The first episode of House of the Dragon, titled “The Heirs of the Dragon,” aired on August 21, 2022, on HBO and HBO Max, raising the viewership bar for Series Premiere. The episode drew nearly 10 million views across both platforms overnight, making it HBO’s most prominent series opener. When writing this review, the viewership numbers for the premiere have since climbed to 20 million after four days of playback in the U.S. across linear, on-demand, and HBO platforms. HBO executives recently announced the renewal of House of the Dragon for a second season after airing just one episode.
“We are beyond proud of what the entire ‘House of the Dragon’ team has accomplished with season one,” said Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming. “Our phenomenal cast and crew undertook a massive challenge and exceeded all expectations, delivering a show that has already established itself as must-see-TV. A huge thank you to George, Ryan, and Miguel for leading us on this journey. We couldn’t be more excited to continue bringing to life the epic saga of House Targaryen with season two.”
Would you say these numbers were predictable? I would hazard the affirmative for two simple reasons: the original show laid a solid foundation, and as a lover of Westeros, I simply couldn’t wait for someone to review the first episode for me. I wanted to experience it for myself. Having been away from Westeros for nearly three and a half years – I wanted back in. The longing was overwhelming.
I watched the episode, and I’m here to take stock of what I saw and dish out my theories. What did you see? You ask – well, it was every bit what I expected; a cinematographic marvel that is so far true to the source material. The showrunners did not waste time on this one. The episode opens with Rhaenyra’s prologue with hints of the Dragonstone Soundtrack from the original series playing in the background. The prologue takes us through the succession decision of the Great Council of 101 AC that chose Rhaenyra’s father, Viserys I, over Princess Rhaenys as heir to the Old King Jaehaerys I. The Old King’s House failed due to a series of tragedies that had claimed his sons, leaving his succession in doubt. The prologue ends with these ominous words that, in my opinion, foreshadow the entire plot:
“Jaehaerys called the Great Council to prevent a war being fought over his succession, for he knew the cold truth. The only thing that could tear down the House of the Dragon was itself”
The timeline is 172 years before the death of the mad King Aerys and the birth of his daughter Daenerys Stormborn. Viserys I has been reigning over the Seven Kingdoms for Nine years.
Then comes the shot I have been waiting for – to see King’s Landing again in its glory. Rhaenyra is on the back of her dragon Syrax flying over King’s Landing with hints of the Winds of Winter Soundtrack from the original series playing in the background. The wait was worthwhile. The visual effects are much better and what makes it perfect is the parallel drawn between Rhaenyra and Daenerys. It is incredible how a simple score is used to draw parallels between two characters that existed in different timelines. That is the genius of Ramin Djawadi.
The Characters
We are introduced to Young Princess Rhaenyra, played by Milly Alcock, and she is as lovely as she is free-spirited. Her father, Viserys, is every bit a reincarnation of the book version – a good man and benevolent king who I found to be pliable to some extent. I know it’s too early to make judgment calls, but the king oozes Ned Stark vibes – he’s too honorable to play the game. I can’t help but recall the scene where he confronted his brother for styling his dead son, “The Heir for a Day.” According to Ser Otto, Daemon had raised a toast to that moniker. The throne room is the stage for this confrontation, harsh words are traded, and Daemon tells the king to his face that he is weak. Besides banishing Daemon to Runestone, the king does nothing else, and I don’t begrudge him for that. The blood of the dragon runs thick – the King loves his brother.
Young Alicent Hightower is a rule follower; her father, Otto, cuts the image of a stoic and scheming man who is somewhat a perfect mix of Little Finger and the Spider. Otto is a meme factory, oozing intellect in every sentence. Speaking about Deamon; he delivered, in my view, words that will be quoted by many in the foreseeable future:
“The gods are yet to make a man that lacks patience for absolute power.”
Lord Corlys, on the other hand, seems to have a cool head on his shoulders. He has the focus required of any small council member. In the first meeting of the small council, he is concerned, and with good reason, about the Triarchy, which is an alliance of the Free Cities of Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh. Corlys is wary of the leader of this Triarchy, a man called Craghas Drahar, known as the Crabfeeder. Source material lovers will know who the Crabfeeder is and the role that he will play in the series. I feel that the Crabfeeder is a seed sown in this episode by the showrunners that will surely sprout in the coming episodes.
The other small council members are Lord Lyman Beesbury, Lord Lyonel Strong, Grand Maester Mellos, and prince Daemon Targaryen, who we meet in dramatic fashion sitting on the Iron throne. He is every bit the Rogue Prince depicted in the books, made of light and darkness in equal parts. The showrunners have also adopted the Prince of the City trope. How gruesome was it to see Daemon and his gold cloaks rid the city of its criminal elements? He made them what they are and wielded them as the tip of his jousting stick.
We have picked up from where we left off.
Great dialogue, scheming, political intrigues, nudity, and gruesome scenes are the fodder that ardent fans of Game of Thrones feed on. The first episode of House of the Dragon does not disappoint in those aspects. If it is blood you seek, you will find plenty of it, especially in the tourney scenes, which I must admit I loved. The tourney choreography was top-notch and realistic, and the visual effects were fantastic – reminiscent of The Last Duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris as depicted in Ridley Scott’s 2021 historical action drama film. Talking of gruesomeness, the tourney scenes were cut concurrently with Queen Aemma’s birthing scene, which quickly escalated to a crude C-section that culminated in her death and that of Viserys’ male heir. The birthing scene was challenging to watch, but in my view, it was necessary. It paved the way for some of the most emotional scenes yet – the cremation ceremony from Rhaenyra’s perspective. Emotions brewed in her – she mourned her mother and brother while sympathizing with Viserys at the same time. At that moment, she wondered whether her father had found happiness in the brief period that her brother was alive. I watched her struggle to command Syrax to light up the pyre.
