No spoilers!
After what seemed like a 10-long week, the HBO origin series, “House Of The Dragon (HOTD)” finished its first season with a bang. HOTD begins with the reign of House Targaryen and is a prequel to the popular HBO series, “Game of Thrones” which is based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire & Blood”. The first episode of HOTD which premiered on 21st August became the most-watched series premiere in HBO’s history with nearly 10 million views.
Being an ardent fan of GOT, I went in with lots of expectations. To be honest, by far the show has exceeded my expectations, thus craving more. Coming to HOTD, the opening theme which represents the bloodline of the Dragon is sheer brilliant. As for the characters, they did an exceptionally great job of introducing them. The outstanding characters were what made Game of Thrones so great. I think they are applying the same equation to the House of the Dragon, and itβs working.
House of the Dragon will explore the downfall of the house that brings fear and disdain. It begins 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen and recounts the fall of the Targaryen dynasty. From a house that was able to conquer almost all the major houses under one king to a house consisting of a brother and sister in hiding. Not to mention their dragons. Remember the hype around the dragons in Game of Thrones? Now they have 17 fully grown dragons in the show. I mean common!
I think pretty much all of the characters introduced so far in the season are really good. Matt Smith is really good as Daemon, not a surprise and Emma D’Arcy has been an impulsive, unpredictable and interesting Rhaenyra. But something about Paddy Considineβs portrayal as Viserys strikes a deeper, more authentic note. I was not expecting Viserys to be the stand-out character, but Paddy Considine nails every scene heβs in.
Verdict
Overall I enjoyed it more than I expected. It is a lavish, detailed, and well-executed adaptation of the source material. One has to absolutely love the new throne design which is closer to GRRMβs description. There is an improvement in CGI and general production. As for the cinematography, they have really surpassed themselves with their huge budget. After ten episodes “House Of The Dragon” has forged its own identity and established itself as a worthy prequel to Game Of Thrones.