House of the Dragon

Dragons, fire, family dramas, power struggles - 'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon' ticks all the anticipated boxes.

[Colony](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/arts-entertainment/film/what-to-stream-with-your-mates-this-winter-when-you-feel-like-youve-watched-everything)). If House of the Dragon's key pair had written both GoT's and [ Succession](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/arts-entertainment/film-tv/succession-renewed-season-four)'s main characters and narrative beats on post-its, stuck them on a wall, then rearranged the lot to create a slightly different story, this would easily be the end result. [green-lighting a different prequel](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/arts-entertainment/film/like-winter-a-game-of-thrones-prequel-series-is-coming) to pilot stage, scrapping it, then [picking this one to run with](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/arts-entertainment/film-tv/hbo-house-targaryen) instead — and also making plans to bring novella series [Tales of Dunk and Egg](https://concreteplayground.com/adelaide/arts-entertainment/film-tv/it-looks-like-another-game-of-thrones-prequel-series-could-be-coming-to-hbo) to TV, working on [an animated GoT show](https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/game-of-thrones-animated-series-hbo-max-1234894042/), exploring [other potential prequels](https://concreteplayground.com/adelaide/arts-entertainment/three-more-game-of-thrones-spinoffs-could-be-coming-if-youre-missing-the-shows-fantasy-world) and forging ahead [a Jon Snow-focused sequel series](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/arts-entertainment/film-tv/hbo-jon-snow-game-of-thrones-sequel-series) — House of the Dragon is the first Game of Thrones successor to arrive in streaming queues. From the first six episodes in its ten-chapter debut season, House of the Dragon is content with the initial part of that equation, flapping the same wings and getting the same reaction as GoT — doing what HBO knows will work, and endeavouring to put Game of Thrones' lacklustre ending in its slipstream. [Upright](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/movie/upright)'s Milly Alcock, then [Mothering Sunday](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/event/mothering-sunday-3)'s Emma D'Arcy) becomes his heir, or the future son he's desperate to have, or his headstrong younger brother Prince Daemon (Matt Smith, [Morbius](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/event/morbius-3)). It isn't out of kindness that Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans, [The King's Man](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/event/the-kings-man-3)) tells his own daughter Alicent (The Lost Girls' Emily Carey, then [Slow Horses](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/arts-entertainment/film-tv/films-tv-shows-stream-this-month)' Olivia Cooke) to cosy up to their ruler at his loneliest. Here be dragons, and here be the women forced to deal with more and worse, including their own complicated relationship. [it wrapped up its eighth and final season](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/arts-entertainment/film-tv/nearly-one-million-unhappy-game-of-thrones-fans-want-the-shows-eighth-season-to-be-remade) three years back. House of the Dragon happily sticks to the saga's basics, so much so that everything you think will happen does — and making [a drinking game](https://concreteplayground.com/sydney/arts-entertainment/film-tv/house-of-the-dragon-drinking-game) around it is as easy as spotting feuds, orgies, incest, gore and fraying bonds of blood in the Seven Kingdoms. And, before the debut instalment of this [Game of Thrones](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/movie/game-of-thrones) prequel about House Targaryen's history even hits its halfway mark, a brothel scene with nudity and sex is sighted, too. [Iron Throne](https://concreteplayground.com/brisbane/arts-entertainment/film-tv/iron-throne-touring-australia-game-of-thrones-house-of-the-dragon), that sprawling metal seat that all of Westeros loves fighting about, also makes its initial appearance. Cue silky silver locks aplenty, of course, including cascading from King Viserys I's (Paddy Considine, [The Third Day](https://concreteplayground.com/sydney/arts-entertainment/film-tv/must-binge-hbo-miniseries-the-third-day-dives-into-a-creepy-islands-unsettling-secrets)) head as he takes to the Iron Throne over his cousin Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best, Nurse Jackie).

We recap the debut episode of the Game of Thrones prequel, in which tragedy strikes the Seven Kingdoms, and a new heir is named for the Iron Throne ... for ...

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George R.R. Martin and Ryan J. Condal know it's horrific and disturbing. Here's why they say it was necessary.

It’s kicked off by him believing that he’s going to have a new male son after trying for years and years, and stillbirths and miscarriages, and all the hell that [his wife Queen Aemma] has been through as a mother. “A lot of people had things to say about the birth of Baelon, Prince Baelon,” Those two sentence have been expanded into a forced C-section, with Aemma screaming in anguish as she is held down and cut open by doctors and midwives who hope to save the breech baby even at the expense of her life. The death of the baby, and of the king's wife, Queen Aemma (Sian Brooke), during the botched birth, creates a void that other family members rush to fill, brandishing swords and fire-breathing monsters to gain the upper hand. [Fire & Blood](https://georgerrmartin.com/grrm_book/fire-and-blood/), which inspired the Game of Thrones prequel. The House of the Dragon pilot’s graphic birth scene caused a visceral response even at the show's gala premiere.

