House of the Dragon Season 3 Episode 2 Sets All-Time IMDb Record for the Series

The latest episode of the Game of Thrones prequel reached the top of the ratings, despite fan debates over changes to the source material.

HBO’s House of the Dragon continues to earn high marks from viewers. The second episode, King’s Landing, holds a 9.5 rating on IMDb based on over 24,000 votes, making it the highest-rated episode in the series so far.

The season premiere, A Son for a Son—which covered the Battle of the Gullet—earned a 9.2 rating from over 40,000 users. It currently ranks among the top five episodes of the show on the platform.

Aggregator sites show a more divided response. The third season currently holds a 91 percent freshness score from critics based on 76 reviews, while the audience score sits at 69 percent. These viewer numbers are lower than those of previous seasons. For comparison, the first season earned 90 percent from critics and 82 percent from viewers, while the second season scored 84 percent and 71 percent respectively.

It is too early to draw final conclusions based on two episodes, as scores often shift before a season ends. Much of the fan frustration stems from departures from George R. R. Martin’s source material, which the showrunners altered to fit the television format.

The third episode of the third season premieres on July 5, 2026. The season includes eight episodes in total, with the finale arriving on August 10.