August 21, 2022 saw the return of Westeros with the highly anticipated House of The Dragon (HOTD). The first episode was aptly titled “Heirs of the Dragon” and premiered on HBO. It is based on George RR Martin’s book titled “Fire and Blood” which tells the story of Westeros 172 years before the events of “A Song of Ice and Fire”.
Here is our review of the first episode of House Of The Dragon (HOTD).
A treat after a bitter lunch
The final season of Game of Thrones disappointed many of its fans. It left a sour taste in their mouths and tarnished the legacy of the highly successful series. Fans blamed the rushed plot, lesser episode count, and lack of books (for later seasons) to guide the show.
However, as soon as House of Dragon was announced, fans saw another silver lining. Because GoT lore was full of Targaryen history and fans wanted to know more about them. Notably, the book this series is based on (Fire and Blood) has already been completed and published. That would surely steer the show in the right direction.
The Quarrel and the New “Game” of Thrones
game of thrones rose to fame due to its masterful world-building, memorable characters, flawless script, and incredible visual effects. Its new spin-off HOTD also promises the same greatness from its first frame. The show opens with Jaehaerys Targaryen, the Old King about to announce his heir to Harrenhal before a Great Council. Jaehaerys then decides to name Viserys Targaryen, his younger son over his eldest daughter – Rhaenys Targaryen, as his only heir. This seeded the coming split in the Targaryen family.
The show features some truly outstanding visual effects, especially those of Dragons. They are massive, fearsome and impressive to look at. The new spinoff certainly has a few hooks, but it’s more character-driven than the storyline itself. Nonetheless, the pacing of the series isn’t weak at all as it may just be a creative choice to limit the first episode to just creating the universe.
HOT vs GOT
Jaehaerys called the Grand Council to prevent a war from unfolding over his succession. For he knew the cold truth. The only thing that could tear down the House of the Dragon… was itself.
Right from the start, the show sets up the central conflict: the choice of a new heir. King Viserys has the difficult choice to announce his heir between his brother – the impulsive and reckless Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) or his daughter – Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy).
This conflict is reminiscent of GOT when Ned Stark decides to include the word ‘lawful heir’ in Robert Baratheon’s will upon his death. It pushed the plot forward as Cersei Lannister did everything she could to get her children on the Iron Throne.
The first episode of GOT established very well the three houses that will be the main characters of the story – Starks, Lannister and the Targaryens. It established the inherent politics that was played out between them and built on its central characters. Similar to this, the first episode of HOTD took its time navigating through the multi-dimensional characters and ended with a groundbreaking decision that would go on to form the backbone of the entire storyline.
The verdict
HOTD saw brilliant acting from Matt Smith and Emma D’Arcy and all the other cast members. Their characters contrast brilliantly. The direction and cinematography were superb. Ramin Djawadi’s background score reinforced the eerie setting of the episode and really elevated some intense scenes. With the controversial succession decision already in place, a high-adrenaline action piece is inevitable.
Realized by Miguel Sapochnik, the show is off to a pretty good start as far as a prequel goes. Although he has very big shoes to fill and the road is still long. With rings of power, (another prequel to a beloved franchise – The Lord of the Rings) set to debut after a few days, HOTD has to establish itself on much higher ground before then. As of now, it looks like the series will be developing in a very fascinating way in the weeks to come.
