One of the most anticipated shows this year finally hit our screens. Fans of Game of Thrones worldwide excitedly sat down to start House of the Dragon on August 21st (22nd in some countries). Read about our first impression of the new HBO series and what it will be about. Spoilers ahead!
I have been among those skeptical, but impatiently waiting fans, that wanted to know if the first spinoff series would be in any way as good as the original Game of Thrones was. Having Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown) cast as Daemon Targaryen made the show a lot more appealing for me. As part of the huge promotion for House of the Dragon, a lot of events happened worldwide, and I have been lucky enough to attend a pre-screening of the first episode in the cinema this week.
What House of the Dragon is about
House of the Dragon tells the story of Daenerys Targaryen‘s ancestors. 172 years before her birth, a Targaryen king is seated on the Iron Throne, and Viserys I (Paddy Considine) rules as a good king over the Seven Kingdoms. Unfortunately, the king has no real successor, as he “only” has a daughter (sigh) – the princess Rhaenyra (younger version portrayed by Milly Alcock, older version portrayed by Emma D’Arcy). Hope lies in the king’s pregnant wife to give birth to a healthy boy – despite having had several miscarriages before. While all of King’s Landing awaits the birth of the heir, jousting events are held, with the king’s younger brother Daemon (Matt Smith) attending them. Daemon seems to be pleased about the news, that the Queen and her son died respectively shortly after the birth – as he is convinced that would make him heir to the throne again.
But Viserys, being furious with his short-tempered and belligerent sibling, announces that his daughter should become his heir. There has never been anything like this – a woman on the throne. That’s why Viserys had previously ascended the throne instead of his cousin Rhaenys (Eve Best). As she was the daughter of the previous king but lacked a crucial detail between her legs to be able to rule the Seven Kingdoms.
Not only does Daemon refuse to accept that decision, but we also fast forward and find that the battle for the Iron Throne is not only between Daemon versus Rhaenyra. Things get even more complicated, when her childhood friend Alicent (younger version Emily Carey, older version Olivia Cooke), marries King Viserys and bears him children. But now Rhaenys, “The Queen Who Never Was”, and her husband, Corlys Valayron (Steve Toussaint) still seek power.
Comparisons to Game of Thornes
House of the Dragon took me back to the good feelings I had watching the first seasons of Game of Thrones. The fact that the show creates the same atmosphere can either be a good thing or a bad one. I’m not entirely sure about that yet. On one hand, it shows the connection between the original series and our beloved fictional world. On the other hand, it points out that the creators might have been too afraid to do something completely new and step out of the shadows of the original series. The atmosphere and cinematography were similar to the one in Game of Thrones. And we have other elements that were recognizable. Although the brutal battle scenes, political intrigues, dismemberment, castration, and fully naked characters during sex orgies didn’t happen until a few episodes into the show.
What quite differs is the Iron Throne itself. For readers of George R R Martin’s books the throne displayed in Game of Thrones was quite a joke. Readers point out that it felt small and modest. The throne in House of the Dragon is now far more opulent and closer to the description in the books. Another difference lies in the way the characters are shown. In Game of Thrones, it was clear from the beginning, that the Stark family would be the heroes and Prince Joffrey is an insert swear word of your choice. It is more difficult to take sides in House of the Dragons. The characters are portrayed as more complex and it’s hard to pick a favorite for the Iron Throne.
Review of House of the Dragon
As first episodes go, we have a lot of namedropping – repeating the characters’ names over and over again should help us to learn them I suppose. The show’s plot is at first pretty leisurely – it takes a lot of time to build up the characters, to establish their peculiarities and ambitions, their relationships with each other, and the conflicts between them. This turns quickly, though, and soon it can be tensed that inevitable bloodshed awaits.
My personal highlight in this first episode was Matt Smith. The first time we see him in this episode he illicitly sits on the Iron Throne – and he looks splendid. Smith’s performance left me torn between hating and loving his character. However, I am happy with all the other casting choices, all actors give perfect and convincing portraits of their characters. I was also happy to hear (literally!), that the music for the show again was composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi created epic pieces for the original series and is from my German hometown, so I feel some pride here.
Episodes for House of the Dragon will be about 60 minutes and air weekly on HBO.
Watch the Launching Event here:
