“That season of house of the dragon could’ve been an email”
“Did I Just watch a 70 minute trailer for Season 3?”
“This season really irritated me. And I’m a die hard fan of the books.”
👆 These are just a few examples of how the House of the Dragon Season 2 finale was met by the fandom.
The second season of the adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood, which lasted nearly two months, has finally wrapped up, leaving fans disappointed and bewildered—is that really it? We barely saw any battles this season, and the finale was rated a 4.0 on IMDb (2.8 points lower than the much-hated Game of Thrones finale). The fandom surely expected a bit more of a bang in the finale, and who could blame them?
Not so fast—this episode, despite the lack of battles, did have some intriguing moments and hints of what may happen in Season 3.
Oh, and let’s not forget that season two was produced smack in the middle of the writers’ strike, which might just explain why it feels a bit...unfinished. The season was trimmed down to eight episodes instead of the initially planned ten. According to showrunner Ryan Condal, who graciously responded to fan feedback, the season turned out the way it did because of budget constraints. “One of the challenges of making television at any scale [is] nobody has infinite time and resources. When you’re a showrunner, you’re always in the position of having to balance storytelling and the resources that you have to tell that story,” he explained during a virtual press conference.
But what exactly did we see in the finale and what can we expect in Seasons 3 and 4? Let’s break it down in the article.
What we've seen in the HOTD 2 finale—explained
Helaena’s prophecy: Aemond's death it the Gods Eye
Aemond's plan to rally his dragon riders hits a snag when he turns to Helaena (Phia Saban), demanding she take Dreamfyre into battle. But Helaena isn't one for dragonriding, especially when it involves burning people alive, so she refuses outright, and even Aemond's (Ewan Mitchell) threats can't sway Helaena. Instead, she uses her prophetic dreams to land a double blow. First, she reveals that she knows Aemond burned Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) at Rook's Rest. Then, she drops a prophecy, "Aegon will be king again. He's yet to see victory. He sits on a wooden throne. And you... you will be dead. You are swallowed up in the Gods Eye, and you are never seen again," she tells him, referring to the large lake beside Harrenhal.
Helaena’s words align perfectly with the fates of Aegon and Aemond as outlined in George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, so that's what we can expect in the upcoming seasons 3 and 4 (unless the House of the Dragon showrunners decide to throw us a curveball, of course).
"I could have you killed," Aemond threatens.
"It wouldn't change anything," Helaena calmly replies.
Given that Helaena's previous predictions have come true, there's little reason to doubt this one will too. But what does it mean? That's what we'll probably see in Season 3 or even 4.
Helaena predicts that Aegon II, who is now recovering from his injuries, will reclaim the throne one day. The "wooden throne" could refer to the carriage we see him traveling in with Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) as they head towards Essos in the final scene.
As for the Gods Eye, that's simply a large lake near the castle of Harrenhal, which was so named because of the island in its center that looks like a pupil from above. Helaena is quite literally telling Aemond how he'll meet his end: by vanishing, likely drowning, in the lake near Harrenhal.
Could Aemond meet his end in a battle against Daemon there? We’ll have to wait until Season 3 to find out.
Daemon’s vision: White Walkers, Daenerys & More
Daemon's been hallucinating nearly the entire season, and despite he might not have done much this season, he's certainly been through a lot—at least in his mind.
Since taking Harrenhal with shocking ease, Daemon's been haunted by visions that range from unsettling to downright bizarre. He's seen a younger Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), had a sex dream involving his deceased mother Alyssa (Emeline Lambert), and caught disturbing glimpses of his decaying brother Viserys (Paddy Considine).
However, the finale gives Daemon a new kind of vision—one that looks forward instead of back.
While touching the weirwood tree at Harrenhal, Daemon is hit with a series of rapid, jarring images that every Game of Thrones fan finds familiar. Among these are a group of White Walkers lurking ominously in the woods; the lifeless body of a dragon (which might be Caraxes, Daemon’s own steed) on a battlefield strewn with corpses; and Daemon himself, sinking into dark, murky water. The vision ends with an image of Daenerys Targaryen, cloaked in ash and clutching her dragons.
This moment ties back to an earlier episode where Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) is sent away with the very dragon eggs that will eventually hatch for Daenerys.
After these visions, Daemon walks into the throne room, where he sees Rhaenyra seated on the Iron Throne. Helaena appears, cryptically reminding him, "It's all a story, and you're just a piece of it. You know your role."
So, what’s the takeaway from Daemon's vision?
