House of the Dragon writer and executive producer Sarah Hess compares Daemon’s (Matt Smith) Harrenhal journey to the horrors of The Shining. Based on George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the hit Game of Thrones spinoff first premiered on HBO in 2022, chronicling the onset of the Targaryen civil war. After a blood-soaked season 1 in which clear battle lines were drawn, House of the Dragon season 2 releases this summer, digging deeper into the conflict between Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent (Olivia Cooke).
In a recent interview with EW, Hess teases some of what’s to come in House of the Dragon season 2, specifically touching on Daemon’s time spent in the fortress of Harrenhal. According to the writer and executive producer, this storyline will feature a much darker and more spooky tone, and she likens the massive Westeros castle to The Shining’s Overlook Hotel. Check out Hess’ comment below:
“There’s a haunted goat! We definitely were thinking of it as [The Shining’s] Overlook Hotel. It’s super fun in that it’s atmospheric… He can’t sleep. There’s weird sh*t going on. He’s not sure if it’s real or if it’s in his own head. We just wanted to have unexplained things and then use that as a conduit to lay him open a little more than he would be in normal life.”
Will House Of The Dragon Season 2 Be Even Darker Than Season 1?
Things Could Be About To Get Even More Serious In Westeros
Like Game of Thrones before it, House of the Dragon maintains a serious tone throughout season 1. While there are moments of levity that stem from certain more comedic characters, the world of Westeros is a dangerous one, and the violence is brutal, bloody, and often shocking. The House of the Dragon season 1 finale, however, teases that things will only get more serious in the show’s sophomore outing.
HOTD Season 2 Teases Two Massive Daemon Targaryen Mistakes That Completely Change The War
House of the Dragon’s season 2 trailer has shown glimpses of two hefty mistakes Daemon and the Black Faction make in the Dance of the Dragons.
With Rhaenyra and Alicent no longer in their adolescent years, the conflict between them will now carry with it a more serious tone, especially with Lucerys Velaryon’s (Elliot Grihault) shocking death in the finale. As the House of the Dragon season 2 trailer also teases, King Aegon II Targaryen becomes a Joffrey-like figure, seemingly choosing to rule through violent means rather than honorable ones. The trailer also teases that some of the story will take place in the North in season 2, and this frigid, dark landscape could make the entire show feel a little more gritty and serious.
House of the Dragon Season 2 | Official Trailer | Max
What’s more, Fire & Blood affirms that there are some plot points on the way that could be truly shocking to viewers. House of the Dragon season 2’s “Blood & Cheese” recreation, for example, will certainly be one such moment that takes the show’s tone to a very dark place. It remains to be seen how House of the Dragon season 2 compares to season 1 in terms of tone, but viewers should evidently be prepared for the story to only get heavier from here onward.
