“You Know What, It Was Worth The Wait”: House Of The Dragon Delaying The Battle Of The Gullet To Season 3 Defended By HBO Exec After S2 Ending Outcry

HBO executive Francesca Orsi has claimed that the upcoming Battle of the Gullet in House of the Dragon season 3 will be worth the wait. House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and chronicles a civil war between the children of King Viserys Targaryen. House of the Dragon season 2 aired in the summer of 2024 and officially began the civil war. However, viewers were disappointed that the Battle of the Gullet was not included at the end of House of the Dragon season 2.

In an interview with Deadline, Orsi, who is HBO’s Head of Drama Series and Films, defends the decision to not include the highly-anticipated Battle of the Gullet in House of the Dragon season 2. Orsi claims that the battle will be massive, so House of the Dragon’s crew needs time to build the proper sets. Orsi also reveals that she was just on the set of House of the Dragon season 3 and is in awe of what has been achieved. Read her full comments below:

You know what, it was worth the wait. I was just on set and saw all the elements and what was behind it. I’m so glad we waited because it’s going to be better than ever, and I don’t think we had the time at that point to do what it is that we’ve achieved now this season.

It’s just so massive, we needed the time to build it. One of the lead producers on it [Kevin de la Noy] worked on Titanic, so all that he brought in terms of acumen of what happened on the Titanic and how that entire experience is built, he brings that expertise to it.

House Of The Dragon Season 3 Will Begin With A Massive Battle

Even though House of the Dragon season 2 was initially planned to be ten episodes, it was eventually shortened to eight. This meant that the Battle of the Gullet, one of the biggest events in Fire & Blood, the novel that the series is based on, would not be featured until the upcoming House of the Dragon season 3. After setting up the Battle of the Gullet throughout House of the Dragon season 2, specifically by showing Corlys Velaryon rebuilding his ship, viewers were disappointed that they would have to wait two years to see the battle in the show.

It is understandable that fans were disappointed when the Battle of the Gullet wasn’t included at the end of the season.

Even though House of the Dragon season 2 included a few very exciting moments, such as the Battle at Rook’s Rest, the season moved at a surprisingly slow pace. For example, Daemon Targaryen, one of the best characters in House of the Dragon, spent almost the entire season hallucinating at Harrenhal. Therefore, it is understandable that fans were disappointed when the Battle of the Gullet wasn’t included at the end of the season.

The Battle Of The Gullet Needs To Lives Up To Expectations

Including the Battle of the Gullet would have undoubtedly made House of the Dragon season 2 feel like a more complete season of television. Therefore, it is disappointing that it was moved to season 3. However, showrunner Ryan Condal and his team clearly believed it would be better if it was included in season 3 instead. If it means that the team behind the show has more time to do the massive battle justice, it is ultimately a good thing that the Battle of the Gullet was moved to House of the Dragon season 3.

Source: Deadline