The House of the Dragon Season 2 finale has leaked; you know what you have to do now

Someone at Castle HBO’s probably getting dipped in boiling oil this morning. Last night, while everyone in the impregnable fortress slept, a thief slipped through the gates and made off with the House of the Dragon finale (AGAIN!). 

As a result of this vagabond’s actions, social media (sorry, I couldn’t think of a medieval version of this) has been flooded with spoilers from the Season 2 finale, and you can even watch snippets of the episode on TikTok. 

Of course, the knights of HBO are working hard to slay the leaks as fast as they can, yet we all know the internet is a hydra. For every clip the streaming service takes down, two more take their place.

So, where does that leave you? After all, you didn’t steal it; it’s out there, ready to be watched. Why shouldn’t you strap on your eye patch, lay a course across the ruins of LimeWire Bay, and make for Torrent Island? 

Set sail!

HBO

Well, if you’re invested in the history of Targaryen Kings and the Dance of Dragons, it’s in your interest to take down your Jolly Roger and wait patiently for Sunday’s finale. Yes, if you do one thing this week, ignore the House of the Dragon leaks and don’t seek out the episode. 

I know piracy seems like a victimless crime, and god knows we’ve all seen enough nu-metal-inspired videos about downloading cars or stealing purses to last a lifetime. Still, it’s undeniable that piracy does do damage to the industry. In 2022, the Motion Picture Association released a report that claimed piracy cost the US entertainment industry an estimated $29.2 billion.

You might imagine that’s pocket change for the megacorps that make these shows and movies, and you’re probably right, yet they’re not the ones who’ll be affected by piracy. It’s the lower-paid end of the entertainment sector who’ll feel the pinch. Indeed, that same MPA report claimed piracy cost between 230,000 and 560,000 jobs in 2020 alone. 

Do you think it was any of the big business daddies (and mommies) who lost their jobs, or do you think it was the behind-the-lines folk just trying to earn a living? Yeah, I think we both know who got the chop. 

Do it for yourself

I realize, however, that the entire argument may fall on deaf ears. Studios are greedy; they could pay people better and absorb the loss in other places in the business. This isn’t meant to be a piece that advocates the rights and wrongs of internet piracy. No, the real reason you shouldn’t watch the leaks is a more selfish one: the clips look terrible.

Seriously, I saw a few on social media this morning that had been ripped from TikTok, and they looked like they’d been filmed on a camera with a lens made of Vaseline. Not only that, the clips lacked any context, and the sound quality was dreadful.

It was the equivalent of getting to open your Christmas presents early only to discover Santa hadn’t brought you the latest console, he’d brought you a big sweaty box of dragon dung. 

Assuming you’re a House of the Dragon fan (why else would you be watching leaks?), you owe it to yourself to watch the show in the way the creators intended so you get the optimal experience, not some internet pirate’s sloppy seconds. 

HBO

There’s perhaps another slightly selfish reason not to entertain the leaks. If you’ve been a fan of House of the Dragon and want them to keep making more, then I’m afraid you’re going to have to suckle at the teet of the aforementioned business daddies (and mommies).

They’re not making this show because they love the Seven Kingdoms and want to share it with the world they’re making it because it’s made them richer than the Iron Bank of Braavos.

The moment the Thrones spin-off stops being profitable, they’ll call up their headsman and execute the show on the steps of the Warner Bros office so that all can see, in the eyes of gods and men, that HBO isn’t afraid to make tough calls when bank balances go in the red. 

So if you want House of the Dragon Season 3, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, or that Aegon the Conqueror show, they keep teasing, take a leaf out of Baelor the Blessed’s book, and practice some (piratical) abstinence. After all, you wouldn’t download a dragon, would you?

While you wait, why not check out these new shows? Or you could read our guide breaking down everything we know about The Rings of Power Season 2.