Game of Thrones kept viewers on the edge of their seats for eight years with its signature blend of political manoeuvring, mind games, action, and some of the ...

One hint is seen in the Targaryen banner seen everywhere in House of the Dragon. House of the Dragon is an adaptation of novel Fire and Blood, which is a prehistory of the Targaryen reign, documenting the rise and fall of Westeros’ most famous and feared dynasty. In many ways, House of the Dragon is a more faithful fantasy adaptation than its television predecessor. The politics at court are instantly recognisable to anyone with a passing interest in the activities of premiers or British political satire. It’s a question that looms large over the events of this prequel. The biggest, of course, is Matt Smith, best known for his performances in the Far from a spin-off, House of the Dragon is canon to the world George R. Condal worked for over 12 months in pre-production perfecting not only the realism, but the characters of the 17 dragons we will meet in Season One. Tolerated by his older brother King Viserys I, his ascension to the throne is viewed with consternation by the King’s Small Council. With plenty of buzz around the series, Matt Smith — the show’s reluctant lothario — inadvertently promised just as much sex and scandal earlier this month, and Game of Thrones author George R. Game of Thrones kept viewers on the edge of their seats for eight years with its signature blend of political manoeuvring, mind games, action, and some of the hottest, and most disturbing sex scenes we’ve seen on the small screen. Smith plays Daemon Targaryen, the reckless younger brother to the king and heir apparent to the Iron Throne.

A Targaryen-centric prequel begins in typical Game of Thrones fashion: well-acted, violent, revolting, CGI'd to the max, and more than a little horny.

(And what did Otto write in the letter that he sent to Oldtown?) When he came to Westeros, Aegon had a dream: He foresaw the end of the world of men. But that doesn’t mean that their female characters will escape the fates of so many women of earlier ages (and let’s be honest, so many women of our own age). Rhaenyra and Daemon’s moments together are some of the most charged and exciting — their conversations in Valyrian edge them closer to dragon than human, and that little trill of desire when Daemon clasps a necklace around Rhaenyra’s throat has some big incest energy. The intertwining sequence of the tourney and Aemma’s brutal childbirth is this episode at its most vicious and its best. That is, we expect, one of the major questions House of the Dragon will explore. Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint, with just the right amount of swagger) is Master of Ships, a fitting role for a man known as the Sea Snake. Nine years into Viserys’s reign, and 172 years before the birth of Daenerys (a fact that the showrunners proclaim in big bold letters), another silver-haired dragon-rider swoops into frame. To his right stands his grandson Viserys (eldest son of his second son) and pregnant Aemma. So far the series feels expansive enough not to get bogged down in a Succession-like teeter-totter, where the balance of power swings back and forth to the point of nausea. [House of the Dragon](https://www.vulture.com/article/house-of-the-dragon-game-of-thrones-prequel-review.html) has no such protections in place. [told the New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html) that his ending for books six and seven — The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring, respectively — will substantially differ from Dave Benioff and D.B.

In the lavish Game of Thrones prequel, no one is immune to the toxic dynamics of the Targaryen family.

The dynamic between the adult Daemon and the 15-year-old Rhaenyra is immediately, grotesquely charged; they converse, intimately, in High Valyrian, and he looks at her with the loaded interest of a cat eyeing a bird. That seems to mean that, at least in the first six episodes made available to critics, virtually every plotline and motivation feels the same, and there may be no heroes, ultimately, to root for. By the end of the first episode, the grieving Viserys is also being comforted by Rhaenyra’s best friend, the teenaged Lady Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey), who has been compelled by her morose father (Rhys Ifans) to attend to the monarch despite her obvious reservations. On House of the Dragon, no primary relationship seems to be truly insulated from erotic desire, which is itself inextricable from the quest for power. An acknowledgment of the physically brutal and life-threatening reality of bearing children!) The show, based on a prequel history of the Targaryen family (which George R. It was present—most centrally in the sexual relationship between Jaime and Cersei Lannister, which Cersei justified by invoking the Targaryen tradition of marrying brothers and sisters—but not predominant until the final season, when Jon Snow and his aunt Daenerys made unfortunately literal the union of ice and fire. Or I will be”), and issue savage clapbacks (“And how have you served the realm, Lady Redwyne? Female characters school one another on patriarchal constraints (“Men would sooner put the realm to the torch than see a woman ascend to the Iron Throne”), affirm their authority (“I am the crown, Ser Criston. What was striking was the bifurcated way the person described the show’s framing for a post-#MeToo moment: conceding that there was “way less sex” in House of the Dragon than there could be in the good old tits-and-trebuchets days of yore, but also boasting that producers had cleverly adapted to the times by replacing sexual violence with barbaric renderings of childbirth. Martin published as Fire & Blood in 2018), begins 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Stormborn, the platinum-haired dragon queen in Thrones, and is in large part about the obstacles that stand in the way of women achieving and exerting power. But it also seems to strain at times with the possibly cynical effort of countering Game of Thrones’s Such “discomfort,” she explains, “is how [women] serve the realm.”) Think about this statement for a moment—that sexual violence is so fundamental to a franchise’s ethos that it has to be replaced with some other portrayal of primal female pain and suffering lest viewers lose interest—and your head might spin.

