HOUSE OF THE DRAGON - THE FIREY GOT PREQUEL WE DESERVED
After the final season of Game of Thrones disappointed fans worldwide who forgot or neglected the show entirely since the finale, except to criticize it, House of the Dragon had a big task on its hands. How could it invite people back into the world of Westeros? What stakes could there be? What story could they tell? Especially with so many to pick and choose from George RR Martin’s expansive, imaginative history in Westeros? Could they recapture any of that early GoT magic? Should they even attempt to do so, considering the sheer backlash the show received?! Greenlighting House of the Dragon was a bold, important, and careful decision on HBO’s part, especially considering the fact that it isn’t based on a novel but rather a creatively presented fictional textbook….. It was a risk….. but it was a risk that paid off in almost every single way imaginable.
House of the Dragon brought us back to Westeros seamlessly. It proved itself as a worthy example of a spinoff and a prequel - not a project that relied too much on its original source material nor its existing sister show. It stands on its own and welcomes both new and older fans with open arms. George RR Martin tells excellent, epic stories in the book the series is based on - Fire & Blood - and he does so creatively….. but it can’t help but seem a bit dry in comparison to the series. Granted, that’s almost how the book is supposed to be - it remains extremely engaging for a textbook sort of style - but playing around with the stories even more proved to be even more fun….. at least considering the showrunners’ and writers’ talents and careful choices.
Looking at the source material, which is the canon history of Westeros, the show gets to pick, choose, and even leave aspects up for interpretation and discussion - it all adds so much to the characters and the material rather than taking anything away. Instead of simply presenting one-dimensional historical figures or even tired character archetypes from both within Westeros and within fiction overall - everything from typical bloodthirsty, mad Targaryens to stereotypical second wives - the show and writers excelled in humanizing those characters and presenting them as well-rounded, complex people, adding layers upon layers to its main set of characters and to the overall discussion surrounding the show.
It is this immense and brilliant characterization that brought out so many fan ”allegiances” and passionate discussions of “Team Blacks” or “Team Greens” - fans are even more vocal than they were during the GoT days, and weirdly enough, all the online rants and fights are almost proof of the show’s genius and everything it got right in its execution. All of the characters in the show are messy and complex, whether you’re Team Greens, Team Blacks, an apologist, or a sympathizer - the show brought out so many ideologies and mindsets among fans and actively encouraged critical thinking. In an age where media literacy and mindless TV shows have become the norm, especially in the current post-COVID lull, it was an absolute treat and a reminder of the greatness of television and its power to bring people together, in love and hate. We either love watching the show and the characters we love and we love to watch the characters that frustrate us. At the end of the day, it’s fine to have a team and an allegiance, as most have “allied” with the characters that best reflect their values or perspectives….. but I think it’d be hard not to look at all of the main players as fully formed characters and understand where they all come from, which, again, is proof of the show’s brilliant writing. Anyone watching the show and only rooting for one side, without thinking of the other, simply isn’t enjoying the show as much as they could.
Excellent writing and navigating the challenge of “how to tell this story” was the main hurdle the show had to accomplish the goal of succeeding and surpassing the book….. and it did so superbly.
I’d even go as far as to say the show provides excellent and insightful depictions of womanhood through Rhaenyra and Alicent. So much of what the show depicts rings true today in our world - everything from pressure to get married, not feeling in control of your life, and the double standards between men and women in regard to reputations, to name a few.
I’m not saying it’s the best depiction of women in the fantasy genre, but it’s definitely something I didn’t expect at all from the show, especially considering the (endless) conversation we can have regarding gender roles and the depiction of women in GoT and George RR Martin’s books, and with House of the Dragon it felt incredibly honest, which was able to be achieved through its narrower focus - but I’ll get to that in a bit.
Perhaps the show’s only drawbacks were its time-jumps - not their presence, but moreso how they were conducted and the consequences of them. The time-jumps had to happen, as not many noteworthy or historical events occur in the time in between, but the show might have benefited further if they were more spread apart. If we had just received a little bit more context and time with characters during certain points in their lives - that we couldn’t get due to the time jumps - we’d love and relate to them even more. In other words, their characters would be even more fleshed out, developed, and complex, and we’d have even more to talk about. However, I’d hardly say it’s a damaging quality, especially considering the immense characterization that the show provides on its own, as I mentioned.
It’s already doing so much with so little from the original source material.
The same can be said for the performances that brought those characters to life. The effect and success of the show’s writing wouldn’t have been achieved without excellent acting to deliver it. Again, certain members of the cast - those that portrayed younger and older versions of our characters - mainly Milly Alcock, Emma Darcy, Emily Carey, Olivia Cooke, and the actors that played Rhaenyra and Alicent’s children, had to work extra hard and trust not only the material and themselves, but their fellow actors as well. Sure, the time jumps got in the way of us connecting at times, but it was only ever for a brief moment. The transition and character growth were as seamless as they could’ve been. Emma Darcy, Olivia Cooke, and Paddy Considine were the particular standouts of the series in my eyes. For those who kept up with me watching the show on my Instagram stories, you’ll know I was particularly frustrated with Viserys’ incompetence in the show…. But I still always wanted to watch him, and I loved seeing my own feelings towards Viserys develop as we saw more of his character, through the eyes and words of the showrunners. My initial frustration was in line with the book’s depiction of him, but by the end of the season, I saw him as a man who, though incompetent to rule, was so due to his immense love. It’s a heartbreaking but brilliant insight on the writer's’ part, with George RR Martin himself saying the show’s depiction of Viserys outshining his creation of the character.
And that’s the beauty of House of the Dragon.
GoT had a broad focus - with scenes and moments that even bored hardcore fans like myself - whereas we don’t really have that with House of the Dragon. Since House of the Dragon is mainly telling the story of one large family, the show is more focused in regards to its setting and story. They’re using up (almost) every minute of screen time, and our eyes are glued to our screens for the entire duration of the episodes - it’s without a doubt one of the factors that made the show land as well as it did, in addition to capturing the attention of new fans or fans who lost faith in the world of Westeros.
And, of course, the dragons. House of the Dragon is, and will be, a very dragon-heavy show, and the special effect work on the dragons could have been a determining, distracting factor, but the special effects work is better than ever, with the epic and beautiful visuals we expected and wanted out of the show.
A question that has been asked and will continue to be asked for years to come is: “Does it match up to Game of Thrones?”. I’d say yes and no. No, because on all accounts, the earlier seasons of GoT were truly some of the best television that we have ever gotten - it’s a fact that remains true no matter how the show ended. However, I’d also answer that question with a ‘yes’ because House of the Dragon is, without a doubt a show that proves its merit and standing as a GoT prequel.
Rating: 9/10
