House of the Dragon Season 2 set to begin in iconic Game of Thrones location
HBOHouse of the Dragon Season 2 will pick up after the devastating events of the finale – and we’re rumored to start off in an iconic location from Game of Thrones.
The prequel takes place 172 years before the birth of the ‘Mad Queen’, exploring the roots of the infamous Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons that brought the dynasty to its knees in a storm of fire and blood.
The first season took viewers on a brutal whistlestop tour across Westeros. While ultimately centered around King’s Landing, we also ventured out to the Stepstones, Dragonstone, Driftmark, and Runestone in the Vale of Arryn.
Season 2 is set to expand the show’s horizons even further, with the first episode rumored to kick things off in a familiar place for Game of Thrones fans.
House of the Dragon Season 2 rumored to begin in Winterfell
As per a “leak” shared on the r/HouseOfTheDragon subreddit, “Winterfell will appear in the opening scene” of Season 2 Episode 1, which will also be helmed by longtime series director Alan Taylor.
In the finale of Season 1, Rhaenyra sent Jacaerys and Lucerys off to garner support for the Blacks before encircling King’s Landing. The youngest sibling flew to Storm’s End (and we all know how that ended), while Jace set off to the North; more specifically, Winterfell in search of Cregan Stark.
While the Starks are a major house in Game of Thrones, they barely appeared in the prequel: we saw a member of the family wishing to take part in the tourney, as well as Rickon Stark swearing fealty to King Viserys I and his decision to name Rhaenyra as his heir.
However, Cregan Stark is confirmed to make his debut in Season 2. We won’t spoil too many details about who he is and why he’s important to the overall story – you can find out a bit more here – but if we’re heading to Winterfell, it’s basically guaranteed we’ll meet him sooner rather than later.
Some readers may be concerned that the series is skipping Jace’s trip to the Eyrie and his meeting with Lady Jeyne Arryn (and whatever version of that takes place – we’re looking at you, Mushroom), but don’t worry. As one Redditor commented, “before anyone asks, Jace’s trip to the Eyrie hasn’t been skipped. The show is setting up the Winterfell plot before he gets there.”
House of the Dragon Season 2 is expected to premiere in summer 2024. Find out more about the next season here.