The first episode of the Game of Thrones prequel has dropped with arguably one of the most graphic scenes in history. WARNING: Spoilers. Lexie Cartwright.

Great start to the season. The acting, writing, and cinematography were fantastic. After the premiere, I'm pleased to say— Eisen (@EisenGresh) [#HouseoftheDragon] [pic.twitter.com/hATPaqT41O] [August 22, 2022] [#HouseoftheDragon] [pic.twitter.com/gJIM5CCDxs] [August 22, 2022] [#HouseoftheDragon] [August 22, 2022] [#HouseoftheDragon] [pic.twitter.com/VAuifyIgxU] [August 22, 2022] Might be the most gruesome scene I’ve watched— Em🔆 (@ejemell) [#hotd] [#HouseoftheDragon] [August 22, 2022] [#HouseoftheDragon] [pic.twitter.com/Nf1iQHIgo3] [August 22, 2022] He reluctantly chooses the latter given his deep desire to have a male heir. [August 22, 2022]

Tonight marks the launch of House of the Dragon, the first of a number of upcoming Game of Thrones spin-offs. It's a prequel, set long before the original, ...

No one, even Martin, know what other series are actually going to make it to air, but knowing HBO, probably at least a handful, as they want to recapture the lightning in a bottle that was the original Thrones. Everything else is spanning the course of history, probably even more spread out from the movie/show timelines of Star Wars, but certainly more similar to that model. The MCU and Star Wars are two of the most successful, popular IPs in the world. Now, House of the Dragon and a long list of other potential spin-offs in the works are attempting to change that. It was also sheparded directly by author George RR Martin, unlike the final seasons of Game of Thrones, giving some fans hope it could recapture some of that old magic again. It’s a prequel, set long before the original, focused on the Targaryen house.

The Australian actress Milly Alcock plays a young Princess Rhaenyra in the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon. Here, everything you need to know ...

Her bio reads, "Extremely underwhelming in real life 🙇🏼♀️" and she writes her name is "Mils," a nickname for Milly. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at [Hey Alma](https://www.heyalma.com/), a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/emburack)and "It was a big change but I just told myself, 'Okay for whatever reason they believe in me, so I have to believe in myself,'" she told Wonderland. [the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon](https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a39612186/house-of-the-dragon-game-of-thrones-prequel/), which will tell the story of the Targaryen civil war, and is based on [George R.R. (No word on what restaurant she was working in.) So every time I go in for an audition, I think 'I either get this and things will change or I don’t and things stay the same. I was like: ‘No, this is what I’ve been working towards and I’ve been given this amazing opportunity with this amazing cast, with this beautiful script.’ I couldn’t say no and I couldn’t let the fear and anxiety of not finishing school haunt me, because that would have defeated the whole purpose of leaving." "I never doubted it for a second," she said of leaving Newton High School. Her first role was "Teen Girl 1" in Wonderland, an Australian romcom TV show. However, her breakout role was in Upright as Meg, a runaway teenager. Alcock and Carey are sure to be two of the breakout stars of House of the Dragon.

She might not be a Targaryen, but there's fire in her veins! **WARNING: May contain spoilers for House of the Dragon**. Olivia Cooke as Alicent Hightower in ...

