House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal details the key advantage of adapting the prequel show over Game of Thrones. Based on George R.R. Martin’s ongoing A Song of Ice and Fire saga, HBO’s massively popular fantasy series aired from 2011 to 2019. Shortly after it ended, the first prequel series premiered in 2022, chronicling nearly three decades of Targaryen family history based on Martin’s book Fire & Blood, with House of the Dragon season 2 set for release on June 16.
In an interview with Variety, Condal detailed the key advantage of adapting House of the Dragon over Game of Thrones. Condal, who is now the sole showrunner for the second season following Miguel Sapochnik’s departure, explained that the prequel show has a complete story to adapt, unlike the original series, where the book series was not completely finished.
Read his full explanation below:
It became clear what we needed to do, and how to bring it to an end, and where. We have the advantage that the book is here, it’s finished, and we know where the curtain closes on this particular chapter in the Targaryen history.
House Of The Dragon’s Key Advantage Should Result In A Stronger Ending
Game of Thrones was a massive critical and commercial success for years, with each of its first seven seasons scoring a 90% rating or higher on Rotten Tomatoes. Even after the show surpassed Martin’s source material following season 5, it remained in peak form and delivered some of its best episodes, including season 6’s “Battle of the Bastards” and “The Winds of Winter.” However, in the eyes of many, the show suffered a significant decline in Game of Thrones season 8 when showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss were tasked with ending the story.
Benioff and Weiss had the unenviable task of ending a cultural sensation with only outlines of The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring to work with, the final two books in Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series which have yet to be published. Like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon started out strong with a critically and commercially successful first season that has lived up to its predecessor. Though some feel that the final season of Game of Thrones suffered a decline in quality, House of the Dragon shouldn’t have that problem.
As Condal explains, he and his writers’ room have the advantage of their source material being fully finished, allowing them to know previously how and where the story ends years in advance. This, in turn, should result in a stronger ending than Game of Thrones. However, that’s not to say that House of the Dragon isn’t presented with its own unique challenges. It’s based on a book that, instead of a traditional narrative, takes the form of a fictional history book that relies on first-hand accounts which often contradict one another.
In turn, House of the Dragon must decide what the objective truth of this history is and depict it on-screen. The prequel show has done an admirable job so far and, considering its key advantage over Game of Thrones, it should continue to do so through its ending. However, that is still several years away, as the Dance of the Dragons is set to heat up in season 2.