Warning: Major spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon episode 1! Come back now if you haven’t seen the premiere yet!
How do you follow a giant of pop culture like Game of Thrones? The answer is simple: you go back to basics. That may sound strange, considering the lavish scale of House of the Dragon is apparent from that opening scene in the crumbling halls of Harrenhal, but the first episode of HBO’s new crown jewel prequel series is a intriguingly intimate version of Westeros. The most dysfunctional family.
While the premiere of Game of Thrones introduced us to the Starks, Baratheons, Lannisters and, yes, Targaryens, House of the Dragon’s debut episode focuses on a handful of main characters some 200 years before the events of the original series. . There are those silver-haired Targaryens front and center, along with the father-daughter duo of Otto (Rhys Ifans) and Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), council member Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), the mysterious Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel), who bests Matt Smith’s fickle Daemon Targaryen Prince in a brutal tournament, and Dameon’s lover Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno). The opening episode deftly establishes each character’s concerns and ambitions, setting the stage for the bloody battles to come. In a world as complex as the Seven Kingdoms, that’s no easy task, and it’s accomplished by sticking to that more limited scope. By the time the credits roll, the fault lines are clearly in sight and, as always, it all comes down to that pesky, pointy chair: the Iron Throne.
From the beginning, “The Heirs of the Dragon” fixes its attention firmly on succession. This is inextricably intertwined with crushing sexism: Eve Best’s Princess Rhaenys is passed over for the throne in favor of her brother Viserys (Paddy Considine), earning the nickname the Queen That Never Was, in the series’ first scene. . King Viserys’s obsession with having a child drives him to give the go-ahead for a gruesome and harrowing caesarean section that kills his unwanted wife in hopes of saving his unborn child, who dies anyway. . Meanwhile, Otto is not a fan of Daemon, the current heir, and Dameon’s arrogance combined with Otto’s deft manipulation means that Viserys has to choose a new successor: his daughter, Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock), becomes the first heiress of the Kingdom.
These political intrigues and petty-council rivalries date back to the earliest days of Game of Thrones – this episode admirably refrains from indulging in blingy, dragon-fueled spectacle for the sake of it, and is a welcome return to the form. There are no massive battles to fight yet; instead, power struggles play out in the halls of Red Keep. Otto immediately marks himself as the most dangerous player on the board by clearing Daemon, the king’s brother, out of his way. Ifans’s firm, stern and calm portrayal makes the Hand of the King an inscrutable figure, though it soon becomes clear what he wants when he sends his nervous daughter Alicent, who happens to be Rhaenyra’s best friend, into the chambers of the grieving king. In the middle of the night. These ruthless and clever maneuvers are classic from Thrones.
And make no mistake, this is Game of Thrones through and through: blood, sex, and dragons are all present and represented. Everything from the score to the setting is familiar, and Daenerys Targaryen is even given a name in the opening crawl. The events to come are also given a veiled reference when Viserys speaks of a prophecy that foretells the end of humanity, caused by a Northern winter… hello, Game of Thrones season 8! However, this inherently comes with problems. We already know that Long Night turns out to be a dank squib, so how can we really engage the Targaryens by passing on a prophecy that revolves around preventing it? What should be an epic and chilling moment when Rhaenyra learns of this closely guarded family secret is instead an unwelcome reminder of the pitfalls this prequel faces.
For now though, House of the Dragon proves to be a worthy successor to one of the greatest TV shows of all time. Still, there is a feeling that something is missing. The Game of Thrones premiere captured the perfect alchemy of a captivating plot, magnetic characters, and riveting setting, and while lightning may still strike twice, it’s undeniable that House of the Dragon’s first episode doesn’t reach the same riveting heights. That’s largely because the show is set to be slower than its predecessor: We start with Rhaenyra and Alicent when they were young, before a (previously announced) mid-season time jump lands us in a political web. even more entangled with the adult. women now sworn enemies. The firewood is there, then, and everything is ready for the dracarys to really set fire to the House of the Dragon.
If you’re in the know about House of the Dragon, check out our roundup of the best Netflix shows streaming now to round out your watch list.
