House of the Dragon has been deep in production on season 3, with the last of the shooting days soon coming to an end and wrapping up the hectic filming schedule. As we wait for the series to finally make its return to HBO next year, we're clinging to any and all spoilers cast and crew members have been sharing, and showrunner Ryan Condal shared the one we've been dreading.
It's no secret that House of the Dragon season 3 will host some of the show's biggest battles yet that fans have been waiting for, and those battles will inevitably result in the deaths of multiple characters. Some of these deaths were featured in the books and fans already know about (and might even be okay with, to be honest), but some could certainly come as a surprise.
According to Condal, the set has started to feel the effects of these farewells as production has entered the phase of filming where key characters are beginning to depart. As he teased on The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of podcast, Condal teased, "We've reached that point in the season... We've reached that point in the series, we're starting to say goodbye to some people. There are farewells."
Obviously, Condal didn't reveal which characters and actors the cast have been bidding farewell lately, but he did share the special way that he has been sending off these cast members and there's an interesting connection to The Lord of the Rings. Inspired by Peter Jackson, Condal has been seeing off departing cast members with an item that belongs to their character.
If their character is a warrior or soldier, they get to keep a special prop that has been crafted specifically for their character, whether it's their weapon or helmet. Condal explained that within the last 10 days of production, there have been "a number of these tearful farewell ceremonies," and the fact that there have been multiple and they are tearful is concerning!
It's natural that the end of a season would feature the biggest moment of the season that would also boast the most deaths, but we're not ready to say goodbye to some of these characters — even villains that aren't as particularly well-liked. Thankfully, there's still plenty of time before we're confronted with the reality of having our own farewell ceremonies Sunday nights on HBO.
Condal further shared that props are his love language and giving those away to cast members has been an extension of that love language. He called the exchange "touching" and said gifting the cast has been meaningful to those wrapping up on the show. Hopefully, when season 3 promotion begins, the cast are able to reveal which items Condal gave them from set.
Stay tuned to Winter is Coming for more House of the Dragon season 3 news and updates!