REVIEW: House Of The Dragon’s Flame Is Bright, But Constantly Flickering

HBO returns to Westeros with the premiere of its first Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon. Based on portions of the novel, Fire & Blood, by George R. Martin, this prequel to the Game Of Thrones series tells the haunting tale of House Targaryen, 200 years before the events in Game Of Thrones. Viewers step into Kings Landing during the rule of King Viserys I Targaryen (Paddy Considine) as he struggles to name an heir to the throne. With no son in tow, the decision lies between either his headstrong daughter, Rhaenyra, or his smug brother, Daemon (Matt Smith). In a time of turmoil, the King make his decision and sets in the motion the beginning of the downfall of the House of Targaryen.

House of the Dragon is truly epic in grandeur. From the sets to the costumes to the music, everything about this series is grand in scale. And yet, the story is not. Focused solely on House Targaryen and its line of succession, the story feels much smaller, more intimate, but not in a good way. Unlike Game Of Thrones, where the focus was on a multitude of characters across the entirety of Westeros, this story stays on only a handful of characters located primarily in Kings Landing. It’s an interesting change for fans of Game Of Thrones, and honestly, it took some getting use to. However, for those who have read the book, they should have no issue adjusting to size difference.

For a story smaller in scale then its predecessor, the creators spend no time rushing through its journey. I have had the opportunity to watch the first six episodes of the first season and every episode feels like the creators were on some form of time crunch. Characters jump ages between episodes, keep an eye out for the sixth episode in particular, babies are born in one episode and quickly forgotten about in the next, and not one episode takes the time to truly get into the depths of the lore surrounding House Targaryen. Nor is there enough time to develop any sort of connection with any of the characters. As a viewer, I am unsure whether or not I am supposed to like any of these characters. None of them have managed to stand out or charm me in any way that would make me want to root for them. And there has not been enough storytelling to direct me otherwise.

This is not to say that this show is completely flawed. The acting all around is superb. Milly Alcock as a young Rhaenyra Targaryen and Emma D’Arcy as the adult Rhaenyra Targaryen bring a fire to their performances that will be fun to watch as the season goes progresses. Matt Smith as Rhaenyra ‘s Uncle, Daemon Targaryen, plays the smug, spoiled Prince perfectly while Paddy Considine manages to wonderfully bring to life King Viserys I Targaryen struggle to keep House Targaryen on the throne while also preparing his daughter for her role as the kingdom’s future queen. Unfortunately though, none of their performances, or characters, live up to the characters introduced in Game Of Thrones. There are no true standout characters, so far, and they could prove to be a major problem for the show.

There are  small little crumbs sprinkled throughout each episode that lend to events already seen in Game Of Thrones. Fans of the original series will need keep an eye out for these crumbs. Some are pretty obvious, but others might take a re-watch to catch. They are fun, friendly details that shed light on what we, as the audience, have already seen unfold.

House of the Dragon was a difficult one to review with an unbiased opinion. I was highly invested in Game Of Thrones and felt, like many, betrayed by the final season. The first six episodes do nothing to grab my attention enough to be willing to invest that same amount of time to it. The burn from the final season still lingers after all these years. However, this is a ten-episode season, and the pieces are there for it to be truly epic show. Hopefully, the show finds itself before all is said and done and it doesn’t burn out before then.