House of the Dragon
Warning : contains mollycoddler forHouse of the Dragon season 1and George R. R. Martin ’s bookFire & Blood . House of the Dragonseason 2 is already guaranteed to avoid one of season 1 ’s biggest problem — the copious and often confusingHOTDtime jump . House of the Dragon ’s prison term jump were narratively necessary to illustrate the twists and turns of various schemes and family kinetics , not least the rollercoaster relationship between Rhaenyra and Alicent from childhood friends to the brink of civil state of war . But they were also alienate for audiences , with it often being a struggle to follow both the constant rephrasing of characters , how incisively they interact with one another after the dyad of a few years , and how their motivation and personalities might have change .
That said , theHouse of the Dragontime saltation and recasts , while confusing , still did n’t disrupt theGame of Thronessequel that much — as evidenced byHOTDwinning the Golden Globe for expert tv set drama , alongside Emma D’Arcy also bring home the bacon in the practiced goggle box actress family for their role as Rhaenyra Targaryen after the metre jump . In many ways , the disarray do by the time jumps was a necessary ritual killing in ordering to do justice to the book on which the serial is based , George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood , a quasi - historical novel that detail more than a hundred 100 of House Targaryen ’s sovereignty . Still , many will no doubt be relieved to knowHouse of the Dragonseason 2 has a much more analogue timeline project .
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House Of The Dragon Season 1’s Time Jumps Made Sense… But Hurt The Story
House of the Dragon ’s time jumps and earlier sequence served to ply much - needed contextual prologue to both the phenomenal final three episodes of season 1 and theDance of the Dragons civil warto come in season 2 and beyond . The time jump were clear a risk given audience likely craved the immediate gratification familiar fromGame of Thrones ' storylines . But ultimately , asHouse of the Dragon ’s Golden Globe profits shows , it all paid off . The recasting and changed personalities might have been confusing , but major moment in the show would probably not have been as dramatically fulfil without them .
Alicent ’s desperate requirement for " an middle for an oculus " after Aemond ’s fight with Lucerys at Driftmark , as well as her savage confrontation with Rhaenyra , would not have been most as powerful without the gradual disintegration of their friendship so patiently explored in the first five episode . Daemon ’s snatch of Rhaenyra ’s throat in the finale would hardly be as shocking a monitor of who he really is without the early depiction of him as a cruel , married woman - murdering monster . Likewise , Rhaenys ' Dragonpit decisionnot to utter " Dracarys " and burn Aegon ’s retinue would n’t be nearly as profound if there were n’t nine episode of everyone underestimate " the Queen who never was . "
The HotD Time Jumps Were Necessary But Confused Some Viewers
At the same prison term , however , it would be churlish not to betoken out that while the clock time jumps were well - intentioned , necessary to lay the groundwork for Dance of the Dragons , and emphasise the impact of the later episodes ' swelled minute , they were often still frustrating . It was initially unmanageable to make resonance withHouse of the Dragon ’s theatrical role when their actors were changing every few episodes , and the disconnected deviations in their motivations and personalities often ring hollow . For instance , Milly Alcock ’s Rhaenyra was an engaging presence , rise against a patriarchal society and refuse to relegate to her portion as essentially an heir production manufactory .
When theHouse of the Dragontime jump takes watcher to Emma D’Arcy’sRhaenyra in episode 6 with three childrenin her mid-20s , it partly forge home that there is ultimately no escape from this world ’s Feudalist misogynism , which is an important point to convey . However , this does n’t make her fictional character U - turn any less jarring as , for the audience , it emerges from nowhere . Other element also feel rushed , such as Daemon ’s complex relationship with Laena before she die out , or the sincere lovemaking at the center of Rhaenyra ’s romance with Harwin Strong . To be fair , given the massive timeline of the bookFire & Blood , even with theHouse of the Dragontime jumps , it was a tall order for the series to adjust each and every significant plot point in the first spot .