[subscribe now](http://radiotimes.com/magazine-subscription?utm_term=evergreen-article) and get the next 12 issues for only £1. [NOW](https://www.nowtv.com/) on Monday 22nd August 2022. Though Rhaenyra was still the named heir, Alicent (and her father Otto) believed her sons should take the Iron Throne. She realises that she has power and she has influence – so what does she actually want deep down in her core? For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the [Radio Times podcast](https://www.radiotimes.com/podcasts/) with Jane Garvey. "Partway through the show, she truly begins to understand her role within her father’s life and how it hasn’t been the most loving or healthy father-daughter relationship. Check out more of our [Fantasy](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/) coverage or visit our [TV Guide](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings/) to see what's on tonight. [House of the Dragon](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/house-of-the-dragon-thrones-release-date/) is Alicent Hightower, played by Olivia Cooke and Emily Carey (young). Emily Carey plays a young Alicent Hightower in the opening of House of the Dragon. [terms and conditions](https://www.immediate.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/) and [privacy policy](https://policies.immediate.co.uk/privacy/). [Subscribe to Radio Times magazine and get 12 issues for £1](https://www.buysubscriptions.com/print/radio-times-magazine-subscription?promo=RTBPL22&utm_medium=brandsite&utm_source=radiotimes.com&utm_campaign=fixed-article_rtbpl22&utm_content=promotional-link&style=brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">) [learn more](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/commercial-links-on-radiotimes-com/))

In the original book, actor Steve Toussaint's character Corlys Velaryon is white, but the executive producers wanted this cast to represent the world people ...

The 10-part Game of Thrones prequel takes us back 172 years to tell the story of Daenerys Targaryen's ancestors. Plus, Disability & Abortion.

Zuu is at his best here, opening his foodie world to Big Narstie – who has a new restaurant in Tenerife, so spicy, wrinkled potatoes are the dish of the day. And how do governing bodies tackle the matter in a meaningful way? In this complex documentary, actors Ruth Madeley and Ruben Reuter – who both live with a disability – listen to a range of perspectives.

Planning a viewing party for the first episode of the Game of Thrones prequel tonight? Here's a guide to what you can expect and who all these intense ...

But, a note to the squeamish: Sapochnik has promised [a scene in which children “beat each other senseless”](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a40926615/house-of-the-dragon-scene-children-miguel-sapochnik/). in the later seasons of Game of Thrones”. Firstly, the series is adapted from the Game of Thrones creator’s 2018 book Fire & Blood (which is written as a historical text on the Targaryens, rather than a conventional narrative). (If that feels like a spoiler, blame Shireen Baratheon who [laid it all out in a Game of Thrones episode of the same name in 2015](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY_GyBuuf_c)). [(who many fans blame for the show’s rushed ending)](https://www.theringer.com/game-of-thrones/2019/5/9/18537794/game-of-thrones-ending-too-quickly-pacing) are not involved with this new show at all, and it will instead be helmed by Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik. designed to reward diehard fantasy fans in full measure without alienating the masses”. And, importantly, will it be good enough to make people forget about [how bad the ending of Game of Thrones was](https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/game-of-thrones-final-season-is-breaking-tv-records-but-dividing-fans-20190515-p51nhu.html)? This bloody history explains why she and her brother (also named Viserys Targaryen) were so alone at the start of the series – and felt so entitled to the Iron Throne too. But Martin is also a co-creator and executive producer on the series. But if you’re watching alongside any Game of Thrones fans, be prepared for plenty of groans of recognition and long explanations of things you likely don’t need to know. As the show is a prequel, there won’t be any overlap or required knowledge from the other series. Or should it go to her uncle, Prince Daemon (Matt Smith)?

The long-awaited Game of Thrones prequel series is finally upon us -- -- here's a breakdown of how to watch House of the Dragon in Australia.

If nothing outlined in this review has convinced you it’s worth revisiting Westeros, perhaps the fact House of the Dragon is a prequel will. The nature of a prequel limits outrageous deviations from the good old days. the man knocks it out of the fucking park. It’s also something that’s well understood by Condal and Sapochnik; deftly navigated via the onscreen performances and writing featured in House of the Dragon. In fact, those of you particularly keen on the latter will be relieved to hear there aren’t any egregious departures from the source material (or lack thereof, in the case of the rudderless season 6). Set 300 years before the events we binged/re-binged, dissected, and debated ad nauseam, House of the Dragon depicts foreign conquerors turned virtually unchallengeable dynasty – House Targaryen – at the height of their glory. At the exact same time as the Foxtel premiere, House of the Dragon will be available to stream via the cable television company’s domestic answer to HBO Max in Binge. Setting aside the luxury of an exorbitant budget to deliver ( Think about everything you loved about Game of Thrones when it originally aired back in the 2010s. On August 22nd at 11 AM [AEST], House of the Dragon will debut on Foxtel. While House of the Dragon premieres simultaneously via HBO and HBO Max over in the US, here in Australia, Game of Thrones fans have two slightly different options to catch the prequel series created by Ryan J. Here at BH, we’re doing the purveyors of premium content a favour by not only reminding you it premieres today (August 22nd at 11 AM [AEST]) completely free of charge — but also telling all the punters out there how to watch House of the Dragon in Australia.