From what was shown in Game of Thrones, it’s clear Daemon sees a glimpse of the threat posed by the White Walkers and the necessity of uniting Westeros under a Targaryen ruler to fend them off—echoing Aegon I's prophetic "Song of Ice and Fire" dream.
But Daemon’s vision goes a step further, giving him a peek at his own fate as well. The Harrenhal witch Alys Rivers (Gayle Ranking) has already foreshadowed that he’ll meet his end at Harrenhal, and the battlefield and sinking scenes could very well be omens of his death. The vision also suggests who he'll be fighting for, as it culminates with a vision of Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne.
This revelation seems to have a profound impact on Daemon, prompting him to finally kneel before Rhaenyra when she arrives at Harrenhal, setting aside his own ambitions. Shaken by what he’s seen, he finally understands his place in the larger story—realising that Westeros needs a leader to unite the realm against the coming storm, Daemon chooses to back Rhaenyra.
Alicent's rebirth
Alicent was sidelined almost the entire season, and yet she finally sees the cracks in the order she’s spent her whole life defending. Raised under the strict guidance of her father, Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans), and the relentless demands of the realm, she never really had a chance to choose her own path. Now, as the war spirals out of control, she travels to Dragonstone to offer Rhaenyra a deal that could end the conflict.
Rhaenyra is initially unimpressed, calling out Alicent’s hypocrisy. After all, it was Alicent who first attacked Rhaenyra’s reputation and then conveniently decided to take a lover herself. She crowned Aegon, igniting the war (and confusing her son Aegon with Aegon the Conqueror) and rejected Rhaenyra’s earlier offer of peace.
But Alicent’s offer is too tempting for Rhaenyra to dismiss entirely. She promises that once Aemond heads to Harrenhal, she’ll hand over King’s Landing. All she asks is that she and Helaena be allowed to go free. Rhaenyra agrees, but with one condition: Alicent must surrender Aegon, as only his death can secure her claim to the Iron Throne. A son for a son.
Tearfully, Alicent nods, unable to even speak the words. Rhaenyra is taken aback by her decision. "History will paint you a villain," she warns Alicent who is ready to relinquish the power she once clung to, shedding her iconic dark green wardrobe and symbols of the Faith of the Seven for a lighter shade of blue—a nod to her rebirth hinted at when we saw her swimming in the lake in episode 7. She nervously bites her nails, just like the younger Alicent (Emily Carey) did at the beginning of House of the Dragon, suggesting a return to a more innocent version of herself.
A Wooden Throne: Where are Aegon & Larys going?
The finale shows that Aegon II is no longer in King's Landing, which throws a wrench in Alicent’s plans to broker peace with Rhaenyra. Larys Strong is secretly taking Aegon to Braavos, a city known for its neutrality and formidable power. By taking Aegon out of the capital and out of Rhaenyra's reach, Larys sabotages any hope of Alicent's deal with Rhaenyra being honored. Rhaenyra is almost certain to interpret Aegon's disappearance as an act of treachery, further deepening the rift between her and Alicent.
This reveal is part of a fast-paced, dramatic montage that closes out Season 2, showcasing various characters and armies preparing for the imminent conflict. As we see Aegon and Larys on their way to Braavos, other key players are also mobilising: the Hightower forces march from Oldtown; the Lannisters approach Harrenhal; the Winter Wolves cross the Twins heading south, while Tyland and Lohar sail to break the blockade at the Gullet.
What happened to Otto Hightower?
These final scenes also briefly show Otto Hightower's imprisonment, a character who had been notably absent since his dismissal as Hand of the King by his grandson, King Aegon II, back in Episode 2. This brief appearance raises more questions than it answers, leaving viewers to speculate about his fate.
Otto’s presence in the finale is limited to a single shot, where we see him looking seemingly confused, sitting in what looks like a cramped jail cell. The lighting shifts, casting beams through the bars, and Otto, squinting as he looks up, appears bewildered by his situation. The scene is so brief that it’s hard to determine exactly where he is, or whether the cell is stationary or part of a moving convoy.
So why is Otto in a jail cell, and who could have captured him? After his dismissal, Otto mentioned to Alicent that he was heading to Oldtown, the Hightowers’ stronghold, with plans to rally support for their cause. Alicent suggested he go to Highgarden to secure the Tyrells’ allegiance, but after this conversation, Otto disappears from the narrative. Throughout the season, Alicent’s letters to him go unanswered, and Aemond later tasks Larys Strong with finding Otto so he can be reinstated as Hand. The fact that Otto never replies to Alicent and is completely out of contact suggests something went wrong during his journey.
