After a very long wait, Game of Thrones fans were finally able to watch the premiere of House of the Dragon last week. Returning to the world of King's Landing, fans were introduced to some integral members of House Targaryen, and witnessed some political issues from the get go. However, even though it was a great start, it seemed like the premiere episode was missing an important Game of Thrones ingredient.
In its launch episode, House of the Dragon established a political rift within members of the Targaryen family. It was already known before the series even completed filming that the plot would entirely focus on the lives of a few key members of House Targaryen, and their journey to achieving the Iron Throne. But, this is where the episode was lacking in comparison to the Game of Thrones premiere, which not only ended with a startling cliffhanger, but also highlighted the rivalries between the multiple families of Westeros.
In the first episode of House of the Dragon, fans meet Paddy Considine’s King Viserys Targaryen, king of the Seven Kingdoms. He seems like someone who genuinely cares about his family and his people, and is a complete contrast compared to the legendary Mad King or even Robert Baratheon in Game of Thrones. He is a likable character, who has to make some difficult decisions for the sake of his kingdom. The most important aspect is his love for his wife and his relationship with his daughter, Milly Alcock’s Princess Rhaenyra.
The episode offers glimpses related to the history of the Targaryen family, and how women have been kept away from the Iron Throne for decades. With no male heir, it seems like Viserys is left with no choice but to pass on the throne to his brother, Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon. Throughout the premiere episode, Daemon is shown to be a character with two very different personas. When around his niece Rhaenyra, he comes off as a caring gentleman, and at other times, he seems like a scheming individual who will go to any extent for his benefit. It is unclear at this time whether Daemon will be a good or evil character moving forward, but the tension between the brothers has already been well established.
In the remaining episodes, it seems like the focus will shift towards the scheming and ploys to achieve a spot on the Iron Throne, a theme that’s common between House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. Towards the end of the first episode, Viserys announces Rhaenyra to be his rightful heir, a major decision that will likely not sit well with members of the council. Even though he is advised by many to avoid placing a woman on the throne, Viserys is convinced that there is no better candidate than Rhaenyra. It was perhaps the perfect way to end the first episode, with the decision that will shape the way the plot progresses. But, is it as strong as the one in Game of Thrones?
To recap, the premiere episode of the extremely popular series introduced fans to not just House Targaryen, but also members of House Stark, Lannister, and Baratheon. Some might argue that there was too much going on in the episode, with several characters sharing screen space in the hour-long premiere. However, the flip side of the argument could be that House of the Dragon’s focus is very one-dimensional. Seeing the rivalry between the different families made the plot of Game of Thrones that much more interesting, and the following fan theories a lot juicier.
The Game of Thrones premiere begins with a look at one of the biggest threats, the White Walkers, leaving fans wondering what they would bring to the picture. Daenerys weds the Dothraki warlord Khal Drogo, and receives three dragon eggs as a wedding gift. The Starks of Winterfell seem like the picture-perfect family, with Ned suddenly appointed as the new Hand of the King. Jaime and Queen Cersei Lannister’s incestual relationship was revealed, which was rather shocking for many fans. But, what was more shocking is when Bran Stark learns of their secret, Jaime nonchalantly shoves him out of a window of a high tower, leaving the young boy paralyzed.
The cliffhanger at the end of the Game of Thrones premiere episode is one of the best ones in recent popular shows. It is still talked about among longtime fans of the series and George R. R. Martin’s books that it is based on. Bran’s fall landed the series in HBO Max’s popular list, and while it may not have been viewed as many times as the premiere episode of House of the Dragon, in that moment, Game of Thrones earned a loyal fan base.
Over the course of its almost decade-long journey, Game of Thrones had a lot of twists and turns, most of them quite shocking in nature. Having multiple families as part of the plot helped further the story quite easily, with their rivalries and alliances taking up a lot of the runtime. It was, in fact, one of the key themes of the series, something that House of the Dragon doesn’t have the luxury to explore. There were talks of several Game of Thrones spin-offs ever since the series ended, but House of the Dragon is what the studio finally settled on. Considering the focus is almost entirely on the Targaryens, it remains to be seen whether the series will be able to live up to its hype.
House of the Dragon is streaming on HBO Max.