The events of the first episode grabbed us hook, line and sinker, and we've never wanted to know who will win the Targaryen civil war and claim the Iron Throne ...

We also saw her friendship with Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) begin to bloom. This is your chance to turn out if you don't want the ending spoiled for you. Ok, now is everyone ready? Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… Given that the Targaryen civil war features a plethora of players (many of them who share the same name) and spans several decades, we have every reason to believe that the showrunners won't be planning on wrapping the story up in a bow by the end of season one. In the first episode of House Of The Dragon, we saw Viserys try (and fatefully fail) at securing a male heir to his line. As per the show's official character description, Rhaenyra is "of pure Valyrian blood, and a dragonrider. [House Of Dragon's](https://www.elle.com.au/culture/house-of-the-dragon-where-to-watch-australia-27385)release (and to test this theory for ourselves), we're rounding up everything we can expect to see in the show based on what happens in the book, including who defeated who in the epic 'Dance Of The Dragons' that the show is based on. R. George R. As we saw in the first episode, the show begins 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen, with her ancestor King Viserys Targaryen (which also happens to be the name of her older brother, very confusing, we know), sitting on the Iron Throne. [Game Of Thrones](https://www.elle.com.au/culture/game-of-thrones-episodes-to-watch-before-house-of-the-dragon-27516)prequel, House Of The Dragon, is the latest fantasy epic to pique your interest (and base your entire personality on).

The highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, is now available to watch on Foxtel and stream on Binge.

The highly anticipated Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon, is now available to watch on Foxtel and stream on Fans can also catch up on all 8 seasons of award-winning drama Game of Thrones available to watch now on Foxtel on Demand and Binge. House of the Dragon available now on

One viewer called the bloody scene 'triggering' while another described it as 'disturbing.'

Might be the most gruesome scene I’ve watched,” observed one viewer. “Yeah this is the Game of Thrones I used to love, what a spectacular comeback, 10/10 first episode,” one fan wrote, while another said: “My obsession has been reignited,” calling the episode “truly amazing.” The bloody scene prompted a horrified reaction on Twitter, with one person writing: “This show is on another level of graphic scenes.”

Die-hard fans of Game of Thrones are reacting to the pilot episode of House of The Dragon, the show's much-anticipated prequel series. Fans are thrilled to ...

[START FREE TRIAL.](https://goto.binge.com.au/c/3001951/823586/11099?subId1=who.com.au/house-of-the-dragon-pilot-fan-reactions) Might be the most gruesome scene I’ve watched,” another wrote. Feel free to check back in once you’ve seen the scene – you can’t miss it. Across the web, it seems fans are praising the show on all fronts. And if you haven’t watched the episode yet, here’s your spoiler warning! However, some did find one scene particularly shocking, as the producers proved they wouldn’t be shying away from gore in Westeros’ latest iteration.

House Of The Dragon takes place 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen during the reign of Viserys I Targaryen, the grandson of King Jaehaerys I ...

Rhaenyra is the kind of strong-headed character you want to root for (and one of the only characters you want to root for). She is fond of her uncle, Daemon, and of her father, though the death of her mother creates a divide between them. [ this blog](https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/#196d790943ab) for all my TV recaps and reviews including every episode of House of the Dragon and the upcoming Rings of Power. Each Targaryen king has passed not only the Iron Throne down to their heirs, but the Song of Ice and Fire, a vision Aegon the Conqueror had of a terrible magical threat in the north that will someday come down from the icy forests of myth and sweep across the land of the living. Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) the dour Hand of the King finds Viserys and tells him the grim tale. Viserys is called away from the jousting and finds his wife exhausted and frightened in the tower. Viserys is a man who wishes to be loved, and who is generous in shows of affection. Daemon believes that it is better to be feared than to be loved, and makes no effort to be loved even by his wife who he refers to as ‘the bronze bitch.’ When confronted over the Flea Bottom massacre, Daemon rebukes his brother, telling him that outside the cloistered halls of the Red Keep, King’s Landing has become a place of fear where ordinary citizens live in terror for the lives and possessions. They’ve put him in charge of the city watch, and soon his Gold Cloaks become a fierce, highly-trained fighting force with unflinching loyalty not to the crown, but to Daemon himself. One of the major threads in this first episode that will carry on well beyond the premiere, is the relationship between Viserys and his younger brother, Daemon (Matt Smith) who is heir apparent when this story begins. The looting and carnage is hitting Driftmark the hardest, but will soon impact the economy of all Westeros. Jaehaerys was a beloved king who had many children, but all of his male heirs died before he did and so the question of succession loomed large over the land and on the king’s conscience.

