I won't get into spoilers here about how the absence of Maelor affects one character's game-changing decision, Martin certainly did by saying that it will happen for "no particular reason" in Season 3.

All in all, I'm not shocked that George R.R. Martin decided to delete his lengthy post about his problems with Blood and Cheese's omission of Maelor, since he was a lot blunter than I would have predicted. Still, what seemed like a minor change for practical reasons to start Season 2 will force massive changes for story reasons down the line, and reading the author's take on Maelor left me surprised that he didn't express similar sentiments about another omission this season.

First, though, HBO has a response to Martin's comments.

How HBO Responded To George R.R. Martin's Take

Martin had already deleted his post from his website by the time an HBO spokesperson responded (via Variety), but his comments were already circulating on the web. In a far more diplomatic statement than what the author expressed, the spokesperson said:

Some changes from book to screen are always necessary, and Martin had seen plenty of them happen over the years of Game of Thrones, particularly the later seasons after the show overtook the available source material. Still, as somebody who has been bothered by Daemon clobbering his first wife with a rock ever since that particular episode of Season 1, I'm certainly not one to judge about disliking seemingly minor changes.

Of course, adapting Fire & Blood is different from A Song of Ice and Fire, and not just because this particular chapter of Targaryen history has already been written in full by Martin as opposed to the unfinished ASOIAF. Fire & Blood is an in-universe history book penned by maesters in Westeros, so it's full of unreliable narrators and conflicting events.

That said, there are certain situations like the existence of Maelor – and yes, Daemon killing Rhea Royce – that aren't disputed by any of the sources in Fire & Blood, which leads to the change that I'm surprised George R.R. Martin didn't bring up in his post based on his logic about Blood and Cheese.

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD for Fire & Blood. If you don't want to know what happens next, check out now and/or revisit the first two seasons of House of the Dragon streaming with a Max subscription.

What About Nettles?

The Red Sowing of Fire & Blood and House of the Dragon was used to find smallfolk with enough Targaryen blood to claim a dragon, with the same episode that dropped some info on George R.R. Martin's lost Targaryen featuring Hugh claiming Vermithor and Ulf claiming Silverwing. Readers know that perhaps the most important dragonseed of Fire & Blood is actually Nettles, who may or may not have Targaryen blood but tamed the dragon Sheepstealer by feeding him sheep.

And readers also know that Nettles and her ambiguous relationship with Daemon will push Rhaenyra to a breaking point (with no small amount of prodding from Mysaria) and eventually lead to Daemon's epic suicide mission to kill Aemond... that is, that's what readers would likely expect if the show had introduced Nettles. Instead, House of the Dragon seems to be merging Rhaena and Nettles. By George R.R. Martin's logic of how omitting Maelor will have a butterfly effect on later parts of the story, it would track if he feels similarly about cutting Nettles.

Rhaenyra snapping and ordering the death of a commoner who she thinks has seduced her husband makes sense for the Black Queen at that point in her storyline; Rhaenyra ordering the death of her niece/stepdaughter/cousin really doesn't. After all, parent/child incest is taboo even in the Targaryen family, which was a carryover from Fire & Blood to House of the Dragon if Daemon's reaction to dreaming about his mother is any indication. Surely she wouldn't believe anything unseemly between Daemon and Rhaena, right?

And as much as Maelor's absence from the show undercuts any motivation Helaena would have for leaping to her death from the guilt and madness of it all, I think a lot of readers are going to be upset if substituting Rhaena for Nettles undercuts Daemon's last stand above the Gods Eye lake.

Having read all of A Song of Ice and Fire as well as Fire & Blood, I'm confident in saying Daemon vs. Aemond is one of the most epic sequences that George R.R. Martin has ever written and would make for some spectacular television if it's adapted as closely as possible.

Only time will tell, however, and it's possible that Martin doesn't see the omission of Nettles the same way that he does Maelor. At the very least, it'll likely be some time before we find out what House of the Dragon Season 3 has in store. Variety has already confirmed that production won't start until early 2025, which likely means the next new episode won't air on HBO until 2026.

Martin closed his since-deleted Not A Blog post by warning of "larger and more toxic" twists to come if the show does go ahead "with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4," but nothing is seemingly certain at this point. For now, we can wait and see if Martin has more to say about House of the Dragon as the wait continues for his next chapter of A Song of Ice and Fire with the long-delayed Winds of Winter.