User reviews

Good first season. Some of the events feel skimmed through because of the time skip, some of the consequences to what happens during the course of the show take place off air because of the abruptly timed time skip. One of the main examples for this would be Viserys' reaction to the illicit relationship between his daughter and Daemon on multiple occasions when she was a child or Lord Corlys' long term response to Viserys' rejection of his proposal. And the relationship between Rhanerya and Daemon itself seemed under developed, the only possible reason Rhanerya had to wed him was it would strengthen her claim to the throne, other than their whole relationship was built on cryptic conversation that takes place in the Valryian language. Other than that the show is too immersive and it's hard to take sides as both of them have done many wrongs and are good in certain instances, it was nice to see all that slow burn drama that took place to unfold.

House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones. The television series was created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. It's the second series in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire franchise. It is based on parts of Martin's 2018 book Fire & Blood.

The series begins about 100 years after the Seven Kingdoms are united by the Targaryen conquest, nearly 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones, and 172 years before the birth of the Daenerys Targaryen caricature featured in Game of Thrones.

House of the Dragons portrays the events leading to the decline of House Targaryen, and the devastating war of succession known as the "Dance of the Dragons".

As I stated in my review of The Game of Thrones, I was not that interested in watching Game of Thrones for several years. And, after watching a bit of one episode, Game of Thrones did not look very interesting to me. But, once I decided to find out what all the hoopla and massive fan base was all about, I decided give it a try. I not only purchased the complete series of Game of Thrones on DVDs, but I also purchased House of the Dragon Season 1, and then Season 2, when it came out, all on DVDs as well.

And, yes, also as I previously stated, I subscribe to several streaming services, and could watch most of the TV series I want much more easily by streaming them. But, I'm a collector, and I love collecting, and I'm collecting TV series DVDs. Don't hate me.

Anyway, before watching Game of Thrones, I checked online regarding whether I should watch House of the Dragon first before watching Game of Thrones, since House of the Dragon is a Prequel. I read several opinions that stated that it was best to watch Game of Thrones first, because I would better understand the story in House of the Dragon given it is the same of the fantasy world creation in which both series exist.

Therefore, I watched Game of Thrones first, and thoroughly enjoyed it, and then watched the first two seasons of House of the Dragon and enjoyed that story as well.

After watching both series however, I gotta disagree with those opinions I read on the Internet about which series to watch first. I think watching House of the Dragon first would have better prepared me for watching Game of Thrones. I was easily able to grasp the story, characters, and what was going on in House of the Dragon fairly easily.

Season 1 of House of the Dragon, was more what I would have called a game of thrones than anything else. The intrigue, suspense and political rivalries of the characters in the different kingdoms, and they're quest for power and riches was interesting yet complex. I felt it was similar to watching the intrigue, suspense and political rivalries of the Borgia TV series', or even the political chess game of the Trump administration.

The story in Season 1 of House of the Dragon was mostly about the Targaryen King trying to keep his rule all the while trying to maintain the peace. It was entertaining in a way, but, after episode after episode, it sometimes proved a little boring. That was at least until the last few episodes where... Bammm upside your head and your side blinded by what happens in the story, leaving your mouth haning open. And, of course, the season ends in a cliff hanger, prompting me to immediately begin to watch Season 2.

Season 2 of House of the Dragon is more similar to the Game of Thrones series in that there is still that suspense and political intrigue, but there also seems to be non-stop action, adventure, war and bloodshed. And, of course... Dragons!!!

The writing is equally as good as Game of Thrones, except for the slower pace and some of the more anguishing relationship based episodes in Season 1, which like I said, proved to be kind of boring. But, what was never boring was Season 2, which I spent many hours binge watching. The acting, production, direction, cinematography and special effects were all also excellent and equal to that of Game of Thrones.

My review seems to be, in some ways, the opposite of many other reviewers who seemed to love Season 1, but hated Season 2. But, I guess everyone's got a right to their opinion, right.

However, now I'm faced with the problem I hate. And that is that when I begin watching a series before all the seasons have been released, I'm left having to wait, sometimes years, before I can get back to the story to see what happens.

So, I now have to wait until sometime in 2026 to watch the release of House of the Dragon Season 3!

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.

As with others on here, I am a huge fan of GoT. This came as a but of a disappointment by comparison.

