credit: HBO
The long wait is over, and House of the Dragon is finally here, much to the delight of many fans. The game can begin anew as the line of the Targaryens becomes hotly contested as the line of succession becomes one of the most significant issues once again. It is nice that the narrative lays out the reason for the family’s fall quickly and without much exposition since it allows the story to unfold without having to wonder what’s going on or with the burden of too much knowledge. Getting into the story in this manner is excellent since it shows how King Viserys is troubled by the idea of not having a true heir yet, how Prince Daemon is kind of an ill-tempered and arrogant individual that probably shouldn’t ascend to the throne, and how Princess Rhaenyra is, more or less, the one individual that should ascend simply because she hasn’t been corrupted by the power that the throne brings. But then again, it’s been seen what happens when a person thought to be innocent is given power.
credit: HBO
The madness of the Targaryens is already on display.
Even if it’s just Daemon and Viserys showing signs of the madness, it’s bound to happen since this phenomenon has already been established in GoT of Daenerys. At one point or another, the Targaryens do go a bit mental, and as it’s been seen, Daemon is already willing and ready to fight at just about any time. Plus, his conniving and rather devious ways are bound to get him into more trouble as the season wears on. As for his brother, Viserys, it’s fair to assume that the king will continue on his current course, but the loss of his wife and his newborn son will take a heavy toll on him in the coming days, even if he has named a successor. For such a powerful family, the Targaryens are anything but stable. But of course, that’s been known for a while.
The inclusion of more dragons will only make things more difficult.
This was, of course, one of the parts of this show that a lot of people had been waiting for since the show was mentioned, as the presence of dragons in GoT was a massive game changer that took the show to a new level, at least until things became a bit too rushed. But keeping the dragons in the background in the manner that they were in episode 1 came as a nice and refreshing reminder that they are not the main stars of the show but an important part all the same. The appearance of the dragons feels slightly muted compared to those seen in GoT, but considering things have just started, that might have been a good decision. Many people already know at least some of the story and how it is meant to go, but seeing it occur in live-action is going to be quite a bit different since there are plenty of twists and turns that could be added to this story, much like GoT. This may very well upset many fans, but the chances that things will turn out as they expect might change along the way. But at the moment, the promise of seeing more of the dragons, both in and out of battle, is a lot of fun since it brings an element to the story that GoT did not initially possess.
credit: HBO
There will be plenty of moments in the show when fans are reminded of the histories that have already been detailed in GoT.
This was made evident a few times in the first episode since the written histories in the initial show are going to come into play, no doubt, and we’ll get to see, in live-action, no less, how some of the legends came to be. Listening to those within this show speaking of already written histories is fun since it brings a sense of continuity that some might challenge at one point. If anyone thinks superfans won’t be pointing out inaccuracies or other issues, they haven’t been around pop culture long enough. But those who don’t sit around waiting to catch a mistake should hopefully enjoy the storytelling that’s already taken place and will continue as the show rolls on.
The first episode laid out a friendly welcome to the fans.
The fans were given a nice look at the Targaryens as they begin one of their biggest power struggles, and it’s fair to say that some fans are going to want more and more, but so far, it feels as though the groundwork has been laid for another great ride through Westeros. It will be interesting to see the Targaryens while they still hold power and are one of the most powerful families around.
Let the games begin.
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