Immediately after the end of the hit series Game of Thrones, a spin-off was started. House of the Dragon was chosen from several options. Has the series about House Targaryen lived up to expectations? It's been three years since the eighth and final season of Game of Thrones aired on HBO. Despite the excessive dissatisfaction with the end of the hit series, ideas for multiple spin-offs quickly began to be worked out. After a prequel series starring Noami Watts didn't make it, it was announced that House of the Dragon had been greenlit. By now, we've all had plenty of time to watch the first season. Have expectations been met or are the shoes too big to fill?
The idea that we control the dragons is an illusion.
Set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, House of the Dragon tells the story of the beginning of the end for House Targaryen. The first season is the run-up to the unleashing of the well-known Dance of the Dragons, the war of succession within House Targaryen that played a major role in the extinction of the dragons in Westeros.
If you have not read the books and want to decide on the basis of reviews whether you want to see House of the Dragon, I can actually say very little about the further plot. During the first season we race through time and the tension that leads to the war of succession is explained with the help of multiple time jumps. The first season is therefore clearly a run-up to something bigger.
I dare say that series fan opinion would have dropped out of House of the Dragon if it had not been a Game of Thrones spin-off. Many fans have read the book on which House of the Dragon is based and know the course of the war of succession. That war on the small screen promises to be epic and intriguing television. The first season is needed to set this up properly and it is done well. However, in an era of short time frames and fast-paced content, House of the Dragon takes its time to dig into all the political and family intrigue. It sometimes progresses a bit slowly. Moreover, the different time jumps ensure that you still have the feeling that you have missed a piece at several times.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of House of the Dragon. The series is a good example of a complicated fantasy full of political intrigue. It's less war and action (promised that the upcoming season will become more violent now that the war has been unleashed), but rather a complicated game of chess where every episode features complex plots and lies. You have to like series like this. You have to pay attention, feel the mutual relationships, and, above all, keep a close eye on who belongs to what. It's not lazy television.
And with his death, the war of ravens and envoys and marriage pacts came to an end, and the war of fire and blood began in earnest.
House of the Dragon, as expected, looks fantastic. Beautiful sets, beautiful costumes, great music and lots of dragons. I also think that no one had any doubts about this aspect. What I really have to give my compliments to is the casting. A number of actors are replaced during the season for older versions and that is done insanely well. We can argue about why some characters were replaced and others weren't, but it's endless. Perhaps they should have made different choices there, but it didn't bother me too much. Despite that, you cannot say that the characters that have been replaced are not perfectly cast. Chapeau!
The cast of House of the Dragon is huge, but I have to highlight a few here that made the biggest impression on me. Let's start with Paddy Considine (The Third Day) as King Viserys I. This is a fine example of how he portrayed the different sides and states of the character throughout the season. Second Milly Alcock (Reckoning) and Emma D'Arcy (Truth Seekers) as Rhaenyra Targaryen. Alcock has won many hearts for her as a newcomer and D'Arcy had big shoes to fill, but that too has been masterfully done. The same goes for Emily Carey (Get Even) and Olivia Cooke (Bates Motel) as Alicent Hightower. Finally, my compliments to Eve Best (Fate: The Winx Saga) as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen!
The rest of the cast includes Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown) as Daemon; Rhys Ifans (Temple) as Otto Hightower; Steve Toussaint (It's a Sin) as Corlys Velaryon and Fabien Frankel (The Serpent) as Criston Cole. These are a few prominent actors, but it is impossible to single out everyone who has an important role.
Back to the question from the beginning. Did House of the Dragon live up to expectations? My answer is yes and no. It works as a prequel to Game of Thrones. We know House Targaryen and there's source material that intrigues fans, leaving them eager to learn more and keep watching. As a standalone series, I don't think it would have attracted enough people. In fact, too little has happened for that. Despite that, I did enjoy it. The acting was great, everything looked beautiful and the story is intriguing and interesting for real fantasy fans. However, did you watch Game of Thrones for action and gore? Then I think you have to wait until season two has appeared.
