‘House of the Dragon’ Already Suffering Setback From Season 2 After One Episode

After a lengthy two-year wait, HBO returned to the world of Game of Thrones with the third season of the franchise’s first spin-off, House of the Dragon. Set about two centuries before the main Game of Thrones story, this show chronicles the brutal and devastating Targaryen civil war, better known as the “Dance of the Dragons,” which is sparked when King Viserys I breaks tradition by naming his daughter, Rhaenrya, as the heir to the Iron Throne. This battle between the Blacks and the Greens has dominated streaming for the past four years, following what many believed was a disappointing end to the original series in 2019.

This show is coming off a controversial end to Season 2 in 2024, with that season’s final episode largely failing to live up to expectations. That episode garnered heavy criticism for delivering a slow and extended setup for Season 3 rather than bringing an epic and climactic payoff, devoid of any kind of major final battle or action sequences. Now, this seems to have led to a slight drop-off in viewing numbers for Season 3, but the final results are not as drastic as many expected.

According to Warner Bros. Discovery (reported by Deadline), the first episode of House of the Dragon Season 3 garnered 21.5 million viewers in its first three days across HBO and HBO Max. This is about 8% lower than the 23.4 million viewers who tuned in for the first episode of Season 2 over its first three days in 2024, but it still performed well from an audience-retention standpoint, given the delay. Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery shared that weekly viewership for Season 2 tripled going into the Season 3 premiere.

While these numbers do not indicate a massive drop-off, they do highlight how disappointed many were with the end of Season 2. This season’s final episode is the lowest-rated entry of the entire series thus far, coming after weeks of building towards a huge all-out war and concluding with no major battles, character momentum grinding to a halt, and ending the story where it started in the first place.

Although Season 3 started off with a notable continuity error, the first episode started off strong, with performances by stars like Emma D’Arcy carrying the episode and its story. With plenty more drama and action to come for Rhaenyra and the rest of the Targaryens this season, HBO seems to be doing everything in its power to deliver a season of the Game of Thrones story that will satisfy those who have stuck with the franchise for the last 15 years.

New episodes of House of the Dragon Season 3 debut on Sundays on HBO and HBO Max until the finale airs on Aug. 9, 2026.