House of the Dragon recap: We're back in Westeros, baby! And yes, it's still viscerally violent. By Sinead Stubbins.

Daemon doesn’t seem to be in the mood for an orgy, but he is in the mood for a speech. Visy says, “Daemon, did you say that” and Daemon explains that people mourn in their own ways, and the way he mourns is by saying problematic things in the middle of a paused orgy. Visy tells Daemon that he is no longer his heir. Visy is outraged that they think his brother is conniving enough to plot for the throne. (Meanwhile, Daemon is listening to the meeting behind a thin wall, plotting for the throne.) After the meeting, Ser Otto summons his daughter Alicent, who is very sad that the queen is dead. Visy decides to save the life of his baby son over his wife, but soon the baby passes away too. Daemon says, “Maybe yes, maybe no,” compares his own wife to a sheep and then teases Ser Otto because his own wife is dead. (This show is still viscerally violent, FYI.) The lads gather the loose body parts and pile them neatly in a wagon, because cleanliness is next to godliness. He and the boys do this by running through the streets and stabbing people to death. Prince Viserys (his second-eldest grandchild) is chosen, to the dismay of Princess Rhaenys (his eldest grandchild). He gives Rhae an ugly necklace made out of Valyrian steel as a “sorry you’re a woman and not an heir, I’m the heir” present and sends the knights under his command to clean up the city. Meanwhile, at the small council table, King Visy is telling jokes to his Hand, Ser Otto, Princess Rhaenys’ husband, Lord Corlys (diversity in Westeros!) and the dad from Fleabag.

Milly Alcock as Young Rhaenyra, Emily Carey as Young Alicent in "House of the Dragon." The following contains spoilers about the premiere episode of " ...

contained in Martin's writing and the earlier series. Martin's struggles for the Iron Throne, the producers were clearly mindful of early criticisms of "Game of Thrones." Her husband, King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine), is desperate for a son in order to secure a male heir to the throne, in accordance with tradition. That included incorporating people of color into the "House" cast and, as , fueling fierce debate about issues of forced birth and women's freedom to make their own healthcare choices. As

Beheadings, mutilations, conspiracies, orgies and tragedy in a bloody, fatal childbirth scene anchor the storylines of the Targaryen dynasty at the height of ...

SPOILER WARNING: We are about to recap episode one of the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon. That means spoilers aplenty.

The Game of Thrones prequel shows patriarchy at its most dehumanizing — but in a post-Roe world, it was effective.

House of the Dragon introduced House Stark with Rickon Stark swearing fealty to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Here's what to know about Rickon Stark.

Cregan will likely become Lord of Winterfell by the time of the civil war. It’s fitting that House Stark is shown swearing fealty in this moment; House Stark and House Targaryen will eventually unite to defeat this threat, the Starks' past loyalty to the Targaryens perhaps one small signal of this future alliance.) [ 200 years before Ned Stark is named Hand of the King](https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a40896343/house-of-the-dragon-setting-time/)—the first season of Game of Thrones. We, of course, know this threat to be the White Walkers and the (One house swearing fealty before Stark: “Baratheon,” the surname of King Robert who rules the Seven Kingdoms at the start of Game of Thrones.) The name “Rickon” will also seem familiar, as this is the name of Eddard (Ned) and Catelyn Stark’s youngest child, who died at 11 during the Battle of the Bastards.

Richard Lawson and Josh Wigler break down the return to Westeros, the cost of all that violence, and why it might be fair to read a little into that moment ...

[recap](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/house-of-the-dragon-season-1-episode-1-recap) as well as [his guide](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/house-of-the-dragon-characters-whos-who) to telling all those silver-haired Targaryens apart. Anthony Breznican [also caught up](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/house-of-the-dragon-birth-scene) with series creator Ryan Condal and book author George R.R. But, as hosts Richard Lawson and Josh Wigler discuss on this week’s Still Watching, the real world has changed a bit since Game of Thrones ended in 2019, and what viewers expect has probably changed too.

