When it comes to House of the Dragon, there is one task that the show will have to do over at least this season's 10 episodes. It's the same task that all prequels have to one degree or another. The show is going to have to deal with fans of the original Game of Thrones series of books and television show, who know very well what happened in this kingdom many years later. Instead of people waiting to see what happens in this world that they know rather well, House of the Dragon has to tell a story that will interest people even if they basically know the endpoint. When it comes to the first episode of the season, so far, so good.
In order to grab the attention of people that already know how Westeros eventually sorts itself out, House of the Dragon has to lay out an entirely different story. Of course, the fact that the Targaryens are front and center of this particular story gives it a brand-new feel right off the bat. There's also another twist from Game of Thrones in the fact that while the horror stories from GoT told the story of a Targaryen family that were murdering crazies, this generation seems perfectly sensible. In fact, 172 years before the show that brought so many to HBO back in the day took place, it seems as if this generation of Targaryen are actually far better suited to sit the throne than anyone that's come after them.
Hail To The King In House Of The Dragon
King Viserys Targaryen (played quite well by Paddy Considine) is a far cry from "The Mad King" that was such a terrible legend in Game of Thrones. Viserys is a king that seems to truly care about his kingdom and isn't just in it for the power. That's also a far cry from the first king GoT fans were introduced to in Robert Baratheon. Viserys isn't a perfect man and that's part of what makes his character such a compelling one. He loves his wife, he loves his daughter and he loves his kingdom, but he's also someone who understands what's expected of him. That's leaning heavily on him and every now and then, the stress shows. But the show has laid out quite well that this is not a man that should be hated, or really even disliked unless you're someone who has crossed him.
Enter Matt Smith and his Prince Daemon Targaryen character. It's hard to know yet whether Matt Smith is actually a good actor or whether he basically has two personas. There's the happy-go-lucky, if slightly dark at times man that people know from Doctor Who. Then there's the evil scheming and sociopathic person that audiences unfortunately first saw worldwide in Morbius. Having recently seen that movie, it was hard to separate the iteration of Daemon Targaryen from that character. There are weirdly some rather strong similarities considering both characters were trusted "brothers" of the story's lead character who turns against them out of a hunger for power.
Of course, Daemon is a slightly different breed of this character and not just because he's not a vampire. Daemon is not an inherently evil person, per say. It's more the fact that he's not a particularly good person who doesn't mind causing harm to those he feels are below him. Those who thought Daemon would basically be this version of Joffrey didn't really hit the mark. While both characters are cruel, Daemon is someone who can be talked to and presumably be reasoned with. He might think he's even doing the right thing. It makes for a far more interesting character in the long run because he's not just evil for the sake of evil. He's a plotter and therefore actually more dangerous.
A Different Kind Of Game Of Thrones
There was an especially good scene that showed just why Daemon is a character that is going to stand out in this season. While there were times when he was as sleazy and slimy as any man or woman in the show, he also truly cares for his family and has a softer side, and House of the Dragon has done a very good job of laying out that there are a few different sides to a character that is almost certainly going to be at the center of the action for the rest of the season.
By allowing for the idea that what looks like the villain is going to have more than a few sides to him, it underlines what the showrunners for House of the Dragon have said about this season. There isn't going to be an Arya Stark that people will be able to universally root for. This show is going to have people picking sides and there will be at least some reason to even side with Daemon, while he continues to be rather creepy.
One other thing that may bolster people rooting for Daemon, or whoever else eventually puts their hat in the ring for the King or Queen of Westeros could be a bit more interesting than Milly Alcock's Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. So far, Rhaenyra is mostly just "there" and hasn't really presented much in the way of a personality. It's entirely possible that Alcock is doing exactly what's been asked of her in this first episode. As she has long been billed as the "young" version of Rhaenyra Targaryen to Emma D'arcy's older version, it's possible the audience is not really supposed to know her just yet.
The House of the Dragon so far is an epic tale loaded with talented actors. So far, if there is a negative to the way the show is laid out, it's that it hasn't forced us to care very much for either Rhaenyra or her very close friend Alicent Hightower who is also played by two different actresses. The show managed to make characters that were on screen quite a bit less much more interesting and worthy of viewers' concerns than what are bound to be two main characters. In a week where the show is setting the stage for everything that is to come, that can be forgiven, but it's something the series will need to fix before too long.
House of the Dragon airs every Sunday on HBO.