The first season of House of the Dragon was full of politics, war, betrayal and schemes. However, according to showrunners Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, this is just the tip of the iceberg. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the pair describe the series’ debut episodes as a “slow burn” and one that will pay off in the later seasons. This is similar to the narrative structure of Game of Thronesas both shows spend time properly setting up their characters, stakes, and alliances before fans get the massive fights and shocking suspicion that would come later.
Sapochnik says they are not worried about fans getting impatient as he feels they left enough drama in the first season to keep people interested. He tells THR: “No one ever said to us, ‘When does the drama start?’ It’s really an advantage to take the time to get to know the characters, because the investment is worth it.” Sapochnik continues, “House of the Dragon Season 1 is a slow burn. And it’s worth it, because there’s enough in it to keep everyone interested, but we’ve deliberately tried to distance ourselves from doing spectacle so that we can do well when we return to spectacle.”
Sapochnik knows all about spectacle as he is responsible for directing some of the most beloved episodes in Game of Thrones, featuring some of the greatest fight scenes. He is the filmmaker behind hard homewhere the Night King’s first main introduction took place, and Battle of the Bastards, with a gruesome and realistic look at medieval battles. Unfortunately, Sapochnik retired as showrunner after the debut of the first season; however, he could return to direct future episodes of House of the Dragon.
The Showrunners say the time jumps are needed to get the . to tell House of the Dragon Story
Audiences have seen countless time jumps through six episodes of House of the Dragon. Most recently, on last week’s episode, Emma D’Arcy and Olivia Cooke took over the roles of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Alicent Hightower. The younger actors, Milly Alcock (22) and Emily Carey (19), had to part with the role as there was a 10-year jump between episodes 5 and 6. Of course, any new actors presented pose a significant risk to House of the Dragonbut showrunner Ryan Condal says they had to include the time jumps to better tell the story.
“I’m excited about the pace and structure of the story we’re telling in the first season. It’s very complex. It happens over a long period of time because kids have to marry off and then grow up on their own and then have kids of their own who grow up to tell the story to tell of this generational war that is being fought [showrunner Miguel Sapochnik] the creative leeway to tell this incredibly complex story in a truly patient and character-driven way that sets up a first season so that it launches you into one of the most famous and bloodiest conflicts in Westeros history – if not the most. “
Fans can watch the rest of the season play with the new cast members as House of the Dragon goes every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET. premiered on HBO and HBO Max