HBO Max crashed repeatedly for many viewers during the premiere of the streaming platform's highly anticipated “Game of Thrones” prequel on Sunday night, ...

The prequel, helmed by different directors than its predecessors, could provide a comeback of sorts for HBO. “House of the Dragon is being successfully viewed by millions of HBO Max subscribers this evening,” HBO said in a statement provided to multiple media outlets Sunday. The crashes introduced a technical hiccup into one of HBO’s most hotly awaited shows in years.

House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel, stars among others, Eve Best, Paddy Considine, Rhys Ifans and (oh, joy) Matt Smith.

– the birth of his heir, Daemon (and now cast your mind back to his performance in The Crown) is indefatigable, but also rather comical: here is the young Duke of Edinburgh in full body armour, on speed. [Tory leadership contest](https://www.newstatesman.com/tag/tory-leadership-election), with the notable difference that Daemon’s policies – “I’ll be tough on crime!” – do at least work (if both your hands are missing, it’s hard to fondle the nearest prostitute). When it begins, his wife is heavily pregnant, and everyone is hoping for a boy; his first born and only surviving child is a daughter, Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock), which means that his heir is currently his rather naughty brother, Prince Daemon (Smith), a man no one in the King’s council seems much to like. He tells the King he must name a new heir, the better to avoid uncertainty among his people and even worse when it comes to Daemon, who has designs on the Iron Throne (which still looks like a specially commissioned installation at an upmarket Japanese knife store), and now has a small army at his disposal in the form of the men of the City Watch (Daemon trained them to stamp out crime in King’s Landing, a task they perform by sticking their swords where the sun don’t shine, and amputating so many body parts, it takes two full carriages to remove all the limbs – and, er, reproductive organs – from the streets). He is in mourning, a wimpish state that persists even when Hightower sends his own daughter Alicent (Emily Carey) to him on a “comfort mission”. House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel, stars among others, Eve Best, Paddy Considine, Rhys Ifans and (oh, joy) Matt Smith.

The 'Game of Thrones' prequel drew impressive numbers for HBO, becoming the year's most-watched premiere on premium cable and streaming.

And with [HBO Max preparing to combine with Discovery+](https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/08/04/hbo-max-and-discovery-will-combine-into-one-streaming-service/), big numbers from a franchise become even more critical as HBO tries to make its value clear to its new owners at Discovery. Now I write and edit for businesses... With more and more streaming services joining the fray, the TV landscape has transformed over the past three years. All the streamers are [searching for ways to stand out](https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2022/08/12/5-lessons-from-disneys-successful-challenge-to-netflix/?sh=216bbff18abc) amid the [fight for eyeballs](https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2022/08/06/streaming-wars-latest-chapter-plays-out-on-out-of-home-ads/?sh=763e978f4260). “Just as Stranger Things’ most recent season four, volume two drop surpassed its volume one audience, HBO must look to innovative marketing that drives incremental audience growth to break through today’s saturated content marketplace.” households, according to Samba TV, a technology company that provides real-time audience analytics, including viewers who watched the show from 9 p.m.

George RR Martin's world struts its way back on to our screens with utter confidence and brio. As captivating as it is gruesome, it's like a greatest hits ...

There is a specificity that both works in its favour and occasionally weakens its impact. There is a lot of dialogue. I’d argue that Game of Thrones thrived on the strength of its villains, far more than the virtues of its heroes, and A prequel to Game of Thrones, it begins 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen, and it chronicles the fall of the Targaryen dynasty, though after watching the first six episodes of squabbling and scheming, the real question is how it can possibly take two centuries to collapse. [House of the Dragon](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/house-of-the-dragon) (Sky Atlantic) is simply spectacular. It is a greatest hits playlist of Westeros at its meatiest.

"House of the Dragon" — the highly anticipated "Game of Thrones" prequel — brought in roughly 10 million viewers for its first episode across linear and HBO ...

More information about [cookies](/cookie) [cookies](/cookie), [revised Privacy Policy](/privacy)and [Terms of Service](/terms). [House of the Dragon](http://www.cnn.com/2022/08/22/entertainment/house-of-the-dragon-recap/index.html)" — the highly anticipated " [Game of Thrones](http://www.cnn.com/2022/08/21/entertainment/house-of-dragon-what-to-know-cec/index.html)" prequel — brought in roughly 10 million viewers for its first episode across linear and HBO Max platforms in the US on Sunday night, the network said on Monday.

Matt Smith would like Daemon to be played by Big Bird, but Milly Alcock thinks Count Von Count is more fitting. Here's all the Sesame Street characters the ...