Season 1 was decent. Not as good as GoT but compared to the reality show tripe on TV these days, decent.

Fast forward to season 2..... it's a boring watch. The action is very infrequent. The characters are very shallow and difficult to build a rapport with. Episodes tend to meander around.

I've fallen asleep through several episodes. It's okay though as the plot is so obvious it is easy to pick up from where I left it. Lots of talking, meaningless conversations that don't seem to matter.

All in all, hope the John Snow spin-off is better than this. That shouldn't be difficult.

Despite the high anticipation surrounding the series, it's unfortunate that the only captivating element is the presence of dragons. The actors lack charisma, failing to bring their characters to life in a way that engages the audience. This deficiency in performance makes it nearly impossible to form any emotional connections with the characters. The narrative, which could have been enriched by strong, memorable personalities, instead falls flat, leaving viewers disinterested and detached. The dragons, while visually impressive, aren't enough to carry the entire show and redeem its shortcomings.

Season 1 was awesome. I was still defending the show untill this episode 6 of season 2. Enough is enough, the writers have no new ideas anymore, they don't follow the book and now this season is just super boring episode after episode. It's a Mexican soap opera now. I find it disgraceful. And it kinda is a bait and switch as well. They baited us with a very good season 1 just so they now use season 2 to push all their propaganda and personal beliefs. Is it so hard to follow the original story from the book?

The western world is having a really big writers Crisis in the entertainment industry.

Anyway, I might still keep watching this, but not with the same excitement as before. Might put it on just as background noise and go check it out when I hear a dragon. A shame.

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.

Tell you what happened:

NOTHING HAPPENED!

What a waste of 200 million and 8 hrs of screen time. What a waste of a season..

Looking back to, for example, Game of Thrones season 7, Tyrion and Varys cock jokes, Ninja Arya, Dragons, the Night King, Ice Spears, the North, The Wall, Beyond the Wall.., what the hell were they even doing beyond the wall, and how clever idea of going there was.., either way, no matter how nonsensical plots were, and teleporting across Westeros, Dragonstone - King's Landing Fast Travel, Winterfell - Dragonstone Bullet Train/Concorde, at least it all had soul. Characters mattered, and we, the audience, cared about them, even dragons were characters with a soul, as we all remember how sad things went upon facing Night King's Air Defense..

House of the Dragon is, different to that, completely BLEAK, and while at least season 1 was solid/average, dull nothingness wrapped in low tier dialogue that took over season 2, pushed the show into a struggle for keeping itself just below mediocre..

This work has reached an unparalleled level of awfulness, the worst episodes are in the second season.

I'm tired and angry at this work and the stupid games the writers are playing. I didn't expect the series to reach such a level of triviality and disgust that has reached its peak. In reality, this is the price of GRRM selling the rights to his world after spending a long period of his life on it. You write and leave, and it ends up in the hands of a network that doesn't care about quality, and they team up with some bad writers, who I'm too embarrassed to call them writers, and then HBO put them in an animal barn instead of a writing room.

This ugly quality only comes from an animal barn, and I believe even if you were in an animal barn, you would be able to produce better ideas and writings, better than the work of the writers of House of the Dragons who think they can write innovative and new lines better than the original source... Unfortunately, this is the painful result.

House of the Dragon carried the legacy of GOT in the best possible way.

It has every element you loved about Game of Thrones.

It's cinematic, beautifully shot, wonderfully acted with amazing writing & direction.

A lot of grey characters which makes story interesting through out.

Season 1 was one of the best first seasons of tv, it brought back GOT fans together once again.

Season 2 was amazing but it was more of a set up season which will eventually pay off in the upcoming final two seasons.

I love this show, cast & characters.

It was amazing to experience Peak GOT once again in its full glory.

I really loved it everything from the beginning to the end is just awesome. Game of Thrones is one of my favorite or my favorite series and them coming up with this one gives you the backstory of how Game of Thrones came out. I love how it keeps you in the edge always guessing thinking you know what's going on but then there's a twist I just love the show can't wait to see more.

It is not uncommon for successful shows to experience a major drop in quality from the initial season to the next but wow, the season 2 of House of the Dragon dropped off the proverbial cliff.

