In her youth, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen was given a promise by her father the king: One day she would take his place as Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Now, the king is dead, and her half-brother Aegon has ascended to the Iron Throne himself. From her castle in Dragonstone, Rhaenyra is building alliances to reclaim what is hers, no matter the cost. As House of the Dragon enters its epic second season on June 16, 2024, all the great families of Westeros must decide if they are with her or against her. There can be no bystanders — all must choose.
As we prepare for this summer’s must-see series, we at StreamSafely want to remind you that there are worse things than dragons lurking online. Piracy websites and illegal streaming service providers are becoming increasingly hard to spot and can leave you vulnerable to malware and more. Just like the characters in the show, be sure you know who you can trust. Learn how to recognize unauthorized streaming sites and armor yourself with the wisdom of StreamSafely.
Before you watch or stream the second season of House of the Dragon, get caught up on all the information you need to know before episode one.
Everything You Need to Know About House of the Dragon, Season 2
HBO’s hit series, House of the Dragon is set to debut its second season on June 16, 2024. The show serves as a prequel to the worldwide TV phenomenon Game of Thrones, which ran from 2011 to 2019. The original show followed the events of George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy book series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” which is an unfinished saga currently containing six novels, although a seventh has been announced.
The HBO show, Game of Thrones, holds an impressive 90% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and an unbelievable 96% audience score. However, later seasons, including the finale which surpassed the events of the published books, received harsh criticism for rushed plots and regressive character arcs. The original series centered on House Stark, House Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen — who is the last of House Targaryen — as they vied for control of the Iron Throne and the whole of the Seven Kingdoms.
Now, George R.R. Martin’s creative vision returns and takes fans nearly 200 years back before the events of Game of Thrones to a time when the House Targaryen was at the height of its power. Just as the original series before it, House of the Dragon is based on one of Martin’s novels. The new source material, “Fire & Blood,” was published in 2018 during the TV run of Game of Thrones and covers many centuries of the history of House Targaryen. House of the Dragon, however, is more limited in scope. It focuses on the life of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and the violent crisis of succession around her.
Unlike its predecessor, however, which focused on several feuding families, House of the Dragon is more akin to a civil war within House Targaryen itself. During the first season, the family division boils under the surface but is kept from erupting as long as King Viserys lives. Upon his death in the later episodes, the crown hangs precariously between his eldest child, Princess Rhaenyra, and his eldest son, Prince Aegon. The kingdoms of Westeros must choose which side of the conflict they are on: the green banner of Aegon or the black banner of Rhaenyra.
Season 1 Recap (Major Spoilers)
House Targaryen rules the Seven Kingdoms from King’s Landing, keeping order and power from atop the great dragons that they raise and ride. King Viserys Taragaryen holds a tournament in expectation of the birth of his first son, but both the mother and baby die in childbirth. In the tournament itself, the brother of the king and current heir, Daemon Targaryen, is defeated and humiliated by a common-born knight. Following the disgrace and rumors that Daemon had mocked the death of the king’s son, King Viserys banishes him and names his eldest daughter, Rhaenyra, as heir to the Seven Kingdoms.
As the king grieves, House Hightower offers a member of their family, Lady Alicent, as an option for him to re-wed. Alicent is Rhaenyra’s closest friend, and the marriage drives a wedge between them. After a three-year time jump between the second and third episodes, Alicent has given the king a son, Aegon, and House Hightower plots to secure the throne for him instead of Rhaenyra.
Daemon returns to King’s Landing, having fought insurgents in an archipelago known as the Stepstones, and wins back the king’s favor. Following the ensuing celebrations, Daemon and Rhaenyra sneak out for a romantic getaway to explore the city by night. Daemon was exiled again when he was accused of taking Rhaenyra’s honor.
Fearing further scandal and the idea that Daemon was trying to seize the throne through Rhaenyra, King Viserys forces Rhaenyra to marry Ser Laenor Velaryon. This secures her bid for the throne over Daemon, as Laenor is also of House Targaryen. However, Laenor is a gay man, and he and Rhanyra agree to seek out separate lovers discreetly while keeping their marriage intact under the public’s eye. During the wedding ceremony, the king is noticeably ill and collapses.
