Viserys believes a Targaryen must be on the throne to unite the realm against the undead hoard, but we already know how that turned out. In one strangely meta scene, Viserys tells Rhaenyra of a prophecy, literally titled “A Song of Ice and Fire,” telling of the rise of the White Walkers we saw in Thrones. Technically, Daemon is no longer the heir, but the institutions of violence will absolutely be on his side - the promise of a ruling queen is a genuine threat to their tyrannical order. The premiere ends with the heads of the most powerful Houses pledging a grudging allegiance to Princess Rhaenyra, as Prince Daemon flies away from King’s Landing in fury, having been denied his claim to the throne. But we all know what we signed up for - we’re watching the ugliest problems of our time playing out against a fantasy backdrop, with the hope that this time, the showrunners know what they’re doing. It’s a uncomfortably visceral scene, all thudding metal and torn flesh, intersecting with the dying queen’s screams, as her son is torn from her womb, only to die a few hours later.

The senseless violence of the patriarchy manifests in a brutal joust, in which the sons of the wealthy play-fight to the death. The premiere promises to explore the patriarchy intertwined within Westeros, with a politically timely plot twist featuring a forced birth, in which the queen’s life is sacrificed for the sake of her son. It’s a tough act to follow - every single one of the Lannisters was perfectly cast.īut the Targaryens are like the Lannisters on steroids - they’re crazier, blonder, more incestuous, and with their dragons, have the power to enact more violence and destruction. The kind-hearted king destined for a short life is Viserys (Paddy Considine), a people-pleaser who makes the fateful decision to appoint Rhaenyra as his heir, sparking the wraith of Daemon, and every other misogynist in the realm.Īll the pieces are set up for an interesting power clash the Targaryens are set to mimic the poisonous dynamic of the Lannisters, the deeply repugnant (yet incredibly compelling) ruling family of Thrones. Our new fiery dragon queen is Princess Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), bearing a striking resemblance to Daenerys Targaryen, in appearance and disposition.ĭaemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) is our resident royal sociopath, a Blue Lives Matter thug wrapped in ornate armor, hungry for power and prostitutes. It’s the same setting, sure, but tweaked slightly, new faces, familiar archetypes.

This is set almost two centuries before Games of Thrones, but the realm is facing the same problem - whose inbred bottom gets to sit on that metal chair? There are grand dragon statues, a sea of silvery wigs (some more convincing than others), and an edgier Iron Throne, spiky enough to be a health hazard. King’s Landing is now inhabited with swooping dragons, the strength of the ruling Targaryen dynasty.

House of the Dragon needs to bring back everything viewers liked about its predecessor, while making its own distinctive mark. Viewership has become increasingly fragmented - the only show that truly united audiences since the Thrones reign was Squid Game, and that’s already being squeezed out into spin-offs and sequels. But things have changed - the streaming wars have become as ruthless and bloody as a battle for the Iron Throne.

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