“He’d be Balerion the Black Dread,” says Condal, referring to one of the most monstrous dragons in Westerosi history. [ this blog](https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/#196d790943ab) for all my TV recaps and reviews including every episode of House of the Dragon and the upcoming Rings of Power. “I think we need to be Statler and Waldorf,” he says, referring to himself and co-showrunner and Game Of Thrones director Miguel Sapochnik. Corlys is certainly a grouch, but once again Milly Alcock has a better idea: “Oscar the Grouch” she said, should “play Rhys.” She’s referring to Rhys Ifans who plays the ever-gloomy Otto Hightower, Hand of King Viserys, in the show. Some House Of The Dragon stars wanted the same Sesame Street character to play different House roles in this hypothetical parody. In the sketch, the lords and ladies of Jesteros need to figure out who will be the next King and to do so they play a game of chairs. At this point a red-haired Muppet pops up and says “The monster is blue and full of errors.” Olivia Cooke, who plays the grownup version of Alicent Hightower, isn’t much better when it comes to Sesame Street trivia. “He’s like a vampire when he counts.” To be fair, Daemon is definitely more of a vampiric character in the show—ruthless, white-haired and pale. It’s musical chairs, of course, which is basically as sensible a means to determine who gets to be king as picking the next spoiled—likely developmentally stunted—male brat in line based entirely on luck, age and Y chromosomes. The chairs the game is actually played with include a Baseball Bat Throne, a Ping Pong Paddle Throne and a Nine-Iron Throne. House Of The Dragon is a very, very dark and disturbing grimdark fantasy show, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun.

The network said viewership for the “Game of Thrones” spinoff was the biggest start for a series in its history.

[people associated ](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html)with the show — including the writer who created the “Thrones” universe, [George R.R. Martin ](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/21/arts/television/george-rr-martin-house-of-the-dragon.html)— were concerned that the backlash would turn off viewers from giving “House of the Dragon” a chance. That episode, which aired in December, averaged 1.7 million viewers, a record for “Succession,” the network said. “House of the Dragon,” which benefited from a lavish marketing campaign, has nine more episodes this season. A strong debut from “House of the Dragon” is a source of comfort to HBO executives, and may be evidence that viewers are craving more stories from Westeros. “Game of Thrones,” the cable network said on Monday. In early September, Amazon will premiere its own splashy fantasy series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” [interview last month.](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html) “But it will have to do the work on its own to bring people in and to sustain the viewership.” Stories like this are possible because of our deep commitment to original reporting, produced by a global staff of over 1,700 journalists who have all dedicated themselves to helping you understand the world. [five other “Thrones” spinoff](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/arts/television/house-of-the-dragon-hbo-got.html) ideas in development. [House of the Dragon](https://www.nytimes.com/spotlight/house-of-the-dragon-hbo),” the much-anticipated “Game of Thrones” spinoff, was the most-watched episode of an HBO series since … The network said viewership for the “Game of Thrones” spinoff was the biggest start for a series in its history.

The first episode of "House of the Dragon" was seen by 9.986 million viewers across linear and HBO Max platform Sunday night, the largest audience of any ...

"House of the Dragon" tells the story of the Targaryen civil war that took place about 200 years before the events portrayed in "Game of Thrones." "House of the Dragon," only the second entrant in its Game of Thrones franchise, has a lot to prove, and to live up to. This is the largest audience of any new original series in the history of HBO, the company said. Discovery revealed that 9.986 million viewers across linear and HBO Max platforms tuned in to watch the first episode of the prequel series Sunday night. It seems, fans of the high fantasy series were at least intrigued enough to settle in to watch the first episode of the series, leading to HBO's biggest series premiere in its history. - The first episode of "House of the Dragon" was seen by 9.986 million viewers across linear and HBO Max platform on Sunday night.

Portrayed by Olivia Cooke (as an adult) and Emily Carey (as a youngster), Hightower is an imperative character who plays a major role in George R. R. Martin's ...

However, Alicent wants one of her own children fathered by the King — two of whom were boys — to be named heir. Alice’s father Otto maintained his position in the court after the coronation of Viserys Targaryen, to whom he (seemingly) remained faithful. Unlike the original, there were also lots of dragons. Martin’s Fire and Blood, the novel that the series is based on. It is Alicent’s feud with Rhaenyra that ultimately brings about division amongst royal supporters. It is important to note that the context of House of The Dragon is very different to Game of Thrones.

Queen Aemma is very pregnant in the series's opening episode, and King Viserys is convinced the pregnancy will result in the boy heir he needs. However, things ...