Despite its rocky ending, Game of Thrones as a whole set a new standard for fantasy TV shows. The jury is still out on whether House of the Dragon is a worthy successor to its parent series, as the spinoff so far has been pretty uneven. While it still feels like the same version of Westeros that made its on-screen debut in 2011, certain pacing issues and sometimes unnecessary book changes have made viewers continually reevaluate House of the Dragon's quality.
Season 3 has been an incredibly strong run so far, though. With just one episode to go, I really hope House of the Dragon sticks the landing. Watching Emma D'Arcy portray Rhaenyra Targaryen's Shakespearean struggles with adapting to life on the Iron Throne has been fantastic, as have all the various subplots. The show really seems like it's on the cusp of being fully redeemed, specifically considering the last time House of the Dragon tried to execute a suitable season finale.
House of the Dragon's season 3 finale can finally redeem season 2's unsatisfying ending
"The Queen Who Ever Was" ended House of the Dragon season 2's 8-episode run in a way that felt like the perfect penultimate episode. The problem with this is that a finale has a very different role to play in a season of TV, especially in a narratively dense saga like the Game of Thrones franchise. Fans of the book on which House of the Dragon is based knew that the Battle of the Gullet was right around the corner for Teams Green and Black, with all the necessary pieces moving into the appropriate place.
Even those unfamiliar with the source material picked up on the very obvious signs that a major, finale-worthy conflict was imminent. Everything was reaching boiling point, and with time running out to accommodate the upcoming battle sequence...the credits rolled. The behind-the-scenes reason for this was that season 2 was initially greenlit to match season 1's 10-episode run, but a late change slashed season 2 to just eight episodes, which called for a hasty reshuffle.
The biggest casualty was that the Battle of the Gullet didn't make the cut. Thankfully, while House of the Dragon season 3 is also just eight episodes long, that has been the plan from the beginning. As such, the tensions that have been building throughout the seven episodes so far will surely be allowed to reach fever pitch during a finale that actually feels like a narrative climax for the current set of interwoven arcs. Will the Seven Kingdoms have a new ruler by the end of season 3? Will there be any more key deaths? I'm sure we'll find out very soon, rather than being made to wait again.
House of the Dragon season 2's loss was season 3's gain
Sure, it was a huge shame and an even bigger disappointment that the season 2 finale wasn't the Battle of the Gullet, as was originally the plan. It really hurt what was already a maligned comeback for House of the Dragon. It was, unfortunately, unavoidable. With the Battle of the Gullet being such an anticipated moment, the show needed to provide a sufficient amount of build-up to make the conflict feel both earned and as dramatic as it could be. To hurry things along just for the sake of getting to it before the season ends wouldn't have been the correct move.
Season 2 just had to take one for the team by being landed with a far less action-packed finale.
To put it more accurately, season 3 essentially stole season 2's finale but used it as a premiere instead. "Salt and Sea, Fire and Blood" finally showcased the Battle of the Gullet, almost two full years later than originally planned. It was certainly uncharacteristic for House of the Dragon to open a season with such an action-packed installment, but it worked very well and brought the series back with a bang.
There was no denying that season 3 was ready to thrill and excite, and the season 3 premiere fully rewarded the fans' patience. What now remains to be seen is if season 3 can be successfully bookended with standout installments. With the balance of power now shifted in the wake of Sunfyre's return, along with countless other developments, House of the Dragon has everything it needs to make up for "The Queen Who Ever Was" not immediately providing the satisfaction it was preparing to deliver.
House of the Dragon season 3's finale airs this Sunday on HBO.
Add us as a preferred source on Google