House of the Dragon Season One
Year: 2022
Created by: Ryan Condal & George R.R. Martin
Starring: Olivia Cooke, Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy, Rhys Ifans & Matt Smith
Episodes: 10
BBFC: 18
Published: 14/09/23
Created by: Ryan Condal & George R.R. Martin
Starring: Olivia Cooke, Paddy Considine, Emma D'Arcy, Rhys Ifans & Matt Smith
Episodes: 10
BBFC: 18
Published: 14/09/23
Game of Thrones was a TV event quite unlike anything else in recent memory. A show that started out with very modest audience numbers for its first two seasons rapidly ballooned into the most watched television show of all time, pulling in audience numbers that had never been seen before, as well as making the ‘watch party’ a commonplace social function as friendship groups would meet weekly to watch the episode live and share in the epic unpredictability the show was known for.
It ended on a sour note SS, with a final season that, for many, missed the mark entirely. Soiling the good reputation the show had and ensuring that as if almost overnight the phenomenon was forgotten.
But HBO certainly didn’t forget, what with all the money they were making from it; and with author George R. R. Martin churning out new spin-off novels for the fantasy franchise it was guaranteed that we had not seen the last of Westeros and the Iron Throne.
But when House of the Dragon was announced with much fanfare, it was met with a distinct sigh of dissatisfaction, and whilst the show opened with strong viewing figures they quickly dropped off over the course of the season. A year later, I now take a look at House of the Dragon to see whether it has any hope of being anywhere near as successful as its big brother.
Approximately two-hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, House Targaryen rules over Westeros with King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) as its peaceful guardian. Chosen to rule over his cousin, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), whom some believe to be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
Following the death of Viserys’ wife and son during childbirth, Viserys proclaims his daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy) as rightful heir to the throne over his brother Daemon (Matt Smith). That is until his second marriage to Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke) produces a male, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), whom to many is the rightful heir to the throne.
It ended on a sour note SS, with a final season that, for many, missed the mark entirely. Soiling the good reputation the show had and ensuring that as if almost overnight the phenomenon was forgotten.
But HBO certainly didn’t forget, what with all the money they were making from it; and with author George R. R. Martin churning out new spin-off novels for the fantasy franchise it was guaranteed that we had not seen the last of Westeros and the Iron Throne.
But when House of the Dragon was announced with much fanfare, it was met with a distinct sigh of dissatisfaction, and whilst the show opened with strong viewing figures they quickly dropped off over the course of the season. A year later, I now take a look at House of the Dragon to see whether it has any hope of being anywhere near as successful as its big brother.
Approximately two-hundred years before the events of Game of Thrones, House Targaryen rules over Westeros with King Viserys I (Paddy Considine) as its peaceful guardian. Chosen to rule over his cousin, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best), whom some believe to be the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.
Following the death of Viserys’ wife and son during childbirth, Viserys proclaims his daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock/Emma D’Arcy) as rightful heir to the throne over his brother Daemon (Matt Smith). That is until his second marriage to Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey/Olivia Cooke) produces a male, Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney), whom to many is the rightful heir to the throne.
One of Game of Thrones’ most irritating aspects was trying to remember who’s who and how they all fit into the story, because there were so many characters and storylines happening at any one time, and sometimes characters would be absent for entire seasons only to reappear again as though they’d never left. If that was a big issue for you, then House of the Dragon will drive you absolutely mental. Whilst there has of course only been one season, so many characters have the same or similar names to one another, and throughout the course of the series most of the major characters are recast to reflect the passage of time. This first season takes place over the course of around fifteen years, and it’s occasionally not entirely clear just how much time has passed, so this is a show that demands your full attention for every single moment.
It’s a shame then that most of your time with House of the Dragon concerns not the fate of the realm, as was the case with Game of Thrones and its multiple factions, but instead which psychopath from the Targaryen family feels as though they deserve the title of King or Queen.
Part of the problem with House of the Dragon is inherent with it being a prequel, we know how this ends. That being said, we have almost two centuries worth of inbreeding to get to before Jamie Lannister kills the Mad King and brings about the downfall of the Targaryen dynasty. This is also the problem with House of the Dragon, it’s spread a bit thin. As previously mentioned, this first season takes place over more than a decade, and whilst I’ve not read the book it seems an odd way to tell the story. Events feel close together, but actually they’re years apart, and it slows the pace down massively.
It’s a shame then that most of your time with House of the Dragon concerns not the fate of the realm, as was the case with Game of Thrones and its multiple factions, but instead which psychopath from the Targaryen family feels as though they deserve the title of King or Queen.
Part of the problem with House of the Dragon is inherent with it being a prequel, we know how this ends. That being said, we have almost two centuries worth of inbreeding to get to before Jamie Lannister kills the Mad King and brings about the downfall of the Targaryen dynasty. This is also the problem with House of the Dragon, it’s spread a bit thin. As previously mentioned, this first season takes place over more than a decade, and whilst I’ve not read the book it seems an odd way to tell the story. Events feel close together, but actually they’re years apart, and it slows the pace down massively.
Most of the characters aren’t particularly likeable or interesting. Rhaenyra often comes across as a spoiled and self-entitled brat (and she is the main character in this show so that’s not a good start). Alicent just does everything she possibly can to misunderstand anything anyone says. All of their children are awful, vile little devil spawn. Viserys and Daemon I do like though, this sibling rivalry of a King who didn’t really want the crown, and his younger brother who is willing to commit genocide to get it. Both Considine and Smith are real scene stealers, easily the strongest performances in the show. I do also think Cooke delivers a strong performance, even if her character is somewhat frustrating to endure.
Much like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon has some excellent cinematography and a tremendous score. It’s the epitome of grandiose, having the similar production values to that of Thrones’ final season. This is the definition of television spectacle.
But it suffers from the same problems as Thrones’ later seasons wherein dark scenes can often be difficult to see. The show runners have always claimed that this is due to the show being designed for HDR displays and dark rooms, but even with that it’s just too damn dark.
If you’re a big fan of Game of Thrones then you’re already on the House of the Dragon hype train, but for those who grew tired with the show or never liked it to begin with then House of the Dragon offers nothing new.
Even then, this feels somewhat inferior to Thrones. The story, at least so far, just isn’t as compelling, and the characters aren’t as interesting. I can hold out hope, and I’m interested enough to check out Season Two whenever that drops, but I wouldn’t consider this essential watching even for existing fans.
Much like Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon has some excellent cinematography and a tremendous score. It’s the epitome of grandiose, having the similar production values to that of Thrones’ final season. This is the definition of television spectacle.
But it suffers from the same problems as Thrones’ later seasons wherein dark scenes can often be difficult to see. The show runners have always claimed that this is due to the show being designed for HDR displays and dark rooms, but even with that it’s just too damn dark.
If you’re a big fan of Game of Thrones then you’re already on the House of the Dragon hype train, but for those who grew tired with the show or never liked it to begin with then House of the Dragon offers nothing new.
Even then, this feels somewhat inferior to Thrones. The story, at least so far, just isn’t as compelling, and the characters aren’t as interesting. I can hold out hope, and I’m interested enough to check out Season Two whenever that drops, but I wouldn’t consider this essential watching even for existing fans.