6 ways House of the Dragon season 2 can improve on season 1

To put it generously, fans were split on the final season of Game of Thrones and didn’t have high hopes going into HBO's prequel series House of the Dragon. Thankfully, the new show has proven itself a worthy story worth telling. The two shows are connected, but they aren’t the same.

Despite House of the Dragon being a great show, it isn’t perfect. There are ways it can improve, and here they are:

The lighting

This was the first thing that came to mind. There were moments during House of the Dragon when it was difficult to see what was happening. It’s understandable when the scene requires a darker tone or atmosphere. However, when characters are walking around a beach at night, viewers shouldn’t wonder if their TV settings need to be adjusted.

Dragons vs dragon

Everyone loves dragons and wants to see them. Should the show have dragon fight scenes every episode? No. They would start to feel overused. Nevertheless, in the first season there was only one major battle where two dragons fought, and it was over quickly. Now that war is afoot between Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and her half-brother King Aegon Targaryen, this season should have more than one. That first clash was a taste of things to come.

Foreshadowing to Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones is over, but fans still want to know how the two shows are connected. In the very first episode, King Viserys talks about a prophecy that foreshadows the eventual battle with the Night King in Game of Thrones. He even has the dagger Arya Stark will one day use to kill him. That shouldn’t be the only connection.

Adding more mentions of Game of Thrones is a good thing. People will rewatch both series to see what else they missed. In a war of streaming services, every view helps. 

Memorable moments

There were good scenes throughout House of the Dragon, but once the series was over, they were forgotten. That can’t happen in season 2. It needs memorable moments of the kind we had on Game of Thrones, like Red Wedding, Daenerys Targaryen stepping out of the fire with newborn dragons, and Cersei Lannister getting revenge. Those scenes made Game of Thrones one of the greatest shows ever. Season 2 needs a Red Wedding-level moment to be mentioned among the greats.

Character evolution

It doesn’t matter if it’s a show, book, or movie; characters must evolve. That doesn’t mean they have to become better people. Alicent Hightower and Daemon Targaryen were awful to everyone around them in season 1, but their characters changed. They became more intriguing and crucial to the series. That has to continue.

Honoring the source material

House of the Dragon is based on the book Fire & Blood by George R.R. Martin. Projects based on books and comics always change somewhat in their translation from page to screen. However, certain parts have to remain. For instance, the story of Blood and Cheese is a major plot point in Fire & Blood. If that story isn’t used, the show has missed an important part of the source material and wasted an opportunity for a memorable moment.

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