The House of the Dragon season two finale delivered a fiery conclusion that not only has ignited social media but has also set a new streaming record for Max. According to Screenrant, the Game of Thrones spinoff series debuted in 2022 and took the world by storm. The series heavily focuses on a war between the two factions of House Targaryen. It has become the most-watched series on the HBO channel and streaming platform, and two years later, the fantasy shows hold strong as HBO’s strongest-performing series.
According to Variety via Screenrant, the finale has garnered around 8.9 million viewers with the combination of the channel and streaming platform, which is a 14% increase from the second season premiere. Unfortunately, it has not surpassed the first season, which garnered 10 million viewers from the premiere, and the finale received around 9.8 million. Viewers have described the narrative direction in the second season as feeling more estranged compared to the format that season one performed.
According to Screenrant, it has been noted that HBO has not had a series to have caused so much pop culture discourse since The Last of Us season one and Succession season four of last year. Despite this discourse, and while the decline in viewership might raise some eyebrows, it’s important to note the challenges of maintaining peak interest in a serialized show over multiple seasons.
Nevertheless, the success of the season two finale solidifies House of the Dragon as a major player in the television landscape. With a strong foundation laid and anticipation building for season three, and as the story continues to evolve and more mysteries are revealed within the franchise, the series is undoubtedly poised to continue its reign as a ratings powerhouse. The first two seasons are available to stream on Max in case anyone missed the finale.