WARNING: Spoilers for House of the Dragon season 1 finale below.House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal has spoken on the series' time jumps and answered whether the practice will continue going forward into season 2. House of the Dragon season 1, set 200 years before the events of its predecessor Game of Thrones, reached an epic conclusion and teed up the Targaryen civil war to be a violent family affair. House of the Dragon is projected by author George R.R. Martin to have a 40-episode series arc, and with 10 episodes down, the stakes of the Dance of the Dragons have been established.
The first frames of House of the Dragon season 1 feature an aging King Jaehaerys Targaryen (Michael Carter) naming a spry Viserys (Paddy Considine) his heir. A title card brings viewers 9 years into King Viserys' reign, but this is the last time a time jump is plainly stated. Multiple time jumps greater than 5 years time occur throughout House of the Dragon, and the leaps are signaled to the viewer through subtle dialogue or indicated by new, adult actors playing characters last seen as youths. Game of Thrones creator and deeply involved House of the Dragon producer Martin explained that the lengthy chronology was forced into just 10 episodes because of pacing demands created by television as a medium.
In an interview with Deadline, showrunner Ryan Condal explained that the show's time leaps are finished, and the story will storm ahead without breaks or jumps. House of the Dragon season 1 concluded with an intense death scene that's sure to merit an immediate response from Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy), but Condal refused to reveal exactly where House of the Dragon season 2 will pick up. He added that the midseason recasting for House of the Dragon spooked HBO, but ultimately paid off. Read Condal's full comment below:
"I will say, as a reward to our wonderful audience for following us through all the time jumps and recasts, they are done. We tell the story in real time from here forward. The actors are playing these characters until the end. We’re not recasting anybody. We’re not making any huge jumps forward in time. We are now in the Dance of the Dragons, and we’re gonna tell that story."
Will The Recast Actors Return In Flashbacks?
The first half of House of the Dragon season 1 was headlined by a teenaged Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), with the young Rhaenyra, and Alcock's performance, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Alcock was replaced midseason by Emma D'Arcy as the adult Rhaenyra in the most noticeable, but not only, significant recasting necessitated by a time jump. Rhaenyra's contemporary Alicent Hightower was first played by Emily Carey and later replaced by Olivia Cooke at the same juncture. The fan response to the time jumps was mixed, but the dynamic between Carey and Alcock was one of the lauded relationships of the series. Alcock said that the creative team was musing about bringing the old cast back for flashbacks during House of the Dragon season 2, but nothing is yet confirmed.
Condal explained that the series will forge ahead in real-time. There are many running storylines available to keep viewers present, including doling out consequences for Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell), who ignited the upcoming war by causing Luke Targaryen (Elliot Grihault)'s death. Unlike Game of Thrones' Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), there are no key characters with uncertain patronages that could be revealed through flashbacks. The writers could elect to revisit Rhaenyra's relationship with Harwin Strong (Ryan Corr), which could mark the return of Alcock, but the viewers and most of Westoros already know that Strong is the father of Rhaenyra's children. Either way, fans are in for a wait - House of the Dragon season 2 is slated to return in late 2023 or early 2024.
Source: Deadline