‘House of the Dragon’ boss says Season 3 is ‘going to be about total war’

By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN

(CNN) — The Season 2 finale of “House of the Dragon” that aired Sunday night kept on teasing a big battle scene. You know, the kind of signature “Game of Thrones”-style battle where Kings and Queens try to take what they believe is rightfully theirs, complete with dragonfire and pithy lines about why such bloodshed is necessary?

Well, we’ll have to wait a little longer to see that.

The “Thrones” prequel series opted for an overture to what will be some major action in Season 3, according to showrunner Ryan Condal.

“While this season was very much about the fits and starts of an early medieval war, season three is clearly going to be about total war,” Condal said in the post-episode featurette.

A large part of setting up the forthcoming battle was Daemon’s (Matt Smith) arc this season, which culminated with him finally picking a side and bending the knee to Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy).

Daemon had been haunted by visions of his past that forced him to reckon with his future while he was at Harrenhal procuring a Riverlands army. His decision to go with Team Black was based on one revelatory vision that Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) declared he was finally ready to see. In it viewers were treated to familiar scenes from “Game of Thrones,” including haunting images of the Night King and the White Walkers, the Three-Eyed Raven, dead dragons, Daemon’s own death and the future Danaerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and her three baby dragons rising up from the ashes.

Daemon basically saw all eight seasons of “GOT” in sixty seconds.

He also saw Rhaenyra on the Iron Throne as his brother King Viserys (Paddy Considine) had wanted, cementing his decision to swear fealty to her. He realized then that he’s just a small part of a bigger story in Westeros, one that he cannot control but knows now that Rhaneyra is meant to lead.

When they finally reunited at Harrenhal, he told her about his vision and uttered that all-too-familiar “Thrones” warning: “Winter is coming.”

Also in the finale…

• Alicent (Olivia Cooke) and Rhaneyra had another secret meeting. Alicent was repentant. She told Rhaenyra that she’ll let her take King’s Landing while Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) flies out to battle at Harrenhal in order to save herself and her daughter. To do that, she agreed to sacrifice her other kid King Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney). Yikes.
• Turns out Rhaenyra won’t have the chance to kill King Aegon anyway because he escaped King’s Landing with the help of Larys Strong (Matthew Needham).
• Aemond got really, really mad that he no longer had the upper hand after seeing Rhaenyra’s dragon contingent and desperately tried to get Helaena (Phia Saban) to ride her dragon into battle. She refused and then told him she had a vision that he was “swallowed” up by the God’s Eye and never seen again. After hearing this, he looked even more freaked out that he did last week.
• Tyland Lannister (Jefferson Hall) had to sing a song, wrestle in the mud and maybe even agree to fathering a bunch of kiddos with a bunch of different women to get the Triarchy on Team Green. It worked and added some levity to the episode.
• Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) reappeared but only for a second. It looked like he was locked up in a cell somewhere and not doing too well.
• The new dragonriders Ulf (Tom Bennett), Hugh (Kieran Bew) and Addam (Clinton Liberty) seemed to be adjusting to their new normal. Ulf had some respect and tact issues, which enraged Jacaerys (Harry Collett), while Hugh and Addam appeared ready for the job.

Cheers to another season of fiery and complicated family dynamics.

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