House of the Dragon’s first episode begins with a heavy dose of exposition, delivered via solemn, British-accented voiceover. To that end, we'll be recapping the series, not only to make sense of the overwhelming Westerosian world, but also to glean if HotD truly has the gumption to make lightning strike twice.Īnd so we begin.
Initial critical responses are mostly positive, though mixed, but it’s fair to argue that the prequel’s full impact won’t be felt until its full first season unfolds. House of the Dragon is the network’s long-awaited shot at retaining not only relevancy, but adoration. HBO knows this better than anyone: Another blow would be tantamount to blasphemy, smothering what remains of the legendary in the Game of Thrones Cinematic Universe. But there is the equal likelihood House of the Dragon, HBO’s new Game of Thrones prequel series, will wither in the shadow of its predecessor, further stratifying the many fans its flagship series lost in its disastrous final seasons. There is a chance, however slim, that this story will re-capture the power felt, on a borderline religious level, by millions of fans from 2011 to 2019 (and much longer, through George R.
To hear even snippets of Game of Thrones’ beloved theme played once again is an event both stirring and terrifying.