After a great season 1, proving to many that the world of Westeros could still play host to interesting story lines, season 2 managed to mess that up. Too many side plots that added nothing to the overall story, too much sitting around and brooding by Queen Rhaenyra and the endless Harrenhal scenes were awful.

As so many others have pointed out, the pacing was completely off for the entire season leaving me zoning out during episodes. Now we are told that filming for season 3 will commence next year so season 3 where we might finally get some dragon-on-dragon action is likely 18 months away? While I looked forward to season 2 after a great season 1, I have to admit to not being all that excited for season 3.

What a shame.

The first season is great, second season I just don't wanna watch it anymore I put it only to fall sleep faster. Never tough game of trones story's could be so boring.

Great escenarios, great image picture, great music. But I'm not attached to any character, they are little lame. I don't wanna follow up any stories, the only one I was little attracted got stuck in a mental breakdown.

I believe they didn't chose the best cast.

Compare to GOT this is just another serie to watch to mark the checklist.

Rhaenyra could be this strong, powerful and amazing woman who changed story but instead she is just someone that can't make decisions on her own.

House of the dragons is one of the greatest made television series even with just two seasons aired. Based on the book of Ice and Fire,Set 172 years before the birth of Daenerys targaryen,this show portrayed the internal conflicts and civil war in the Targaryen reign. In an astonishing Fantasy world,a series of many events led one by another handled brilliantly with no hustle and no compromise in the Screenplay for audience's expectations. Every single actor who played in this have given a life to it,they're perfect and the developments of few lead characters felt turnaround and interesting. The Dragon's part in this whole felt relevant and Captivating. Can't wait for the surprises that is yet to unfolded in the upcoming seasons believing that they would maintain the standard they set till now.

House of the Dragon, the prequel to Game of Thrones, is a masterclass in political intrigue, family conflict, and high-stakes drama. Set 200 years before the events of its predecessor, the series dives deep into the Targaryen dynasty, exploring their rise, power struggles, and the seeds of internal conflict that eventually lead to civil war. The show expertly balances sweeping visuals with intimate character moments, ensuring that viewers are invested not only in the dragons and battles but also in the nuanced human dynamics.

Matt Smith as Prince Daemon delivers a magnetic, unpredictable performance, while Emma D'Arcy's portrayal of Rhaenyra Targaryen captures a mix of vulnerability, ambition, and defiance. The show's writing emphasizes moral ambiguity; characters are rarely purely heroic or villainous, reflecting the harsh realities of a world driven by power. The dragons themselves are visually stunning, with CGI that feels both realistic and awe-inspiring, adding weight to the narrative rather than overshadowing it.

The pacing, though deliberate, allows tension to build gradually, making political maneuvers and personal betrayals more impactful. Cinematography and production design immerse viewers in a richly detailed Westeros, from the opulent Red Keep to the vast, fiery landscapes of dragon flights.

While comparisons to Game of Thrones are inevitable, House of the Dragon establishes its own identity, focusing on the fragility of family bonds and the intoxicating allure of power. It's a compelling, visually breathtaking series that captures the essence of George R. R. Martin's world while promising an epic saga of ambition, loyalty, and betrayal.

House of the Dragon pulled me back into the world of Westeros with all the politics, betrayal, and fire-breathing spectacle I was craving after Game of Thrones. The focus on the Targaryens makes the story feel both intimate and grand, showing how fragile power really is when dragons are involved.

The writing is sharp, the production feels cinematic, and some performances truly shine.

At times, the pacing drags, and the time jumps can feel jarring, but the tension and looming tragedy keep it compelling. It's not quite on the same level as Thrones in its prime, but it's a worthy prequel that sets the stage for something epic.

House of the Dragon starts off quite well. It had the unenviable task of restoring GOT fan interest after a horrific season 7 and 8. The first season did that very well. While not as good as GOT S1-4, it was filled with characters and character development on par or exceeding that of some parts of the early seasons of Game of Thrones. And while the plot development was clunky due to the time jumps, it was nevertheless done quite well with an excellent episodes 7-10 (with some writing flaws here and there.)

Season 2 on the other hand is largely a filler season. The pace has clearly been stretched so thin that the show is clearly suffering from the infamous hobbit problem. Whats worse is that the filler isnt even well written, but often completely seems like fan fiction. Several characters are ruined in order to give us far fetched plot 'developments' that really only serve to stretch the season and give us some more dialogue in order to save some of the budget in a series dedicated to a war. If you didnt have the funds perhaps this project was a bad idea.

