'Wait...that's it?': Fans feel cheated by HBO's 'HotD' finale
HBO's House of the Dragon concluded its Season 2 with a cliffhanger that left fans feeling "disappointed and confused." Despite heavy pre-season marketing promising an epic civil war, the season finale abruptly ended just as the conflict was about to ignite. This stark departure from expectations led to a collective sense of letdown among viewers, who felt the season culminated in a frustrating "Okay, now the war begins!" moment.
Fans' expectations versus reality in 'House of the Dragon'
The second season of House of the Dragon was heavily promoted by HBO with dueling Green v/s Black trailers and a viral marketing stunt that involved hanging rival Targaryen banners at historic locations. These promotional efforts teased an epic civil war clash, raising fans' expectations for intense action sequences. However, much of the season revolved around characters Rhayerya (Emma D'Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) enduring small council meetings, which did not meet these high hopes.
This is how netizens reacted! Take a look
Character development left fans perplexed
Fans were particularly puzzled by the handling of fan-favorite character Daemon, portrayed by Matt Smith. Much of Daemon's storyline in the second season was confined to him being in a castle, attending meetings, and experiencing dreams and premonitions. This approach seemed more typical of a well-worn character several seasons into a series rather than an extremely popular character during its eight-episode second season. Despite this perplexing development, fans did appreciate certain elements of the finale.
Here's another!
Shorter season sparked controversy among 'HotD' fans
Season 2 of HotD consisted of only eight episodes, compared to 10 in the first season. This reduction disappointed fans, despite showrunner Ryan Condal's previous statement that the shorter season was designed to give it "a good opening and a good ending." Writer-producer Sara Hess also noted that the shorter season "wasn't really our choice." The change was made during the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, with HBO claiming it was "story-driven" and not due to cost-cutting.
Significant deviation from source material puzzled fans
Fans of George RR Martin's Fire & Blood, the source material for the show, were left puzzled by a significant deviation from the book in season two. In the book, Queen Rhaenyra's son Jace dies in a battle known as the Battle of the Gullet. However, in the TV series, Jace, played by Harry Collett, does not die in season two. This unexpected change surprised even Collett himself who had anticipated his character's death this season.
