House of the Dragon is set to return this June, and we have two new trailers dropped, each focusing on different sides of the Targaryen Civil War—Black and Green. Watch this:

Unlike Game of Thrones which had to come up with its own ending because there was a lack of source material, House of the Dragon has a completed story in the lore, so a lot of fans are hopeful that we get a concise ending.

Even if the story is completed though, the series has been taking some liberties. In the books, Viserys Targaryen was more of a forgettable character, but the series actually gave hime a very meaningful arc, which made his death all the more devastating.

We don’t know what else the show could change, but so far, the series has managed to ignite excitement in the GoT fandom again; especially after the disappointment with the finale that a good chunk of fans cannot seem to shut up about.

Hopefully the showrunners of House of the Dragon have a good enough sense to condense the story without overstretching episodes or making some questionable character decisions. I don’t think the fandom can take another hit like GoT Season 8.

The second season of House of the Dragon comes to Max on June 16.

Watch this:

The preview pretty much starts with the funeral of Laena Velaryon who we saw ‘died a dragon rider’s death’ in the last episode. We don’t really know what her death means for the alliance with the Driftmark, but we do see Daemon standing side by side with Rhaenyra and her family—who we last saw escaping to Dragonstone before things get uglier in the Red Keep.

While he was also just a small character in the earlier episodes, we finally saw Larys Strong playing his hand, with the murder of his brother and father; hence trapping Alicent in an alliance with him. With the Hand of the King gone, there is now a chance for the return of Otto Hightower, who we see in the preview. We don’t know how Otto has changed over the years, but it’s very possible that he’ll be more hell-bent on getting Aegon on the throne. With his experience as hand, it’s very possible that he also has a lot of strings to pull now that he’s going to be brought back into the game.

The series has been having a strong run, and though fans are going to miss Milly Alcock and Emily Carey, I think Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke do such a great job with taking over the roles.

Catch the next episode of House of the Dragon when it premieres on HBO Max this Sunday.

Watch the promo for the upcoming fifth episode:

While episode three had Viserys giving Rhaenyra permission to look for her own husband, some royal shenanigans have pushed Viserys to marry Laenor Velaryon. We assume that we’re going to be seeing the wedding happen with the next episode, but as the promo suggests, we could be expecting some kind of tragedy.

Much like the earlier seasons of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is not so much about grandiose battles, but more about political intrigue and scandals. Though we do get scenes filled with action like Daemon’s attack on the Crabfeeder, it honestly pales in comparison with character moments like the sudden (but expected) incest between Daemon and Rhaenyra or the removal of Otto Hightower as the Hand of the King.

Admittedly, there are some book readers who already know how this will all go down, but at least we can have the assurance that House of the Dragon is working on a completed story; as compared to Game of Thrones which kind of clumsily rushed to the finish line. Hopefully HOTD will have a complete, critically-acclaimed run.

Catch the next episode of House of the Dragon when it streams on HBO Max this Sunday.

As per THR, Game of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik, who is credited as a co-showrunner for HOTD has decided to leave the show. We don’t know why Sapochnik would choose to leave a well-received project now, but it seems that his life has been all about Game of Thrones even after the show ended.

He says in a statement:

“Working within the Thrones universe for the past few years has been an honor and a privilege, especially spending the last two with the amazing cast and crew of House of the Dragon… I am so proud of what we accomplished with season one and overjoyed by the enthusiastic reaction of our viewers. It was incredibly tough to decide to move on, but I know that it is the right choice for me, personally and professionally.”

With Sapochnik leaving, Ryan Condal is said to be serving as the sole showrunner of the series moving forward. HOTD has also brought back Alan Taylor as an executive producer. Besides directing Thor: The Dark World, Taylor has helmed several episodes of Thrones, and he should have some good insight for House of the Dragon moving forward.

Let’s also not forget that George R.R. Martin is still heavily involved with the development of HOTD, unlike the final seasons of GOT which were said to have kept him out of the loop.

Catch House of the Dragon Sunday nights on HBO Max.

Check the new trailer for House of the Dragon: 

Take note, this series takes place during a time when the Targaryens were in full power, so it’s natural to see dragons just flying around. Though we needed to go through a couple of seasons to get some full-grown dragons in Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is not as subtle when it comes to their presence.

Besides the Targaryens who have been front and center when it comes to the series marketing, we actually get to see the other players in the king’s court like the Hightowers. Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) is the Hand of the King in this era, and his daughter is Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke). We also have a look at the Velaryons, who are said to be distant cousins of the Targaryens, hence the trademark Targaryen silver hair.

While Game of Thrones may have stumbled toward the end, House of the Dragon promises to be based on a complete story, so fans don’t have to worry about rushed endings. Hopefully this franchise can spark a new interest in the world of Westeros, and maybe even be a great jumping-off point for people who haven’t even watched Game of Thrones.

House of the Dragon premieres on HBO Max on Aug. 21.

As per the official account, House of the Dragon premieres on HBO Max on August 21. Here’s the post:

August 21. #HouseoftheDragon pic.twitter.com/2IQHsDqv39

— HBO Max (@hbomax) March 30, 2022

The post also came with several stills for characters that will be making an appearance in the series. Besides the several Targaryens that will be controlling the Iron Throne, the show has also released stills of characters from House Hightower as well as House Velaryon.

Prince Daemon Targaryen.

August 21. #HouseoftheDragon pic.twitter.com/GarXwUel6H

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) March 30, 2022

Alicent Hightower.

August 21. #HouseoftheDragon pic.twitter.com/Gjm0Cbshlo

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) March 30, 2022

Lord Corlys Velaryon & Princess Rhaenys Targaryen.

August 21. #HouseoftheDragon pic.twitter.com/B6Srv5UoC8

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) March 30, 2022

Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen.

August 21. #HouseoftheDragon pic.twitter.com/Iq6U1Jkoey

— House of the Dragon (@HouseofDragon) March 30, 2022

We don’t know how long HBO plans to run the show, but we know that the key figures are involved the Targaryen Civil War which is known in the lore as the Dance of Dragons. While we can expect the war to be the climax of the series, there’s a lot of room for the writers to add several more events in the show.

Though Game of Thrones may have ended with a fizzle, House of the Dragon has the benefit of having a completed source material. Let’s just hope that the fans haven’t gotten sick of this world yet. If anything, they’re likely looking for a good excuse to come back to Westeros, even if none of the characters they liked are coming back. Hopefully the show sticks to what made the original great, with the political intrigue and solid character work.

House of the Dragon premieres on HBO Max on Aug. 21.