House of the Dragon, episode one review: Game of Thrones prequel so good you’ll forget original’s awful finale

Game of Thrones fans can breathe a sigh of relief — the new spin-off, House of the Dragon is good. Very good.

In fact, it’s so good that it’s not a stretch to imagine the 10-part series, with a cast including Paddy Considine, Matt Smith, Olivia Cooke and Australia’s Milly Alcock in a pivotal role, will become every bit as successful as its predecessor.

Based on Fire & Blood, the 2018 spin-off novel by author George R.R. Martin, House of the Dragon is set some 200 years before the events that unfold in Game of Thrones, the blockbuster fantasy series based on Martin’s work which ran for eight seasons and 73 episodes between 2011 and 2019 and earned a record-breaking 59 Emmy awards.

However while it cemented itself as a genre-redefining cultural phenomenon and one of the most fiercely beloved shows in television history, its final season was roundly panned by both critics and fans.

But thanks to some superb performances, impressive production values — including a fleet of CGI dragons — and a plot that feels familiar yet compelling, House of the Dragon looks to be well on the way to righting the wrongs of those woeful later GOT episodes.

It concerns itself with House Targaryen - aka the ancestors of Daenerys (played by Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harington), two of the key protagonists in the original series.

Long before they were all but wiped out in the era of GOT, this seemingly invincible family reigned over the Seven Kingdoms thanks largely to their mastery over dragons, which in the world of GOT is akin to holding the nuclear codes.

But this stability can’t last (we all know where this sorry mess ends up), and this is where we pick up.

In the opening moments of HOTD we learn that King Jaehaerys Targaryen, who has presided over 60 years of relative peace and prosperity, is looking to appoint an heir following the deaths of both of his children. We’re not giving anything away here – all this happens in the opening moments of episode one, which then proceeds to gather pace at breakneck speed.

The two main contenders to succeed him are Rhaenys (Eve Best), the daughter of his oldest son, and her younger cousin Viserys (Paddy Considine). The latter ends up being successful even though, as is pointed out frequently during episode one, Rhaenys has a stronger claim to the Iron Throne.

But Rhaenys is a woman, and that just won’t do, so it’s her younger male relative who wins out, relegating “The Queen Who Never Was” to bit-part player — for the time being, at least.

Flash forward some 14 years and tensions are still simmering away, with Viserys’ rule clearly straining under political infighting and skullduggery that as fans are all too aware, will eventually see this once all-powerful dynasty crumble from the inside.

Over 10 episodes the various players jostle to take control of the throne should their ruler meet an untimely end (which, let’s face it, is highly likely; this is Westeros, after all).

But alongside the usual courtly jostling there’s a bigger story at play, and HOTD is also concerned with themes of patriarchy and the way misogynistic decision-making can have devastating effects on both the women these decisions are aimed at and society as a whole.

The two central figures are Viserys’ brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (The Crown and Doctor Who star Matt Smith) and Viserys’ daughter Princess Rhaenyra — Alcock plays her in early episodes, with Emma D’Arcy taking on the role as she grows up.

Both these characters — plus Rhaenys, who’s still there in the background, clearly miffed at the cards she was dealt - play central roles in the power grab that’s set to play out this season – and yes, it’s shaping up to be both bloody and bawdy.

Where GOT was beloved for its richly complex line-up of characters sprawled across the lands of Westeros, HOTD puts a laser-focus on one house at the peak of its powers, with only infighting to bring about its undoing.

But that doesn’t mean the story is any less compelling. This is, after all, the Targaryens, the most powerful family in the history of the realm, and the showrunners Miguel Sapochnik - known for directing some of GOT’s most memorable episodes including Hardhome and The Battle of the Bastards - and Ryan J Condal, with input from Martin himself, have peppered the story with plenty of Targaryen mythology.

They’ve also assembled a brilliant ensemble cast. Smith is equal parts charming and chilling as the volatile Daemon, while Sydney-born Alcock (perhaps best known in Australia for her role opposite Tim Minchin in the 2019 series Upright) is at once sweet and vulnerable yet icily fierce as the young princess Rhaenyra.

The other stars are of course, of the winged variety. The sight of a dragon cruising over King’s Landing and Rhanaerys uttering the immortal High Valyrian instruction ‘dracarys’ to her dragon Syrax towards the end of episode one, hark back to some of GOT’s most memorable moments and will no doubt give fans chills. So too will the appearance of the various Baratheon lads and Stark lords, whose descendants we’re all too familiar with.

And while there’s been much talk about whether HOTD would repeat its predecessor’s penchant for gruesome violence and graphic sex, so far the two are most definitely cut from the same cloth. Smith recently publicly criticised the number of sex scenes his character has. And in one sequence featuring the Daemon-led King’s Guard rampaging through the city, one character unfortunately has his penis lopped off — need we say more?

It all adds up to a series that is sure to keep fans and newcomers to the franchise entertained.

And did we mention there are dragons?

RATING: 4/5 stars.

How to watch House of the Dragon

Australian viewers can watch episode one direct from the US on Monday, August 22, at 9am Perth time on Foxtel’s Fox Showcase channel or on Foxtel’s streaming platform, Binge.