House of the Dragon showrunner teases season 3: "You don't want to end up in that place where you're doing the same thing again and again"

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Exclusive: Ryan Condal teases how House of the Dragon season 2 might set up season 3

House of the Dragon
(Image credit: HBO)

House of the Dragon season 3 hasn't been given the official greenlight from HBO just yet, but it is being written.

Now, considering the House of the Dragon season 1 finale came to a shocking, Westeros-shaking conclusion when Aemond Targaryen accidentally murdered his nephew Lucerys Velaryon, escalating the brewing conflict to a dramatic degree, we were curious if House of the Dragon season 2 would involve a similarly gasp-worthy conclusion to set up the third installment. 

So, when we sat down with showrunner Ryan Condal, we asked for an update on season 3 – and if we can expect the second season to build to a big finish that would set up the future. 

"Well, we'll have to see," Condal teases. "Yes, there's a rhythm to all this, these kinds of stories as you tell them. And we're trying to find satisfying arcs within the season structure. So, hopefully you start with a bang, and then you build to another bang through the series, but you're really trying to arc out the characters, so that each season is a different experience for all of them. And then you leave them off all in a place where you can pick up with them next year, and then take them in a new direction, because you don't want to end up in that place where you're doing the same thing again and again. 

"So, that's actually the biggest challenge, and then the narrative flare ups or the narrative explosions that come along with that are part and parcel with telling those stories," he explains. 

House of the Dragon season 2 launches on Sky and NOW on Monday 17 June in the UK, and HBO and Max on Sunday 16 June in the US. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming new TV shows to get excited about. 

Molly Edwards
Molly Edwards
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.