This 'Game of Thrones' actor doesn't want to watch 'House of the Dragon' — here's why

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John Bradley also weighs in on how the prequel series compares to the original HBO hit

Dragon on House of the Dragon
(Image credit: HBO)

Most "Game of Thrones" fans were excited by the news that the fantasy series was getting a spinoff in the form of "House of the Dragon." For one, the show would expand the Westeros universe even further, going back nearly 200 years before the events of the flagship series. Secondly, it would help get everyone's minds off that very divisive "Game of Thrones" series finale. But it seems like one member of the "Game of Thrones" family has pointedly not tuned into the prequel series, but for a good reason. 

While promoting his new Netflix sci-fi thriller '3 Body Problem' (from the creators of "Game of Thrones"), John Bradley — who starred as Samwell Tarly in all eight seasons of "Game of Thrones" — recently shared with The New York Post why he's hesitant to watch the Emmy-winning prequel series. 

"'Game of Thrones’ feels like it ended a bit too recently for me to watch,” Bradley admitted. He added that he "will get around to it one day" but that "the comparisons [to ‘GOT’] are slightly too easily made now for [him] to be able to really invest in it properly.”

John Bradley as Sam and Kit Harington as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones

(Image credit: HBO)

The actor also revealed that he finds there to be "less scope" with the spinoff than the original HBO series. He told the outlet, “It feels like a bit of a different show, I have to say. ‘Game of Thrones’ had so many characters in it spanning all across the Seven Kingdoms. There was much more scope for all of humanity to exist there .... ‘House of the Dragon’ feels more focused on one particular area of the narrative, and one particular area of humanity. So, it just feels like there’s slightly less scope to it.”

Bradley is correct that the focus of "House of the Dragon" is more specific than its predecessor, as it largely spotlights one Westeros family: the dragon-riding Targaryens, and the succession war that took place within the family during the height of its power, between heir apparent Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy) and her half-brother Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney) over their father Viserys I's throne. (FYI, for you "Game of Thrones" diehards who, like John Bradley, haven't yet tuned in to "HOTD," Rhaenyra is Daenerys Targaryen's sixth great-grandmother.)

"House of the Dragon" season 2 is set to return on Sunday, June 16 on HBO — happily, that's much earlier than we initially thought — and fans got an official look at the upcoming new episodes with not one but two dueling trailers, which teased that even more family drama and fire-breathing dragons await viewers in the second season. 

So who knows, maybe John Bradley will eventually catch up on "House of the Dragon" down the line — we'd certainly be interested in hearing who he's rooting for in the Targaryen succession war. (Samwell Tarly's BFF was a Targaryen, after all.) 

Tom's Guide will keep you posted on all updates surrounding "House of the Dragon" season 2. And we've also got your intel about all of the other "Game of Thrones" spinoff series that are in the works, including the Dunk and Egg prequel and the Aegon the Conqueror series. In the meantime, you can revisit "House of the Dragon" season 1 with a Max subscription.

Christina Izzo
Christina Izzo
Writer

Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, food and drink, travel and general lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York.