House of the Dragon season 2 premieres tonight! Here's what time, how to watch, and what to expect

At long, long, long last, House of the Dragon returns with its second season tonight! The Golden Globe-winning drama serves as a prequel to Game of Thrones, HBO's fantasy mega-hit based on George R.R. Martin's best-selling series. The spinoff takes place hundreds of years before the events of Thrones, based on Martin's Targaryen history book, Fire & Blood. The first season absolutely exceeded expectations from both diehard and new fans, establishing itself as another success for the network.

The first season of House of the Dragon concludes with the Dance of the Dragons — the Targaryen civil war — officially beginning. Aegon Targaryen's followers crown him as their king in King's Landing after the death of his father, Viserys I Targaryen, while Daemon Targaryen crowns Rhaenyra Targaryen the queen in Dragonstone. Viserys named Rhaenyra as his heir, but with a man in line, many noble houses in Westeros are ready to ditch their allegiance to her.

Season 2 premiere release date and time

You can expect more battles, more bloodshed, and way fewer time-jumps in House of the Dragon season 2. The premiere, titled "A Son for a Son," airs tonight, June 16, at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO. It will also be available to stream on Max starting at 9:00 p.m. ET. If you're catching the linear airing, the season 2 premiere will air an encore showing at 10:03 p.m. ET, followed by another showing at 11:46 p.m. ET. If you're streaming the new episode tonight on Max, you can watch (and rewatch) it at any time once it's released.

Can't watch "A Son for a Son" at the premiere time tonight? I'd highly recommend you stay off social media until you can! Not only is the episode expected to feature a major death scene, but there are also rumors that a book change is on the way, too. It's going to be a wild premiere, so avoiding spoilers will be essential!

How to watch House of the Dragon

The only way you can watch House of the Dragon season 2 in the United States is on the channel HBO through your television provider or on the channel's streaming service, Max. If you don't have either, signing up for Max would be your best bet. You can also access Max through Hulu and Amazon Prime Video with their add-on options. Let's break it all down for you so you make sure you can watch the season 2 premiere this evening!

Sign up for Max

• Head to Max.com
• Determine if you want to start a 7-day free trial or regular subscription
• Choose between three plans: With Ads ($9.99/month), Ad-Free ($16.99/month), or Ultimate Add-Free ($20.99/month)
• Create your account with login and credit card information
• Start streaming everything on Max!

Sign up for the Max add-on through Hulu

• Login to your Hulu account and head to their Max page
• Add Max to your account for $15.99/month
• Note that this price only includes HBO content (which includes House of the Dragon)
• Confirm your add-on and start watching!

Sign up for the Max add-on through Amazon Prime Video

• Login to your Amazon Prime Video account and head to their Max page
• Choose between two plans: With Ads ($9.99/month after 7-day free trial) or Ad-Free ($16.99/month after 7-day free trial)
• Confirm your add-on and start browsing the Max library!

If you're located in the UK and cannot access Max, that's okay! House of the Dragon season 2, just like the first season, will be available on Sky Atlantic across the pond. You'll need a subscription to either Sky TV or NOW TV to watch the new episodes.

What to expect from the House of the Dragon season 2 premiere

As evidenced by the title, the House of the Dragon season 2 premiere will see Rhaenyra Targaryen's followers out for blood after the murder of Lucerys in the season 1 finale. Rhaenyra wants revenge for not only her son's death but also her half-brother usurping the crown from her. We'll definitely see her in mourning in the first episode, with actor Emma D'Arcy telling Extra that their character "is stricken with grief."

"I think she is stricken with grief. I think she’s almost paralyzed with it, unable to act clearly and just sort of grappling, I suppose, with this truly devastating loss."

- Emma D'Arcy

There's one major moment from Fire & Blood we can expect in the season 2 premiere, which is an event nicknamed "Blood and Cheese." I won't explain what that is to avoid spoilers, but you can bet that will go down. The characters on both sides will begin preparing for their next course of action, which is, inevitably, battles. Check out the latest full-length trailer for the sophomore season below to get a better glimpse into what you can expect:

It's been reported (but not confirmed by HBO) that the season 2 premiere is directed by Alan Taylor, best known for his work on Game of Thrones, Interview With the Vampire, Nurse Jackie, Mad Men, The Sopranos, and other notable shows. Ryan Condal is listed as the episode's writer on the show's Wikipedia page, but that information is not sourced and we don't know where it came from. Given that Condal is the showrunner, it wouldn't be surprising if he penned the script for the season 2 premiere, but we don't have confirmation at this time.

The second season of House of the Dragon is going to be much bigger in scope and way more fast-paced, so buckle up! I'll be recapping and reviewing every episode of what happens to be my favorite show on TV right here at Show Snob, so be sure to check back with us tonight!