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House Of The Dragon Season 2 Will Be Better Without Major Time Jumps
Yet , as compelling asHouse of the Dragonseason 1 was , and as well - performed as each iteration of the young characters were , specially Alcock as Rhaenyra , the show is almost for sure move to find itself on surer footing lead into season 2 . The first time of year covered decades of story , while the Dance of the Dragons transpires only over a few years , makingHouse of the Dragon ’s time jumps and reforge almost alone unnecessary . This will permit Condal , the filmmakers , and the screenwriters the opportunity to tell a more logical tale .
In possibility , this should tolerate more time for patient and nuanced reference development in futureHouse of the Dragonseasons and various subplots the time and distance to breathe . The kind of malnourished story season 1 had , like Daemon and Laena , should be give more than a handful of panorama to provide proper investment in its unfolding and understanding of its involution . as well , the kind of jarring delineation that saw Aemond sharply transition from a thwarted and boss around tween in installment 7 into thecompetent , arrogant , and revenge - seeking adult Aemondof episode 8 , can now be avoided . There is more telescope to explore these development in detail .
Could House Of The Dragon Still Have Timeline Problems In The Future?
WhileHouse of the Dragon ’s time jumps and recasting is ostensibly at an end , dissimilar kinds of timeline management woes present themselves forHouse of the Dragon ’s rest three seasons . Indeed , George R.R. Martin’sFire & Bloodactually cover around 140 years of the Targaryen dynasty in Westeros — including subplots that connect important individuals and minor houses to House Targaryen ’s fortune . There are plenty of assassinations , schemes , and battles to underwrite , include the monumental battles at Rook ’s Rest and Duskendale . Then there ’s the Sowing of the dragons and the seismic Battle of the Gullet . Perhaps most tantalizing of all is the spectacular dragon fight(and deaths ) of Aemond and Daemonabove Gods Eye , or the riots at King ’s landing place and the sacking of the Dragonpit . Next time of year and beyond , that is a lot of ground to cover .
That is before even view how deeply into the remainder ofFire & Blood ’s timelineHouse of the Dragonintends to go . If it carry on to follow the Targaryen lineage , there ’s still the Hour of the Wolf to get to , which involves Lord Cregan Stark ’s six - day government activity of King ’s landing place . There ’s also the sovereignty of Aegon III after his installation as male monarch . Both these incident might take in screen door time , but without the serial publication ' main grapheme present at this stage , it is unlikely to be much more than an episode or two even if they are covered by the show .
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House of the Dragonis currently project to hightail it for four seasons . exact pacing by Condal and the rest will be required to both do theDance of the Dragons justiceas a breathtaking polite warfare worthy of the highest - budget summer blockbuster movie , while at the same time peppering the remaining three season with enough prestige telecasting underage character beats and coloured subplots . With so much high dramatic event and intense , unrelenting action forget to encompass , it ask a tricky balance to keep it as engaging a story , as well as , hopefully , as exhilarating a spectacle .
WillHouse of the Dragonseason 2 have a meter leap ? gratefully , House of the Dragon ’s showrunner Ryan Condal has offer assurances that the series ' significant time jumps have conclude . “As a advantage to our wonderful audience for follow us through all the time jumps and recasts , they are done,“Condal said after the time of year 1 finis . “We state the story in real - time from here forrad . The actors are play these character until the death . We ’re not recasting anybody . We ’re not making any huge jump forward in time . We are now in the Dance of the Dragons , and we ’re gon na recount that story . "
HotD Time Jumps Weren’t As Big An Issue As Some Made Out
House of the Dragon ’s time jumps in season 1 , in hindsight , were n’t that big of a trouble for the show ’s overall storytelling . Time jumps enable showrunners to flesh out the extensiveHouse of the Dragontimelinein just a twosome episodes , and establish the histories of key players in the Dance of the Dragons . It also help thatHouse of the Dragonis a spinoff ofGame of Thrones , which meant that the prequel had an base consultation before it even air — viewers already intimate with Westeros . In the last , House of the Dragon ’s two Golden Globe Awards are proof positive that the time jumps really did n’t hurt the serial ' storytelling all that much .
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