One plausible theory is that Otto was captured by House Beesbury or their allies, who had declared war on the Hightowers. This would explain his absence and why he was unreachable for most of the season. Alternatively, Larys Strong could be behind Otto’s capture. As a manipulative ally of Aegon II, Larys might have set up Otto’s imprisonment to weaken Aemond’s influence by removing a key strategist.
In any case, Otto’s fate remains uncertain, and his capture adds another layer of intrigue as the series moves forward.
What we may see in House of the Dragon seasons 3 & 4
Considering that the showrunners of House of the Dragon have significantly deviated from the book, it's not reliable to base predictions for seasons 3 and 4 solely on George R.R. Martin's original story. However, based on what we've seen in the series and what was depicted in the book, here are some events that might appear in the upcoming two seasons of House of the Dragon.
Rhaenyra’s return to King’s Landing
With her superior number of dragons, Rhaenyra is now ready to confront Aemond directly and claim the Iron Throne. However, launching an attack on King's Landing would result in countless innocent deaths, spreading fear and chaos across Westeros rather than bringing the realm together. This conflict between achieving victory and avoiding unnecessary bloodshed has been Rhaenyra's struggle throughout the season.
In the book, upon her arrival, she beheads Otto Hightower and imprisons both Alicent and Helaena, and the death of the latter is portrayed as a suicide, where she jumps from a tower.
Betrayal also looms on the horizon. Ulf and Hugh, the bastard dragon riders introduced in Season 2, will switch sides and join the Greens during a conflict known as the First Battle of Tumbleton, which will likely occur towards the end of Season 3.
The Battle of the Gullet is coming, and it'll be huge
The Battle of the Gullet, a major confrontation depicted in George R.R. Martin's Fire & Blood, is one of the most anticipated events, and its absence from the season has led to widespread speculation and some disappointment among the audience. Some fans even compared the final episode with a Season 3 trailer—that's how anticlimactic it was.
During a virtual Q&A session, HOTD showrunner Ryan Condal explained that the decision to defer the Battle of the Gullet was not taken lightly. The production team is acutely aware of the narrative weight and significance that this battle carries within the broader context of the story. Condal noted that the intention was to ensure that the battle is given "the time and the space that it deserves," rather than rushing it into a season already dense with plot developments.
According to Condal, the Battle of the Gullet is poised to be "the biggest thing to date that we've pulled off," so we may assume that the production team is investing significant resources into making it a standout moment in the series.
The Battle Above the Gods Eye
The Battle Above the Gods Eye is another pivotal clash from Fire & Blood that pits Daemon Targaryen against Aemond Targaryen in a dragonback duel over Harrenhal and the Gods Eye.
In the show, Daemon receives a prophecy at Harrenhal from the mysterious Alys Rivers, foretelling that he will die there, showing him a vision of himself drowning. Aemond, on the other hand, is informed by Helaena in King’s Landing that he will be “swallowed up in the Gods Eye.” Daemon seems to accept his destiny by the end of Season 2, but Helaena’s assertion that Aemond’s choices won’t change his fate might drive him to defy the path laid out for him.
Will we see Nettles, or will Rhaena ride Sheepstealer?
By the end of Season 2, we see that Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell) abandons her half-siblings, betraying the trust of Rhaenyra placed in her to watch over them, and ventures off to find the wild dragon Sheepstealer in the Vale.
In the book, Sheepstealer is a notoriously fierce and ill-tempered dragon, known for either burning or devouring anyone who tries to tame him. Nettles, a young girl, is the only person who succeeds in riding him, after patiently winning his favour by offering him sheep daily until he accepts her presence. But in the series, Rhaena will likely get what she has desired throughout her entire life and ride Sheepstealer in Nettles' stead. Unlike Nettles, Rhaena seems to have acted on a whim, wandering the Vale in desperation, searching for the dragon without a clear plan. When she eventually encounters him, she appears genuinely frightened.
Will the series combine Nettles’ story with Rhaena’s, showing her successfully claiming Sheepstealer, or we won't see Nettles whatsoever? We'll find it out in Season 3.
When will House of the Dragon season 3 premiere on HBO?
Season 3 doesn't yet have a confirmed premiere date. House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal recently announced that production for the season is set to begin in early 2025, so fans will likely enjoy Season 3 in June 2026.
In the meantime, fans can look forward to another Game of Thrones prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which is scheduled to air on HBO in 2025. This series, based on George R.R. Martin's Tales of Dunk and Egg, will explore the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall and Prince Aegon I Targaryen. A teaser for the show was recently released.
