‘The quickest way to make a point’: Matt Smith knows Westeros is a violent world

Once upon a time in television, the gap between seasons was just three months. In the cable and streaming era that has stretched that gap, the HBO series House of the Dragon may have just extended it to breaking point.

The first season wrapped in October 2022, meaning the gap between the show’s first and second season is more than 1½ years. “I wish we had a way of bringing out the show every year,” executive producer Ryan Condal says.

Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryan in House of the Dragon.Credit: HBO/Binge

“I always say that nobody complains when it takes two or three years for a Dune movie to come out. I am one of the biggest Dune fans in the world, and I understand why it takes that amount of time.

“Making the show is like making a number of big feature films all at once. My hope is that in the intervening time fans will refresh themselves with the previous story, rewatch season one to get ready for season two, and make an event out of it.”

As the second season opens, the series is gradually drifting towards the so-called “Dance of the Dragons”, the civil war that erupted during the House Targaryen rule of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, the fantasy world created by George R. R. Martin and introduced in the book and television series Game of Thrones.

That series, which aired between 2011 and 2019, was set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos, and followed the duelling royal houses battling to control the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms.

“Everybody wants to win without burning down the kingdom in the process.”

Ryan Condal, executive producer

House of the Dragon is set almost 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and explores the machinations of House Targaryen, who were to some extent a spent force in Game of Thrones, at the terrifying height of their power.

Condal has used the metaphor of the Cold War to describe the growing tension in the narrative, though he says he’s specifically referring to the fact “war doesn’t happen instantly” in a cold war.

“We’re going to watch the characters as they very carefully move the pieces on the board because nobody wants to act too quickly,” Condal says. “It’s like playing a chess game. You don’t want to go lunging for the king too quickly and lose your queen.

Emma D’Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen, grieving the death of her son and contemplating going to war to claim the throne she believes is rightfully hers.Credit: Foxtel/HBO

“This is a similar kind of story. And the reason I use the Cold War metaphor is because this is a nuclear conflict. Obviously, the characters in this world don’t have the words for that, but there is a threat of mutually assured destruction.

“If we burn down King’s Landing in the process of fighting over the throne, then what really was the point of all this? Everybody wants to win without burning down the kingdom in the process.”

Westeros is a very violent world, says the show’s star Matt Smith. He plays Prince Daemon Targaryen, House of the Dragon’s primary antagonist; Daemon is the brother of King Viserys (Paddy Considine).

“It’s how they survive, it’s what they know, it’s how they communicate,” Smith says of the violent relationships in the show. “It’s the most concise and the quickest [way to make a] point. And the truth is they’re very good at it.”

Condal says House of the Dragon is at its strongest in story terms when it strikes a balance between the politics of the world of Westeros, and the fantastical visual elements that bring the world to life.

“This world is at its best when it balances those two things,” Condal says. “I love fantasy and weird fiction. I’ve been obsessed with it since I was a kid. But I think the thing that people come back for a lot in the show is all the intrigue and the character work.”

Scenes such as the exchanges at the council tables and in the quiet corridors of the Red Keep and [the castle] Dragonstone “are the things that I love to write as a dramatic writer”, Condal says. “Those are the engaging scenes that are fun to write, and then to talk about with the director and to watch film.

“There’s going to be spectacle, but if the spectacle’s going to count, you have to care about the situation and the characters that are involved in it. And that’s the trick of doing the hard work to set up the suspense in the story and the characters, and then paying it off hopefully with the great spectacle that everybody’s accustomed to Game of Thrones delivering.”

When Game of Thrones concluded, a slew of potential spin-off series were explored. Many were shelved while still in development, and as of April 2024, there are still six projects in active development at HBO to potentially expand the franchise further.

Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower in House of the Dragon.Credit: HBO/Binge

“Clearly we’re very fortunate to have made it this far, and it’s nice to be involved in one of the projects that has been developed and realised to this point,” Smith says. “All you can say is, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

“You’ve got to throw some paint at the wall before you see what makes an interesting picture. It’s one of those things. You win some, you lose some, but we’re pleased and privileged to be in one that’s made it this far.”

The ace in the hand for House of the Dragon may well have been the fact Martin, the author of the original books, was directly involved. In day-to-day terms, however, Martin’s involvement varies, says Condal.

“We did a lot of work early conceptually in the crafting of what the show was going to be and where we were starting in this period of history,” Condal says. “I wrote a series bible that he weighed in [on] and participated with, so that we could march off and do the job of making the show.

“He’s very busy; he’s always torn in a thousand different directions. “He’s writing his books. There are a lot of these spin-offs that are happening, and he has lots of engagements. So I don’t engage him on a day-to-day level, but certainly he’s aware of everything that’s going on.

“We send him scripts, we let him know what’s happening, [and] he visited the set right before the start, right before the end of season two, and before we started to break season three.

“So I always approach my job with trying to honour the narrative of Fire & Blood [on which the series is based] as best I can, and trusting my knowledge and taste as a fan to guide me through.”

House of the Dragon streams on Binge.

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