The on screen journey of the Game of Thrones franchise is filled with what-if scenarios where key decisions changed the trajectory of the shows we've all come to know and love. What if HBO hadn't decided to reshoot the original series' infamously terrible pilot episode? How different would the show be if Daenerys Targaryen had never been recast from Tamzyn Merchant to Emilia Clarke? What if HBO decided to go with a different spinoff other than House of the Dragon as its next entry in Westeros, like the prematurely canceled Blood Moon? And of course, how different might things have gone for the flagship show if George R.R. Martin had managed to finish his books in time to stay ahead of it?
We'll never get answers to these questions, but you can be sure we'll get yet more questions as new details emerge. And now we have another to add to the pile: What if A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms showrunner Ira Parker had served as a producer for House of the Dragon instead, which likely would have precluded him from tackling HBO's second Thrones spinoff?
As it turns out, that one came very close to happening. House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal casually revealed as much during a recent episode of the Scriptnotes podcast, where he discussed the show's third season with hosts and fellow writers John August (Big Fish) and Craig Mazin (The Last of Us).
Why did Ira Parker stop writing on House of the Dragon?
Parker's involvement in House of the Dragon came up when Condal was discussing his approach to utilizing a writers room for his shows, and how certain writers tend to show a knack for drafting episodes that naturally leads him to lean on them. As he did with his previous show Colony, Condal wanted a second writer he could lock-in for the long haul for House of the Dragon, who would remain partnered with him on the series even as others came and went. He found his number two writer for House of the Dragon early on with Sara Hess, who has since become the head writer on the series aside from Condal himself.
Another invaluable writer in the show's first season was Ira Parker, who penned the spellbinding fourth episode, "King of the Narrow Sea," where Daemon Targaryen returns to King's Landing after conquering the Stepstones and stirs up all sorts of trouble with his niece Rhaenyra and brother Viserys. It was easily one of the best episodes of the season, but for some reason Parker didn't return for season 2. Now we finally know why.
"There was a lot of turnover after season 1," Condal recalled. "Actually, one of those writers, Ira Parker, went on to create A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms...terrific writer. And actually [we] tried to get him to come help us produce season 1, but...it was COVID and they were like trying to have children, and so he was like, 'I'm afraid to come to Europe.' So it worked out great for him and great for the franchise."
House of the Dragon filmed its first season from April 2021 to February of 2022, right in the thick of the COVD-19 pandemic. Productions were beginning to get back underway by then, but there travel was still much more dangerous and loads of extra precautions had to be taken to ensure everyone's safety on set. I imagine Parker's exit from House of the Dragon is far from the only behind-the-scenes shakeup that happened in fantasy television during this period.
Both of HBO's current Game of Thrones spinoffs are in a very good place
As interesting as it might have been to have Parker in a more hands-on role with House of the Dragon, it's easy to agree with Condal that this all worked out for the best. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has been fantastic so far, and there's been no doubt whatsoever that Parker is the perfect steward for that funny, light-hearted series. His work on it — and his ability to win over our often fickle fandom — speaks for itself.
Beyond all that, choosing to opt out of a massively ambitious show like House of the Dragon for personal reasons like starting a family is about as understandable as it gets. If anything, it just speaks to how level-headed Parker is — something that has no doubt served him well on his own series, where he's had to work extensively with a talented child actor as a lead to bring the story to life.
While what-ifs are fun to ponder, as things stand, both House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are in an extremely solid place. HOTD is due to begin pre-production on its fourth and final season later this year and start filming in early 2027. Condal confirmed on the podcast that for the first time in the show's run, the same writing staff who worked on the current season will return for the next, which should only make season 4 stronger.
As for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, it just wrapped filming on its second season after overcoming various on-set challenges, including historic storms on the Spanish isle of Gran Canaria that flooded out some of its shooting locations. Despite that, it's still on track to release early next year, putting fans back on the road with Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg as they head off toward adventure in the Reach.
We'll have our ear to the ground for more updates and interesting stories about the shows as we head into this long night between seasons. For now, our watch continues.
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