Why Lord Cregan Stark's debut in 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 fell short of expectations
Contains spoilers
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 premiered on Sunday, June 16, 2024, on HBO.
The fantasy-adventure series brought with it a highly anticipated return to Winterfell and the fan-favorite House Stark, represented in the 'Game of Thrones' prequel by Lord Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor).
'House of the Dragon' is based on George R.R. Martin's 'Fire and Blood', and fans familiar with the book know that the character of Cregan Stark is set to become one of the most significant figures in the series going forward.
For now, he has made a brief appearance in the show, with Prince Jaecaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett) visiting Winterfell to seek an alliance with Lord Cregan Stark and the North as the Black faction prepares for war.
Fans, however, expressed disappointment with Cregan Stark's brief appearance and took to social media to voice their opinions.
Fans unhappy about Cregan Stark's blink-and-miss appearance
Cregan Stark's appearance lasted barely five minutes in the first episode, and it is expected to be the extent of his role for this season. Fans who appreciated his cameo expressed dissatisfaction about the length of his role.
A Reddit user said, "Literally all the hype just for 5 minutes??? Were amazing minutes but still damn, I thought we would have a whole adventure of Jace in Winterfell, pact of Ice and fire, Aegon prophecy etc".
Another Reddit user wrote, "I was expecting at least two more scenes. The music, setting, and monologue gave me goosebumps but it felt like I got tossed into the end of their interaction/journey before it even started."
In the book, we see Jace and Cregan develop a significant friendship, but this aspect of their relationship is not explored much in the show. A Reddit user wrote, "They should have let Jace stay a full episode in the North. Mind-boggling that they didn’t."
Another Reddit user added, "He takes Cregan on a dragon ride, Cregan shows him how to make a proper snow fort and shows him the crypt and the godswood. Because they are essentially two young men who had to take on a leadership role really early."
One Reddit user said, "Expected. I imagine the writers would have rather had Jace directly involved in the actual Dance, instead of up north on a boys vacation for multiple episodes detached from the rest of the ensemble. And I can agree with that decision on the balance of things. But hopefully we get Cregan doing something in S3 (even if it's a new show diversion), I understand in the books he only shows up again right at the end of the conflict."
Hour of the Wolf
Cregan Stark's involvement intensifies in the later part of the show after the conclusion of the Dance of the Dragons. The event ends with Rhaenyra Targaryen's (Emma D'Arcy) death at the hands of an absconding Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney).
For now, Cregan Stark couldn't allocate too many soldiers because he needed to divide his forces between his loyalty to the Throne and the ongoing threats beyond the Wall.
After Rhaenyra's death, Cregan Stark emerges as a pivotal character and leads an army to support Aegon III Targaryen in securing the throne, an event famously known as the Hour of the Wolf.
How to stream 'House of the Dragon' Season 2?
'House of the Dragon' started streaming on HBO Max starting on Sunday, June 16, 2024.
Episodes of the series will continue to air every Sunday until August 4, 2024. To watch the series, you will need a Max subscription.
The streaming platform typically offers three packages that you can choose from depending on your budget.
The low-cost plan that supports advertising costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually. The second package, which does not support advertising, costs $15.99 per month or $149.99 annually.
Meanwhile, the third package, titled Ultimate Ad-Free, costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 annually.
'House of the Dragon' Trailer
'House of the Dragon' is streaming on HBO Max starting on Sunday, June 16, 2024.