Ten years later, the king’s health has declined. Rhaenyra and Laenor’s arrangement has led to her having several sons, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, none of which have the silver hair indicative of their house. This inconsistency leads Alicent to fuel rumors of Rhaenyra’s son’s illegitimacy to further the status of her own son, Aegon, and his claim to the throne as King Vicerys’ eldest male child. Returned from exile, Daemon and Rhaenyra rekindle their romantic interest. Laenor fakes his death so that he can escape with his lover and start a new life and so Rhaenyra can marry Daemon. They do so, and Rhaenyra and Daemon live together at Dragonstone Castle, across the bay from King’s Landing.
In the following episode, Rhaenyra’s family return to King’s Landing for a funeral. While there, Alicent’s sons, Aegon and Aemond squabble with Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey over who should keep which of the family dragons. The altercation turns violent, and Lucerys slashes out Aemond’s eye.
Six years later, King Vicerys is disfigured by his ailment and bedridden, leading Alicent to oversee all royal duties. Fearing for her place in the succession, Rhaenyra attempts to gain allegiance throughout the court. Miraculously, King Vicerys takes to his throne and announces Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys as the heir to Driftmark, signifying that the line of succession that should be followed is through Rhaenyra and her children, not through Alicent and her sons. On his deathbed, Alicent misunderstands the king and thinks that he wants Aegon to take the Iron Throne, not Rhaenyra. After the king’s death, Alicent announces what she believes to be the late king’s dying wish.
As Aegon is crowned, Alicent and those loyal to her launch a campaign to secure allegiance to the new king. Any House that dissents is brutally punished. When Rhaenyra learns of her father’s death, she proclaims herself the rightful queen and begins to seek out loyal followers of her own. She sends her sons out on the backs of her family’s dragons as messengers to the various houses. However, Alicent has done the same, and when two of the dragons meet, Aemond loses control of his mount and his dragon devours Lucerys.
Season 1 of “House of the Dragon” can be streamed on Max.
Plot
The exact plot of the second season is being kept secret, and details are scarce. Speculation, however, is abundant. Given the horrific loss of Rhaenyra’s second-born son, Lucerys, during the season one finale, the story is likely to pick up with Rhaenyra having a renewed, burning sense of vengeance. In fact, IMDb already lists several episode titles, and the very first one is titled “A Son for a Son.”
However, Queen Rhaenyra’s bloodlust may be equaled by that of the young King Aegon. In the trailer, when confronted with the words, “You must accept that the path to victory now is one of violence,” King Aegon replies with anticipation, “Good. To war then.”
Fans are sure to be immediately pulled into the action and intrigue in true HBO fashion.
Release Date & Episode Count
The second season of House of the Dragon is set to release its first episode on Max and HBO on June 16, 2024, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. The show will then air a new episode every Sunday until the eighth and final episode of the season airs on August 4. Most of the episodes in Season 1 have a runtime of roughly an hour, with some of the final episodes hitting 1 hour and 20 minutes. It’s likely that Season 2 will see a similar pattern, with slightly more time and attention given to what is sure to be an epic finale.
House of the Dragon, Season 2: Official Trailers
In a thrilling promotional stunt, Max has released two versions of the House of the Dragons trailer: a “Green” trailer evoking the banner of House Highcastle and allegiance to King Aegon, and a “Black” trailer, so named for Queen Rhaenyra’s flag and her incredible wrath.
Watch the Green Trailer Now
Watch the Black Trailer Now
Cast & Crew
Leading the cast is London native Emma D’Arcy as Queen Rhaenyra. D’Arcy has a whole host of TV and short credits to her name. Her longest runs on television include her roles as Astrid in the Prime Video show Truth Seekers in 2020 and Naomi in 2018’s Wanderlust.
Alongside her is Matt Smith as Daemon Targaryen. Smith is most famous for portraying the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC series Doctor Who from 2010 to 2014. He also appeared in Netflix’s The Crown as Prince Philip over the span of 20 episodes from 2022 to 2024.
On the opposing side of House Targaryen is Tom Glynn-Carney as King Aegon and Olivia Cooke portraying his onscreen mother and Queen Rhaenyra’s former best friend, Alicent Highcastle. Glynn-Carney is known for his roles in the 2017 film Dunkirk and 2019’s Tolkien. Cooke is best known for her roles as Art3mis and Samantha in 2017’s Ready Player One.