Personally I'm a bit tired of seeing characters I love get assassinated by bad writers. There is a reason George RR Martin is not happy with this show. Its a shame because S1 certainly set up what should have been a fantastic second season. But greed and bad writers have given us something on par with S5 and 6 of GOT. Which isnt THAT bad, but its a bit hard to watch if you are accustomed to high quality television.

The good first. It's a very well shot and lit, high quality production with great costumes and special fx. Overall it's watchable even though it pales in comparison to the original's early seasons.

With that out of the way, let's get to the bad. First off, the plot or lack thereof. There is nothing moving this thing forward. No overarching plot, no immediate danger, nothing to hook viewers really. It's meandering in search of a plot all season long, never to find one.

Second the dialogues. You can't really expect the level of refined sophistication that comes out of books that were years in the making, but this just feels wrong. Everything is paper thin. It's more akin to a run of the mill teenage soap drama than Martin's work in ASOIAF.

Third, the cast. Most choices are unconvincing to say the least. Nothing breaks immersion like feeling you're watching a dude with a wig spattering uncomfortable lines. And that's exactly the vibe this gives off quite often. Plus, switching your protagonist's actor mid first season is baffling and probably indicative of the overall casting mess.

Fourth, the events. I've seen nothing that felt fresh. No new stories or ideas. Everything is rehashed content. Similar events and character archetypes that been done better in the past are retold with few if any interesting twists thrown in. Feels like copied homework.

Fifth, the world. There are no multiple stories from different PoVs unfolding here. We're following one set of events in a more focused manner (very generous choice of words there). The inevitable outcome is a world that feels small. We're watching exclusively the same handful of people, all bunched up in one or two locations every time. You never get the feeling that there's stuff happening in the background. In this show, the world is where the camera is.

Finally, consistency. One of the great successes of the original, was in presenting a world that made sense. Where every action had a reaction and far reaching implications. This diminished and eventually vanished in later seasons as they moved past the books and it is the case here as well. Events may or may not have consequences depending on the whim of the writers. Characters are not allowed to have a personality off screen. They'll say their lines at the convenience of each episode and turn off.

Overall, compared to the original GoT this is more of a parody rather than a prequel. However, compared to what else is out there currently, it's alright I guess? Yay for low standards. 6/10.

House of the Dragon is not merely a prequel; it's a masterfully crafted tragedy that complements Game of Thrones very well by filling in the rich historical tapestry of Westeros. Instead of trying to replicate the sprawling, world-spanning chaos of the original series, it wisely chooses a more focused and intimate approach, zeroing in on a single, doomed family. This laser-like focus allows for a deeper exploration of its characters and their devastating political machinations, driven by ambition, legacy, and patriarchal expectations. It successfully captures the same moral ambiguity and high-stakes political intrigue that made its predecessor a global phenomenon.

A significant part of the show's success lies in its excellent CG, which brings the age of dragons to vivid and terrifying life. The dragons here are not just CGI props; they are fully realized characters with their own personalities and relationships to their riders. Each one, from the ancient and colossal Vhagar to the fierce Caraxes, is rendered with stunning detail and a sense of weight that makes every flight and every fiery breath feel truly epic. The visual effects team deserves immense credit for making these mythical beasts feel so grounded in the world, allowing the story's spectacle to feel both grand and emotionally resonant.

While a few pacing choices in the first season felt rushed, House of the Dragon is an undeniable triumph. It is a compelling, beautiful, and faithful return to a world we thought we knew, proving that even a story we know the end of can still be an unforgettable journey.

Summary: A beautifully shot and compelling prequel that enriches the lore of Westeros, featuring stunning visuals and a more contained, character-driven plot. A must-watch for any fan.

First of all, I don't want to give this series a 10/10, especially right now, but I'm going to keep it at 10 because I still have hopes for a third season, and that's only because it's a Game of Thrones spin-off, and I hope the directors don't screw it up. The funny thing is, they still have a source book and writer alive! Wow, this is a complete and utter disaster. The reason I'm so upset is because they're dragging out a second season just to make money, making scenes from the books pointlessly ineffective and absurd. That's the only thing that bothers me, and I feel like the first season is slowly losing its quality.