House of the Dragon

In truth, the show presents all the GOT trappings, but offers none of its heart. Consider why we cared about GOT. First, we watched the Stark family children and their trials, torn from their home in the North: Sansa in King's Landing, then worse; Arya among the Nameless Men, then wandering Westeros with the Hound; Jon Snow at the Wall and beyond on his northern quest, then finding his truth with Dani. Secondly, the Lannister story-arc had legs. We came to care about both Jamie and Tyrion. Finally, we watched Dani rise from trophy wife to Targaryen queen. That is, we experienced these complex and beautifully written characters as they grew.

Contrastingly, House of the Dragon offers no one to support, truly; no main character to root for. Thus, it descends quickly into mere palace intrigue, cut with gut-wrenching violence. Who do we like, here? The arrogant and self-serving Rhaenyra offers little empathy; and while the young Queen Alicent seemed sympathetic, she grows icy cold. The King's weakness undermines our connection to him and, finally, Daemon is just unfathomable. Put simply, we don't care about these people and, without character sympathy, the show is empty. Great stories aren't about what happens to people. They're about what happens to people we care about. A lesson HOTD should learn.

I've been looking forward to House of the Dragon since the spin-off was first announced. The majority of the reviews and ratings have been great so that only enhanced my excitement. I told myself I'd be happy if it was half as good as the Game of Thrones and I can say that without a doubt that it is. While it's obviously not as good as the original (not much is) but it's definitely still a really good show that is one of the most successful shows on tv. It has the same Game of Thrones feel with all the action, drama, mystery, etc. People who don't like it either didn't want to because they hate everything or are comparing it to the original...don't. Just take it for what it is and that's a really good show! It was the most watched premiere in HBO history and has already been renewed for seasons 3 and 4. This is going to have a long run so I hope it continues to get better and better like the original did.

No emotional connection whatsoever with characters, and this is why it is not working. In 'House of the Dragon,' the narrative struggles to engage viewers on a deeper level. The characters, while visually striking and well-portrayed, lack the development needed to foster genuine attachment. Unlike 'Game of Thrones,' where complex backstories and evolving relationships drew audiences in, 'House of the Dragon' fails to provide sufficient depth. Without this emotional investment, viewers find it challenging to care about the fates and motivations of the characters. The intricate political plots and spectacular battles cannot compensate for the absence of heartfelt connections. Consequently, the show risks becoming a mere spectacle, losing the compelling human element that once captivated fans. For 'House of the Dragon' to succeed, it must cultivate richer character arcs and more intimate storytelling. Adding more personal stakes and emotional dilemmas could help bridge this gap, making the audience genuinely care about the characters' journeys.

Season 1 had such a great pace. We moved through years in 2 or 3 episodes, which allowed for the story to move along and milestones to be achieved. This season we are 4 episodes in and the story has only moved a few weeks. This show is eerily slow and nothing is happening. The Dameon story line is boring and useless. Rhanerya has been absent in most of the episodes and not making any decisions. The show writers listened to wasteful criticism from some of last year's audience members, who complained the pace was too fast and now they have destroyed the show!!!! You can't take everyone's critique too serious. This show is way tooo slow and it has lost it magic from last year.

I'd love to know who is giving this show a rating of 8 or 9?? This show has disappointed me to no end. Thinking it would atleast keep pace with GOT was a huge mistake. It's slow, boring even at times with the last 10 minutes of some episodes actually having some action. Let's face it if it wasn't for the dragon scenes in this show it would be a 5. Super disappointed so far through 2 seasons.

Storyline went from years passing in a couple episodes to mere weeks passing in 3-4 episodes. I'm wondering why the writers have decided to go this route? It's slowed the show down and made it down right boring. Hoping it gets better in season 3 but who knows.