Check out the other Season 2 cast members below:
- Emma D’Arcy: Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen
- Matt Smith: Prince Daemon Targaryen
- Tom Glynn-Carney: King Aegon II Targaryen
- Olivia Cooke: Alicent Hightower
- Rhys Ifans: Ser Otto Hightower
- Graham McTavish: Ser Harrold Westerling
- Fabien Frankel: Ser Criston Cole
- Steve Toussaint: Lord Corlys “The Sea Snake” Velaryon
- Eve Best: Princess Rhaenys Targaryen
- Matthew Needham: Lord Larys “The Clubfoot” Strong
- Ewan Mitchell: Prince Aemond Targaryen
- Paul Kennedy: Lord Jasper “Ironrod” Wylde
- Harry Collett: Prince Jacaerys “Jace” Velaryon
- Bethany Antonia: Lady Baela Targaryen
- Phoebe Campbell: Lady Rhaena Targaryen
- Phia Saban: Queen Helaena Targaryen
The crew includes:
- Creators: Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin
- Producers: Ryan J. Condal, George R.R. Martin, Vince Gerardis, Sara Hess, Jocelyn Diaz, Melissa Bernstein, Kevin de la Noy, Loni Peristere, Alan Taylor
- Directors: Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel, Alan Taylor, Andrij Parekh, Loni Peristere
- Cinematographers: Alejandro Martínez, Catherine Goldschmidt, Vanja Cernjul, P.J. Dillon
- Composer: Ramin Djawadi
- Production Companies: HBO Entertainment
How To Stream House of the Dragon, Season 2
House of the Dragon’s second season will premiere nationwide on Max and HBO on June 16, 2024, at 9 p.m. Eastern Time and every Sunday thereafter until the thrilling finale in episode 8, which will air on August 4, 2024.
While these streaming options seem cut and dry, Max actually has add-on subscriptions available across a number of platforms. While this is great for accessibility, it also gives illegal streaming sites the opportunity to masquerade as legitimate options when they are, in fact, not authorized to show the content. In addition to risks to your personal data or the integrity of your advice, the reasons to avoid piracy sites are plentiful.
Review the list of safe viewing options below to find the one that best suits you or aligns with your current streaming subscriptions.
Cable
If you have cable or are considering getting it, make sure your package includes HBO, which is the only channel that will air House of the Dragon. Check with your provider to make sure you have the best plan for you.
Streaming Options and Max Add-Ons
Max: As the official streaming platform of HBO, Max will live stream each episode of House of the Dragon as it’s released, beginning June 16. A subscription to the standalone service starts at $9.99/month. The monthly price increases for packages that do not include ads. All 10 episodes of season one can be viewed on demand through the platform as well.
Hulu With Max Add-On: If you already have Hulu, you can add Max to any plan for an additional $15.99 per month. Hulu also offers bundles with Disney+ and ESPN+ and has an impressive lineup of original movies and TV series. If you’re looking to have everything all in one place, Hulu with its add-ons could be a great option.
YouTube TV With Entertainment Plus: YouTube TV offers plans for as low as $72.99/month. YouTube often offers special deals and promotions, so keep an eye out for discounted prices. Any plan can be bundled with YoutTube TV’s Entertainment Plus package for an additional $29.99/month. This bundle includes Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, and STARZ for incredible comprehensive access to the hottest content available today.
Prime Video With Max Add-On: Amazon fans will be thrilled to know that Prime Video has an easy way to add Max to members’ subscriptions and get instant access to a trove of HBO content, including House of the Dragon. Prime Video offers a 30-day free trial, but the plan costs $14.99/month thereafter. Max can be added to your subscription for an additional $9.99/month. Prime Video also includes other fantasy originals like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which could make it the perfect choice for lovers of the genre.
Find the Best Ways To Stream With StreamSafely
Whether it’s epic fantasy dramas, like House of the Dragon, documentaries, or comedies, we at StreamSafely have curated a comprehensive database that you can use to find your favorite TV series. We also pride ourselves in educating our readership on the dangers of illegal streaming and where they can find 100% free streaming sites without resorting to piracy platforms. Let us be your guide. Our resources can help you find the perfect way to watch all your favorite movies, sports, and shows. In Westeros, all must choose, but with StreamSafely, you can have it all. Stay safe, and happy streaming!