It’s no “Game of Thrones,” but it’s still great

ZACH PHELPS STAFF WRITER

As a “Game of Thrones” fanatic, I was ecstatic when HBO announced a return to Westeros with their new series “House of the Dragon,” based on George R.R. Martin’s novel “Fire and Blood.” From the premier in August to the finale in October, I was entertained every single week.

The show took home Best Drama TV series at the Golden Globe awards in January, beating out “Better Call Saul”, “Ozark” and “The Crown”. “House of the Dragon” takes place 200 years before the events of “Game of Thrones”, covering the events of the Targaryen civil war that nearly wiped out the house in the middle of their centuries-long reign over the Seven Kingdoms. The series starts with Viserys Targaryen taking the throne after his grandfather’s death. His daughter, Rhaenyra, is his only living child. After naming Rhaenyra his heir, she stands to become the first woman to sit the Iron Throne. This controversial decision eventually blossoms into a dragon-filled civil war within House Targaryen.

The show had many positives and is about as good as a mediocre season of “Game of Thrones,” which follows way more characters, locations and storylines than “House of the Dragon.”

“House of the Dragon” follows only one family in the wide fictional world of Westeros. The characters we do have are awesome and deeply developed. Actress Emma D’Arcy is brilliant as older Rhae-nyra in episodes six through ten. Watching Viserys and his brother Daemon’s interactions in the early episodes is a treat. Viserys has arguably the best arc on the show, and Daemon goes from potential threat to Rhaenyra’s side. Another great relationship arc is the broken bond between Alicent and Rhaenyra, who go from child hood best friends to tense rivals battling for control of the Iron Throne. Actress Emily Carey shines in showing Alicent’s growth from an innocent young girl to a protective mother vying for power. These great relationships are propped up by intense, well-written dialogue. However, the best part of “House of the Dragon” might very well be the cinematography.

The show looks incredible, especially compared to the early seasons of “Game of Thrones.”

This is likely a product of a large $20 million budget per episode. My biggest gripe with the show is the 10-year jump that takes place between episodes five and six. We go from childhood Rhaenyra and Alicent to both of them being grown with multiple children. We’re left confused, trying to figure out who the children are and making assumptions about characters based on where they were at the end of episode five. Plotlines that we ended episode five with are flat-out abandoned and replaced with confusion that dampens their payoffs. Another critique is the smaller cast of characters, which can get stale at times. Variety in characters is something that “House of the Dragon’’ simply doesn’t offer.

As someone who will watch anything “Game of Thrones” related, I really enjoyed “House of the Dragon.” However, while it takes place in the same world as the original show, “House of the Dragon” is not “Game of Thrones.” The two are very different and brilliant in their own ways. Sadly, we have to wait until 2024 at the earliest for a second season, which will likely have an even larger budget, making for some absolutely epic battles filled with dragons and big moments that the character development in season one made possible.

“House of the Dragon” can be streamed on Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Youtube TV.

FERMIN