AS far as pilots go, the first episode of House of the Dragon – titled The Heirs of the Dragon – easily reignites interest in the live-action world of HBO’s Game of Thrones that ended in such dubious fashion in 2019.
Set almost 200 years before the events seen in Game of Thrones, the new series is set during the rule of King Viserys I Targaryen (played by Paddy Considine) as he prepares his daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (played by Milly Alcock as a teen and Emma D’Arcy as an adult) to take the throne as his heir.
Also biding their time for a chance at the iconic, sword-laden Iron Throne are Visery’s younger brother, Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith), and the king’s inner circle of politicians.
The series will eventually lead to the Dance of the Dragons, a Targaryen civil war that effectively ends House Targaryen’s rule over the fictional Seven Kingdoms, paving the way for the events in GoT.
A cast ready to shine
Almost overtly addressing some of the criticisms leveled at the final season of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon brings the series back to its roots of politics, as the pilot episode sets up more than enough for the series to develop as it moves along.
Under the closer eye of creator George R. R. Martin, audiences will certainly be left guessing as to where the story might go, particularly with a morally grey lead character such as Daemon, and the scheming of Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans).
Beyond Matt Smith, who always goes above and beyond as an actor, not much can be said about the rest of the cast based off just one episode, but House of the Dragon is certainly not lacking when it comes to the casts’ performance.
Much like how the early Game of Thrones episodes took some time for the audience to acclimate to the actors, the same can be said for House of the Dragon’s cast, who are mostly unknowns or from an indie television and film background.
Despite being more political in nature, the episode still retains the high fantasy feel, adult themes and scenes, along with over-the-top brutality the series is known for.
The parental lock on HBO Go is there for a reason.
Quality television viewing
Unsurprisingly, being part of HBO’s “flagship series” and with an immense budget, the production quality on House of the Dragon, for a majority of the pilot, is as good as any Game of Thrones episode, which includes set design, costumes, and cinematography.
However, If there is one undeniable criticism for the first episode, it is the CGI for the dragons, as the fire-breathing weapons of war seem to look slightly worse than their kin in Game of Thrones.
The one scene where a dragon spews a stream of fire looks very superimposed when juxtaposed against the humans in the same frame, like a scene from a mid-2010s videogame.
It’s an aspect that will hopefully be improved upon, and doesn’t really ruin the episode in any way.
House of the Dragon is overall a step in the direction, being heavily reminiscent of the early Game of Thrones seasons.
The spin-off feels like starting a new relationship after a bad breakup, but only time will tell whether this new one will be better – or behave just as crazily as your old flame.
New episodes of House of the Dragon air every Monday on HBO Go.
