House of the Dragon Season 2: Why Were Episodes 9 & 10 Canceled & Battle of Gullet Cut?

Many fans have been vocal about how underwhelming the ending of House of the Dragon Season 2 was. Further, it only has eight episodes, even though initially it was supposed to be 10-episode long. Naturally, fans are curious why Episodes 9 and 10 were canceled . Those who are familiar with George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the primary source material of the series, hoped that the Battle of the Gullet , one of the key events from the book, would be included in this season. That didn’t happen as Season 2 ended by just depicting the preparation for the said conflict.

Here is everything we have learned on why HBO canceled House of the Dragon Season 2 Episodes 9 and 10. Read on to find out why the series creators left out the Battle of the Gullet from the second season.

Why were House of the Dragon Season 2 Episodes 9 and 10 canceled by HBO?

In March 2023, Deadline reported that House of the Dragon Season 2 initially included a 10-episode arc to unfold its narrative. However, the makers later cropped it down to eight episodes.

While the outlet speculated if the shorter season had anything to do with Warner Bros. Discovery’s overall cost-cutting plans, a spokesperson for the company reportedly told them that it was a story-driven decision.

Why was the Battle of Gullet cut from House of the Dragon Season 2?

Series co-creator and showrunner Ryan Condal addressed why they cut the Battle of the Gullet from House of the Dragon Season 2. According to him, they wanted to give it “the time and the space” it deserved. At a press meet in August 2024, Condal further revealed on the matter. He shared, “Obviously, as anybody that’s seen the finale, we’re building to that event. That event will happen very shortly in terms of the storytelling of House of the Dragon.”

Condal also revealed that from what he and collaborators knew, the Battle of the Gullet would be “the biggest thing to date” they had ever pulled off. He explained, “And we just wanted to have the time, the space to do that at a level that is going to excite and satisfy the fans and in the way it’s deserved.”

The showrunner elaborated that he wanted to build some anticipation toward the story event before underscoring the show’s complexity. He also stated it was to offer an apology to the fans. “I know everybody wants this to come out every summer,” Condal stated. “It’s just that the show is so complex that we’re really making multiple feature films every season. So I apologize for the wait, but I will just say if Rook’s Rest and the Red Sowing are any indication, we’re gonna pull off a hell of a win with the Battle the Gullet in the future.” (via Variety )

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