House of the Dragonhas seen enormous success since its debut in late August. According to a Variety report, the series averages29 million viewersin the U.S. alone, tripling the audienceGame of Thronesreached during its first season. Luckily for fans, the HBO spinoff series has a clear beginning and end, as the story is outlined in author George R.R. Martin’s historical novelFire & Blood.
Martin recently discussed the series on his personalblogas the show wrapped up its eighth episode titledLord of the Tides. In his post, he talks about the 10-episode run and how he’s thankful to have 10 hours each season to tell his story. However, given the set-in-stone approach to the show, the author predictsHouse of the Dragonwill take at least four seasons to properly tell the Dance of the Dragon storyline.
Related:One Emotional House of the Dragon Scene Was Completely Improvised
“As it is, I am thrilled that we still have 10 hours every season to tell our tale,” Martin explains. “(Rings of Powerhas only 8, as you may have noticed, and my AMC showDark Windsis doing 6 episode seasons). I hope that will continue to be true.” He continues, “It is going to take four full seasons of 10 episodes each to do justice to the Dance of the Dragons, from start to finish.”
One complaint regardingGame of Throneswas the differing opinions on the length of the show, as showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss wanted an eight-season run. At the same time, Martin believed the story needed to span10 installments at the very least, with 13 being ideal. Luckily, Martin has stated he has a fair amount of input overHouse of the Dragon, so fans shouldn’t expect the series to be cut short.
George R.R. Martin Prefers Paddy Considine’s Viserys Over His Own
Spoiler Alert: Spoilers For House of the Dragon Episode 8 ‘Lord of the Tides’ AheadDuring his blog post, Martin reflected on the performances throughHouse of the Dragonso far and praised Paddy Considine’s interpretation. The actor portrayed King Viserys Targaryen through eight episodes of the series before his character met a heartbreaking demise in the final scene.
Related:House of the Dragon Star Emma D’Arcy Explains Just What Makes a Targaryen
Considine recentlyrevealed a text Martinsent to him following his time on the show, and now Martin shared his love for the actor in his own words. “Kudos to Eileen Shim, the scriptwriter, to Geeta Patel, the director, to our incredible cast… and particularly to Paddy Considine for his portrayal of King Viserys, the First of His Name,” Martin writes. “The character he created (with Ryan and Sara and Ti and the rest of our writers) for the show is so much more powerful and tragic and fully fleshed than my own version inFire & Bloodthat I am half tempted to go back and rip up those chapters and rewrite the whole history of his reign.” Martin continues, “Paddy deserves an Emmy for this episode alone. If he doesn’t get one, hey, there’s no justice.”
TheGame of Thronesspinoff seriesis coming up on its final two episodes of the season, which will surely excite audiences.House of the Dragonpremieres on HBO and HBO Max every Sunday, with the first eight episodes available now.
