The highly anticipated Game of Thrones spinoff offers an array of characters, cultures and clashes as diverse as its predecessor but on a mid-level. 




MAYBE it is unfair, or not, to watch a show like House of the Dragon without seeing the bigger picture through the lens and legacy (however tainted by bad writing at the end) of its predecessor, Game of Thrones. HBO shows have a high reputation and are usually anticipated but one would be safe to say that it was with bated breath that the whole world waited for this series to premiere.  A spin-off that is suffocated with superlatives, some would never find a fault with the show, being relative to the Westerosi universe, while some would say that the new series is almost set up for failure (specifically because of the hype, fandom, critical rating and awards won by Game of Thrones). 

For these reasons, and more, it is basically impossible to watch House of The Dragon without reflexively checking to see how the maths math, how the characters characterize, how the drama dramatizes, and how the dead die. And how these all match up, or fall short, of the original.

Without dropping any spoilers, House of the Dragon is so far, a perfectly decent show. The acting is decent, the costumes are unimpeachable, the lighting is professional and the story remains one of power schemes and succession over the Iron Throne - just more dragons to watch out for now. But we were promised more than “decent”.

For no sooner had the bones of Cersei and Daenerys been laid to rest than conversations began on how any sequels or spin-offs would promise better than the end delivered. The team involved in the dramatization of George R. R. Martins’ Fire and Blood since the necessary rights were acquired surely have ambitions for greater acclaim than the adaptation of Song of Fire and Ice.



Set about 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, we see the Targaryen family in power; ancestors of the legendary dynasty hitherto alluded to. We see ancestors of the Starks, Baratheons and Lannisters. The dragons are not yet mythical beings in this world; they are as prevalent as domestic chickens. The Targaryens keep a fleet of dragons while they worry about their grip on the crown. Events are set in motion after King Viserys (Paddy Considine), names his daughter, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcott/Emma D’Arcy) his heir, due to the absence of a son. Naturally, in a patriarchal society, this is a controversial decision which foreshadows potential chaos and strife, IF Rhaenyra eventually sits on the throne.

This basic premise is almost laid out well if not for the emphasis on dialogue that sounds like the members of King Viserys’ council were created by modern left-wing propagandists. A reply like, “A woman will not sit on the Iron Throne because that is just the way of things” honestly gives the impression that this is a world where an omnipotent and omniscient patriarchy decides what man sits on the Iron Throne for the fun of it. Khaleesi was greatly feared and followed when she became "the Mother of Dragons", The Unsullied pledged allegiance, and she defeated opponents in battle, and no ubiquitous patriarchy was getting in her way. She became the natural leader to follow because she was the most powerful. 

In a world where life is nasty, brutish and short, the societies in it are naturally militaristic, the elite and the common follow those who are willing to die in fancy armor - usually male nobles and kings. There was much more to Game of Thrones than gender semantics like, "Men will sooner put the realm to the torch than allow a woman sit on the Iron Throne" and hopefully the writing improves in what’s left of House of The Dragon.




Six episodes have now come and gone but the show has an uneven set-up to it. Most of this has to do with the time-hopping approach throughout the episodes: the first half of the season so far takes place across 15 years. It’s a bold and creative decision but it makes for jarring shifts in perspective. A new episode often feels strange due to lack of continuity. Many years go by, motives of the characters change but there’s barely time to feel empathy for and understand the actions of the characters except maybe Rhaenyra. One character murders his wife in cold blood, but I had exactly 45 seconds to get to know the woman before her death, so there was barely any emotional investment in both characters. 

House of the Dragon seems to be teetering under the pressure on its writers to make the first season unintentionally bumpy. Perhaps because the civil war among the House Targaryen a.k.a. Dance of the Dragons, is the main event that the show is building up, just as the central plot of Game of Thrones looming in the background was always the dreaded coming of Winter and the arrival of the White Walkers.

The implication of this, though, is that due to the drama over the Iron Throne, relationships between Viserys and Alicent, Rhaenyra and Daemon (Matt Smith), Rhaenyra and Laenor etc., the conflicts which lead up to the Dance of the Dragons are important to the drama but cannot fit into a single season. So a cut-and-join script which serves what is most relevant to the story on screen is a necessary risk, as depicting every nuanced plot that happens before the Dance would be enough for its own separate series. A good example is how Daemon’s role has not elevated past narrative ping-pong. His appearances are dramatic, and his exits are sudden and sulky. Here’s Daemon! Oh, never mind, he’s being kicked out. But here’s Daemon again! Never mind, he’s already being kicked out again. But he’ll be back! The stakes are feeling very low right now which increases the pressure on the endgame of House of the Dragon to be epic. It’s obvious that an awful lot has been written, dramatized and then removed from the final cut.

Writers of spin-off shows usually say that the new series is its own thing, and House of the Dragon should be so. The problem is that the sort of writing which made its predecessor so successful is not being retained. There are more dragons, and far less intriguing characters. The relationships feel underdeveloped and the world is smaller but less intimate. The result is a very, very expensive but “alright” show that leaves you wondering what it’s lacking from the original. The shadow of the throne looms too large and the crown of the greatest show on television looks too heavy.


House of the Dragon was renewed for a second season shortly after the Season 1 premiere. Other Game of Thrones prequels are currently in the works.