Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in "House of the Dragon."
Ollie Upton/HBO
Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "House of the Dragon" season three.As season three of "House of the Dragon" comes to a close with characteristic fire and blood, showrunner Ryan Condal is already anticipating scrutiny of the next one.In an interview ahead of Sunday's season three finale, Condal confirmed that HBO's tentpole "Game of Thrones" spinoff will end with its fourth season. As Condal and his team map out a final eight-episode arc for the Targaryen dragonlords embroiled in a civil war, the franchise's history and its fiercely devoted fans loom large."It's hard enough to make a season finale," Condal told Business Insider. "Try making a series finale that tries to be all things to all people, and also have a distinct point of view and thing to say and place to leave off all the characters."Based on George R. R. Martin's fantasy book "Fire & Blood," "House of the Dragon" follows the dynastic struggle between Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her younger half-brother, Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney), which ultimately devastates the royal family and decimates the dragon population.In the season three finale, Queen Rhaenyra descends further into tyranny and messianic delusions, while Aegon II rises from the literal ashes with a resurrected dragon and a plot to retake the Iron Throne. Elsewhere, Rhaenyra's Hightower enemies and loyal allies alike are massacred in the big-budget, game-changing Battle of Tumbleton; a dangerous dragonrider deserts her cause; and a beloved former queen plummets to her death.With plenty to unpack (and even more death and destruction to expect in season four), Business Insider caught up with Condal to discuss season three's biggest scenes, central themes, and the one character he found especially hard to kill.
