Game of Thrones ending can’t harm you anymore after three years. House of the Dragon is set 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen’s birth. The story follows the Targaryen dynasty at its height as it turns on itself over succession. Milly Alcock and Emma D’Arcy play Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen at different ages. The plot opens with the young princess becoming her father’s Iron Throne successor. Matt Smith plays Daemon Targaryen, her uncle, and her power rival. Old and new GoT fans will be blown away by the first episode if it’s any indication. Why? This time, the story is about powerful women, and we love it. If the rest of the series is similarly excellent, we may have one of the best shows ever. Here are 5 things we learned from the first episode, though, to tide you over.
We’ve all experienced the pain of subpar reboots and spin-offs in the past, but I assure you that this is not the case here (phew!). In fact, Paddy Considine, who plays King Viserys Targaryen, assured spectators that “this is not a spin-off, this is true Game of Thrones.” The beginning of the ancient Targaryen dynasty’s internal strife, which ultimately results in Daenerys and her brother becoming stranded across the Narrow Sea at the start of Game of Thrones, is a significant story to be told in House of the Dragon.
1. The writing has improved once again.
Fans of Game of Thrones were so dissatisfied with the show’s conclusion that they started petitions requesting that the showrunners reshoot the whole episode. It makes sense that some people could have reservations about the new prequel. Many people will be happy to learn that the writing has not only improved to the level of earlier seasons of Game of Thrones, but that it is even strong enough to save the entire franchise. It also makes sense given that the main showrunner of the new programme, Miguel Sapochnik, was also in charge of one of the most critically lauded Game of Thrones episodes ever, “Battle of the Bastards.”
Each Targaryen is a completely distinct individual in terms of personality, and character development is back to its best. Although Daemon Targaryen is initially portrayed as the pantomime villain, we have a sneaking suspicion that he is actually a remarkably multifaceted and complicated character. Ser Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, seems to be the puppet master so far and is definitely one to be wary of. And don’t get us started on the series’ main act, Rhaenyra Targeryen. We’re getting strong Arya Stark-style feminist vibes from this one.
2. We get to see House Targaryen at its most powerful.
The powerful Targaryen dynasty, which governed the Seven Kingdoms for hundreds of years, was frequently mentioned in Game of Thrones. Of course, they did so out of respect and a good dose of dread, but witnessing it for ourselves was superior to what we had previously heard. You can only imagine how happy we were to see so many Targaryens with platinum hair still in power. They appear to be respected as well, especially in light of the fact that we witnessed the forefathers of Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon, two important figures in Game of Thrones, swear their allegiance to infant Rhaenyra. It’s difficult to not respect someone, though, when her family is in charge of more dragons than we can count.
3. It is a fantastic representation of the spirit of Game of Thrones.
House of the Dragon provided us all the intrigue—politics, family rivalries, heartbreaking betrayals, and surprises around every corner—that first made us fall in love with the Seven Kingdoms in only one episode. It didn’t take long for it to demonstrate that it doesn’t filter much either. Fair warning: the first episode of the show was powerful, featuring plenty of excessive sex scenes and disturbing visuals. It is therefore reasonable to anticipate that the rest of the series will follow suit.
4. Unfortunately, there is still sexism in Westeros
After the first episode’s events, King Visaerys is left without a son. Additionally, once his brother and apparent heir Daemon finally tries his patience, the King decides to depose him and formally appoint his first-born daughter Rhaenyra as the next in line for the Iron Throne. It’s clear from the impending civil war that many people won’t approve of this choice.
In fact, the “Queen Who Never Was,” Rhaenys Targaryen, is heard saying in the majority of the series’ trailers and teasers that “men would sooner put the realm to the torch than watch a woman ascend the Iron Throne.”The good news is that Rhaenyra doesn’t appear to be someone who would hesitate to overthrow the patriarchy. She tells her mother right away that she would rather be seen as a valiant knight than just a royal baby maker.
5. Be prepared for an emotional ride
Even though we are aware that nobody is safe, the first episode did a fantastic job of establishing the characters, and it was difficult to not become close to them right away.This makes us quite anxious about what lies ahead. Spoiler warning: A pretty big character death occurs in the first episode with the passing of Queen Aemma Arryn. Despite the fact that we obviously saw it coming, the way the entire scene tugged at our heartstrings left a mark and caused us to wince several times.
On August 21, 2022, the premiere of House of the Dragon will air on HBO and HBO Max, and Sky and NOW TV in the UK will carry it.
