HOUSE OF THE DRAGON SEASON 2 (Eps 2 & 3) The Popcorn Junkies Review (SPOILERS)

House of the Dragon is an American fantasy drama television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to Game of Thrones (2011–2019), it is the second television series in the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise. Condal and Miguel Sapochnik served as the showrunners for the first season. Based on parts of Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood, the series begins about 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen conquest, nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. Featuring an ensemble cast, the show portrays the events leading up to the decline of House Targaryen, a devastating war of succession known as the "Dance of the Dragons". House of the Dragon received a straight-to-series order in October 2019, with casting beginning in July 2020 and principal photography starting in April 2021 in the United Kingdom. The series premiered on August 21, 2022, with the first season consisting of ten episodes. Five days after its premiere, the series was renewed for a second season. Sapochnik departed as showrunner after the first season, leaving Condal to serve as the sole showrunner for the second season. The second season premiered on June 16, 2024, consisting of eight episodes. In June 2024, ahead of the second-season premiere, the series was renewed for a third season. The first season received positive reviews, with praise towards its character development, visual effects, writing, score by Ramin Djawadi, and performances. However, the pacing, specifically of the time jumps, and the dark lighting of some scenes were criticized. The series premiere was watched by over 10 million viewers across the linear channels and HBO Max on the first day, the biggest in HBO's history. At the 80th Golden Globe Awards, House of the Dragon won Best Television Series – Drama and Emma D'Arcy was nominated for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama. The series earned nine Emmy Award nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, and won three British Academy Television Craft Awards.