By: Cydneii Lung’aho
As the penultimate episode of HBO’s show “House of the Dragon” aired last Sunday, it marked yet another one of the network’s prime time shows that came to a rather speedy end. Fans across the world have tuned into the “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon” since its initial release on August 21. It serves as the second show created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO, with the addition of Miguel Sapochnik as showrunner.
The series follows the elusive reign of House Targaryen, based on Martin’s “Fire & Blood,” as they navigate their reign over Westeros 200 years before the iconic characters of “Game of Thrones” were brought to our screens. The star studded cast includes the likes of Paddy Considine (HBO’s “The Outsider”), Matt Smith (“Doctor Who” & “The Crown”), Olivia Cooke, Emma D’Arcy, Steve Touissaint (“Doctor Who”), Eve Best, Fabien Frankel, Sonora Mizuno and Rhys Ifans (“Notting Hill”).
Many fans feared for the short-lived series’ ten episode longevity, but from the looks of Twitter and Tik Tok, the show’s renewed second season will likely elicit an even bigger response than the first. With rollercoaster relationships, gory action scenes and outstanding acting, the series has gained 9.986 million viewers, more than any new HBO original series. The much anticipated second season has been set to release in 2024, and judging from the cliffhanger ending in Episode 10 (iykyk), it’s not outlandish to claim that “House of the Dragon” has surely lived up to its heightened expectations. If only 2024 was tomorrow.