Nudity and sex scenes were served to those who enjoy voyeurism. If you are looking for quips and witty conversations, you will find plenty – Ser Otto and Prince Daemon have a sparring session the first time we see them on screen together. I couldn’t help but smell bad blood between them; a perfect segway for the next fodder.
I saw what Ser Otto did, driving a wedge between the King and his brother Daemon. His scheming is next level, Otto is playing chess, and he knows how to manipulate the King. He brought the news of Daemon toasting the King’s dead son in the street of silk, styling him “The Heir for a Day.” He aimed to remove Daemon from the Small Council and, with one stroke, influenced the King to name a new heir in place of Daemon.
I’m itching to talk about this. Am I the only one who thought Otto sought to advance his position by sending his daughter Lady Alicent to the King’s chambers to comfort him after the death of his wife and son?; urging her to wear one of her mother’s dresses! And what does comfort mean in this context? I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Talking of chess moves and sparring sessions, I must admit that Daemon has grown on me. He could have chosen any opponent at the tourney before tilting, but he went straight for Ser Gwayne Hightower, Otto’s son, just to mess with the Hand of the King. After unhorsing him, he asked for Lady Alicent’s favor toying with Ser Otto even further. In my opinion, Ser Otto and Prince Daemon will provide the sauce for the intrigues that we won’t help but feed on.
Theories and Speculation
Put on your tin foil hat; I’m about to dish out crazy theories. Ser Otto is a younger son of House Hightower, meaning he is not the head of his House. He has nothing to inherit. His brother Lord Hobert Hightower is the Beacon of the South, Defender of the Citadel, Voice of Oldtown, and head of House Hightower. Having said all that, I feel Otto is motivated to advance his station by all means. This motivation, in my opinion, justifies his act of sending his daughter to comfort the King.
Also, I admit, this is wild speculation – Otto may have something to do with the King’s wound not healing. Otherwise, why tell Grand Maester Mellos not to say anything about it? Mellos appears to be firmly in his control; after all, Maesters trained at the Citadel in Oldtown, a region in Westeros under the purview of House Hightower. I hazard to say the throne may be laced with a derivative of the “long farewell.” The Martells are not at court, which leaves Grand Maester Mellos as the only other poison expert in the King’s proximity.
The wound that is not healing could also result from genetic mutation caused by Targaryen inbreeding. King Viserys’ parents were Prince Baelon and his sister Princess Alyssa. Baelon and Alyssa were the Old King’s children. I came up with these theories just to say this; the King will not have a long life like his Grandfather. I will not be surprised if he dies in the first half of the first season.
At the tail end of the episode, when King Viserys is breaking the news to Rhaenyra that she is to be his named heir, he tells her about the secret that has been the burden of every King since Aegon, the conqueror. This scene is as powerful as it is heavy with the main easter egg of the episode. Viserys was holding the catspaw dagger while passing on the secret to his daughter. The very weapon that Arya used to kill the Night King. We learn that Aegon was not motivated by ambition only in his conquest but by a dream. A dragon dream, to be precise. Just as Daenys foresaw the doom of Valyria, Aegon foresaw the end of the world of men – beginning with a terrible winter gusting out of the distance north. He saw absolute darkness riding on those winds, and whatever dwelt within would destroy the world of men. According to Aegon, this great winter would come, and when it comes, it must find the Seven Kingdoms united under a strong Targaryen King or Queen. Aegon called that dream A Song of Ice and Fire.
Aegon’s dream has long been a fan theory that the first episode of House of the Dragon confirmed to be true. It may have been what Aegon told King Torrhen Stark in their parlay, causing him to bend the knee and lay his crown at his feet. I wonder why Aegon called his dream A song of Ice and Fire. I would hazard to say, on that day, Torrhen and Aegon formed a pact to share the secret with the heirs of their Houses so that they would stand together when the time came. Ice represents the Starks of the North, and Fire represents the Targaryens and their Dragons.
The weight of Aegon’s dream may have driven Aerys to madness. I’m also strongly convinced that Rhaegar Targaryen must have been aware of this prophesy since he was the Mad King’s heir. This knowledge may have been his motivation in his pursuit of Lyanna Stark. However, we are told in the original series that they fell in love and got married in secret. I believe that Rhaegar shared the secret with Lyanna, and they acted out of duty, justifying why Rhaegar set aside his lawful wife.
Rating
The first episode of House of the Dragon has received rave reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 85% and IMDB at 8.9/10. If you ask me my rating for the episode, I will give it a strong 9. The pacing was excellent, the screenwriting was on point, and don’t get me started on visual effects.
To conclude, the showrunners have been faithful to their word. The Dragons not only look amazing, but they also have different personalities and distinctive looks. Caraxes is Daemon’s avatar – he looks moody and cantankerous, just like the Rogue Prince.
For more content on House of the Dragon, head to our in-depth article on Everything You Need to Know Before Watching House of the Dragon.
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