"House of the Dragon" has enormous shoes to fill following fans' extreme disappointment in the "Game of Thrones" series finale. The Season 8 conclusion was so dissatisfying for longtime fans of the show that a petition on Change.org was formed to remake it. Since its creation, the petition has acquired over 1,855,000 signatures; a remarkable number that's still growing today and prompted HBO to respond.
Unsurprisingly, scorned viewers were still curious about returning to Westeros and, even if reluctantly, tuned in to the record-setting premiere. In an astonishing turn, Episode 2 kept up the heat with even more impressive viewership numbers. The dragon-filled prequel is off to a triumphant start that rivals the original "Game of Thrones."
HBO aims to keep up the heat for the "Game of Thrones" franchise with a variety of spin-offs currently in development. If they all move forward, fans can expect to learn even more about "House of the Dragon's" Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) in "The Sea Snake" following his adventures forming one of the greatest naval forces in Westeros. We'll also embark on an epic quest with Princess Nymeria, the fierce warrior Arya (Maisie Williams) named her direwolf after. Most surprising of all, however, is a sequel to the original series centering on the lone half-Targaryen wolf, Jon Snow (Kit Harington). Given that Harington now has skin in the spin-off game, fans have been eager to learn what he really thinks of "House of the Dragon."
Before "The House of the Dragon" aired, the cast of "Game of Thrones" were understandingly trepidatious as to what the audience's reception would be. A spin-off is an incredibly delicate feat to pull off, and with a show as massive as "Game of Thrones," the task can be even more challenging. The stars of the original voiced concerns and hopes ranging from expectations of production quality to warm welcomes and advice for the new cast.
A perspective on "The House of the Dragon" that stood out from the rest was Kit Harington, who revealed to Insider that it "might be painful" to watch. His reasons cite the deep sentimentality he feels for the original show and how he'll miss being a part of Westeros. He encouragingly adds that of course he'll be tuning in to the prequel and wishes them well.
Harington recently followed up his earlier comments with what he thinks about "House of the Dragon" with Entertainment Tonight Canada. He praised the series saying "I'm really enjoying it. I think they've done a fantastic job." Harington continued citing the complications in undertaking such a monumental spin-off: "It's a weird one to start a whole new show in the same kind of realm, and to make it its own thing, and I think they've really done that."
ET then tried asking about Harington's expanding Marvel role following 2021's "Eternals," but having years of secrecy training under his belt from his time on "Game of Thrones," he remained tight-lipped about any unofficial Black Knight news.
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