‘House of the Dragon’ gets Season 2 of blood, mayhem, incest

It’s official: less than one week after it premiered, the “Game of Thrones” spinoff “House of the Dragon” has been renewed for a Season 2.

According to HBO, the series premiere episode on Sunday was the largest debut in HBO history and has now been seen by over 20 million viewers across linear, on-demand, and HBO Max platforms. 

Set around 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” the show follows the antics of House Targaryen – Daenerys and Jon Snow’s ancestors, who are notorious for riding dragons, having silver hair (in a series of increasingly questionable wigs), killing each other and practicing incest. 

The series premiere set up a premise where King Viserys (Paddy Considine) was anticipating getting a male heir – but things went sideways when he made a medical decision on behalf of his wife, effectively killing her, via a harrowing medieval C-section (which fans responded to on social media).

In the end, the baby boy didn’t live, either. So, he then named his teen daughter, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) as his heir, even though women ruling isn’t the norm in Westeros. Meanwhile, his hotheaded younger brother Daemon (Matt Smith) clearly wanted the throne for himself, and established himself as a menace. The episode ended with the King kicking Daemon out, and having everyone recognize Rhaenyra as his heir.

The story, which is based on George R.R. Martin’s book “Fire & Blood,” is eventually heading to a civil war among the Targaryens over the Iron Throne. So, it’s sure to have some brutal battles, especially since both sides of the conflict have dragons. 

“House of the Dragon” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO, and will officially return for a Season 2.