By Patrick Cremona

Published: Wednesday, 04 January 2023 at 12:00 am


The first season of House of the Dragon contained its fair share of brutal moments, from traumatic birth scenes to violent deaths – and it looks like that isn’t going to change in the second run.

Writer and executive producer Sara Hess has teased that a prominent storyline from George RR Martin’s source book Fire & Blood will be included in season 2, one which could be perhaps the most brutal in the show to date.

The storyline in question is known to fans of the book as the Blood and Cheese revenge plot, and concerns two characters who are hired by Prince Daemon (Matt Smith) and Queen Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) to carry out a particularly nasty mission against Queen Alicent (Olivia Cooke) – with rather grisly consequences.

The plot follows on directly from the events depicted at the end of season 1 when Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys was killed by Aemond’s dragon Vhagar.

And despite a slight change in the nature of that death for the TV show – it was depicted as an accident in the series rather than a deliberate killing on Aemond’s part like in the book – it looks like the revenge storyline is going to play a major part going forwards.

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Ewan Mitchell as Prince Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
Ollie Upton/HBO

Asked in a recent interview with Variety if this plot point would feature in the second run, Hess responded: “We are currently writing the finale of season 2. I don’t think you will be disappointed.”

The second season of House of the Dragon is widely expected to be released on Sky Atlantic and NOW in 2024, although a more specific date has not yet been revealed.

House of the Dragon airs on Sky Atlantic and is available on NOW – find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.

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