'House of the Dragon' a Visual Spectacle, But Jumps Around in Time Too Much

by Tyler Glover

Photo: HBO

Two hundred years before the events of “Game of Thrones,” the Targaryens ruled over all of Westeros. They had a multitude of dragons that spread fear that helped them sustain their dynasty. However, during the reign of the “Mad King,” Daenerys’ father, they were overthrown, and Daenerys Targaryen and her brother had to flee to exile. At the beginning of ‘GOT,’ Daenerys decides to take back what was destined to be hers: The Iron Throne. “Game of Thrones” follows her on that particular adventure but now, thanks to the first prequel series, “House of the Dragon,” we are given the opportunity to see what it was like when the Targaryens did rule Westeros. Given the huge success of “Game of Thrones,” there is a lot riding on this. Does “House of the Dragon” recapture the adventure, the drama, the intrigue, the dragons, the love, the revenge, and the surprise deaths the way its predecessor did? It does but on a smaller scale.
 
As we join this series, the matter at hand is who will be first in line for the Iron Throne if King Viserys (Paddy Considine) dies. He has no male heir, and the two options are either his eldest daughter, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock) or his brother, Daemon (Matt Smith). Traditionally, a woman has never sat on the Iron Throne. In fact, when Viserys was even chosen to sit on the Throne, his cousin, Rhaenyrs (Eve Best), was overlooked even though she would have been the rightful heir if gender had not been of any concern. Due to his brother’s poor reputation, Viserys proclaims his heir to be his daughter, Rhaenyra. This causes friction with even her best friend, Alicent (Emily Carey).  However, the show presents us with an eerie feeling that when Viserys does die, the succession will be challenged, and blood will most likely be shed.

Where this show really is different from “Game of Thrones” was the world was so much bigger in the original. We got a chance to get to know so many characters that we grew to love, ones we hated, and ones that we hated we loved. Due to this prequel series really focusing on the Targaryens, the plot is more focused. This does not stop the “Game of Thrones” drama we have come to love though. Surprise deaths, shifting alliances, breathtaking battle sequences, and intrigue keep us on our toes. It is truly a visually dazzling spectacle that delivers all the thrills of the original ‘GOT, while also making its own mark in the Westeros universe.

The performances in the show are fantastic but the real standout is Alcock as Rhaenyra. She deserves an Emmy nomination for this role. Alcock infuses Rhaenyra with the same passion, wit and intelligence that Emilia Clarke did as Daenerys in the original. We are rooting for her to succeed and believe in her abilities. She calls things like she sees them and does not need a council to help her make these “safe” decisions that they have made for years before her.   
 
Unfortunately, due to the extreme time jumps, her time on the show is already over. This is one aspect that fans hated about the last season of “Game of Thrones.” Season eight showed us how quickly it could dash to the finish. This show follows the same trajectory. Every episode sees time jump quite a bit. While this didn’t work in the favor of the last season, here it works perfectly. We are getting to see the setup for what is to come. I wish there was a little more time given to some of these story arcs, but that makes the show so exciting.
 
The show still has three more episodes to go before it finishes its first season. So far, the show is doing an excellent job at setting everything up. I am hoping though that as we enter season two, we will get to see the events play out in real-time more. This show excels the most in its ability to make us feel like we know where the story is going but surprise us with what will happen. Every Sunday evening, I know two things: I will be anxiously waiting for “House of the Dragon” to come on and that winter is coming.