I Gave House of the Dragon a Chance... Was It Worth It?
Like many, many others, I was left disappointed and angry at the end of Game of Thrones. I haven’t seen a more perfect example of phoning it in than I did with the end of that show. That final season was absolutely abysmal. So when HBO announced a prequel series based on George R. R. Martin’s history book, I wrote it off and figured it would be a disaster. I wasn’t even going to bother picking it up.
Then, more and more information was released about the series, from casting to trailers, and they managed to draw me in. As the show’s debut loomed closer, I decided that I would give it a shot. I gave House of the Dragon a chance, sitting myself down in front of the television and letting it do everything in its power to overcome the massive hurdle that Game of Thrones’s eighth season had presented to it. House of the Dragon didn’t just have to be a good show, it had to be a show that was so incredible it convinced me that it would be okay for me to get invested in the story, again—it had to promise that it wouldn’t let me down.
Let’s talk about whether or not I feel like House of the Dragon has successfully set itself apart from its predecessor.
What is House of the Dragon?
This show is a prequel to Game of Thrones, taking place several hundred years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire. You’ll see some familiar names, of course, like the Targaryens and even the Starks, though the latter to a lesser extent because this is very much a story about the Targaryen family. The show is primarily about the succession of the Iron Throne, which is thrown into turmoil by King Viserys naming his daughter Rhaenrya his heir rather than a man. This creates a divide in the kingdom, which only worsens as the years go by… and that they do. We have a number of time skips in this first season, with one significant jump bringing our main characters from their youth into adulthood. That’s important, though, because it’s worth noting that this first season is largely setup.
House of the Dragon is about the succession of the Iron Throne, yes, but it’s also about the relationships between numerous different characters. It’s about the grudges they hold, the love they feel, their twisted desires and passions, and so much more. You get to watch children grow older and develop rivalries and friendships alike—rivalries and friendships that will play a significant role in the future. These setups are imperative for the story going forward, and many of them may not come to fruition for several seasons of the show.
What is being set up, ultimately? War. Specifically, the war known as the Dance of Dragons. The Dance of Dragons—apart from being the title of an episode of Game of Thrones—was a Targaryen civil war. While the history books paint multiple figures of this war as either heroes or villains, the show reveals how complicated war really is, especially its inception. Individuals who may be demonized by history books are complicated people with their own emotions and aims that may not be as simple as a single paragraph in a book can paint. Individuals who are glorified by history books are likewise complicated and may not be nearly as good or heroic as the songs make them out to be.
House of the Dragon explores the complexities of its characters, and it does so remarkably well.
Dragon Talk
There isn’t a great place to put this little tidbit, but I really want to mention it: I am amazed by the dragons in House of the Dragon. Genuinely, truly amazed. The amount of effort that went into make them all unique is outstanding. They don’t just look different from one dragon to the next, they behave differently. Their movements, vocalizations, and attitudes have such variance that you really feel the difference in their personalities. I’m so excited to meet all of the dragons that will appear in this series and to see some incredible dragon battles. I have faith that even if the story ends up falling flat, the spectacle will be amazing.
Can the Sins of Game of Thrones be Forgiven?
The story of House of the Dragon is great, the characters are outstanding, and honestly, the visuals are pretty outstanding for the most part (that is to say, when you can actually see the visuals). But is it enough to overcome the sins committed by Game of Thrones and its abysmal final season? In my opinion, the answer is a resounding yes. After the first few episodes, I forgot all about the rage caused by Game of Thrones and became fully invested in House of the Dragon, its world, its story, and its characters.
While I don’t think that I’ll ever really forgive the Game of Thrones writers for the atrocious final season of the show, I do think that I can accept this new show, its new writers, and its new cast and give them a chance to prove that they’ll do better, this time. I view House of the Dragon as a second chance for the Song of Ice and Fire universe. If they continue to improve on what was already an excellent first season, I’m sure that they’ll manage to stick the landing.
Provided, of course, that we can see the landing.
Conclusion
You may still be wondering whether or not you should pick up House of the Dragon, especially if you’re among those of us who loved Game of Thrones until it presented us with a laughable travesty of an ending. After being so disappointed, should you give this universe another chance? My answer is yes, you should; House of the Dragon captures everything we all loved about Game of Thrones and concludes its first season magnificently; if they can just manage to do that with all the seasons, including the last one, this show is sure to be a hit.