House of the Dragon: Is It Worth the Watch?
By Sam Goldings ‘24
Did you love Game of Thrones? All eight seasons? Have you seen four or more ads for House of the Dragon but can't decide if you should give it a shot? In that case, this article is for you. I boldly did what 3.5 million other Americans have done and watched the first six episodes of the hit prequel show. The verdict? It's only OK. Fans of Game of Thrones will recognize the dragons and thrones, but they might miss just about everything else they loved. Like its predecessor, the show follows a handful of important characters all vying for the throne.
The primary conflict comes from King Viserys Targaryen who names his daughter, Rhaenyra, as heir to the throne instead of his brother, Daemon, or Viserys’s younger son, Aegon. The first six episodes all take place while King Viserys is still alive, but the show makes clear that his frailty and a potential war over succession could take place once he dies.
Another important character is Alicent Hightower, Rhaenyra's childhood best friend, who marries Rhaenyra's father, the King, and becomes her rival for power. Amid the dragons, knights, betrayal, gore, and romance, the vast majority of characters somehow remain boring and annoying, saved only by a handful of fantastic performances. Among these performances is Matt Smith, famous for his role in Doctor Who, who plays King Viserys's brother. As a morally gray antagonist, Matt Smith plays Daemon as one of the more exciting and almost relatable characters, despite being a terrible person. The other dozen or so important characters introduced thus far, in this critic's humble opinion, all remain uniquely unlikeable and bland.
The magic of the original series came from its fleshed out characters, many of whom fans were happy to root for. This new prequel series, however, leaves the viewer feeling like they could happily read the book instead. Rather than watching on the edge of their seats, anticipating the next wild twist, the viewer might witness a main character die and feel the sort of passionless indifference one might have while watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory. This claim is not to say the show is not watchable or even enjoyable; there are moments that are reminiscent of what made Game of Thrones so great, and the monstrous budget allows for spectacular visual effects. The show regularly leaves the viewer stunned by the dragon flights and battle scenes in front of them. In conclusion, a reasonably good cast, a lavish FX budget, and a script that probably took a team of interns to write come together to make a show that is just fine. As much as I might criticize House of the Dragon, I have given six hours of my life to it, so I cannot be too harsh. House of the Dragon is a show that exists as a fun continuation of the world we all know and love, but it is maybe not as strong a show on its own.