House of the Dragon
Spoiler Alert : The clause contains major spoilers for House of the Dragon .
fan have returned to the Westeros human beings asHouse of the Dragonnow airs on HBO , with the showhaving delivered a stunning 9.99 million viewership for its premiere . Set 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen ’s effort to reclaim the Iron Throne , the serial publication follow her ancestors who once lavishly ruled the Seven Kingdoms , but not without the internal conflict within the Targaryen menage .
This brand - new prequel dive into Rhaenyra Targaryen ’s sovereignty and traces the ruination of the Targaryen dynasty , leading up to the original HBO series . There is so much rich storytelling to take out in the first episode , from the friction between the Targaryen brothers to the unexpected revelation regarding a well - sleep with prophecy .
Viserys Targaryen Is On The Iron Throne
correctly off , the prequel establishes Targaryen rulers on the Iron Throne , several generations before Daenery ’s journey to capture Westeros . But , the episode opens with turmoil regarding taking over because King Jaehaerys ' sons had died , leaving confusion about the next ruler and causing a special counsel to choose between several Targaryen candidates .
Great - cracking - grandson to Aegon , the original founder of the Targaryen dynasty 100 years before , Viserys won the council ’s favor to become Westeros ' newest ruler . He beat out his cousin Rhaenys for the Throne and declares his male inheritor will eventually succeed him . But , this object glass becomes a refine thing as shown subsequently in the instalment and sets in motion the incoming civil war within the house .
Princess Rhaenyra Is Like Daenerys
When audience first meet Rhaenyra , she ’s hop off her flying dragon and has small interestingness in settling down and denudate child . She ’s headstrong and appreciate the surrounding friendly relationship , such as her relationship with Alicent Hightower . ThoughDaenerys twist out to be much more villainousthan originally perceive , Rhaenyra ’s arc stay to be see . Like Daenerys , she ’s poise to be a intrepid milkweed butterfly .
Rhaenyra has many like trait to her descendent . She ’s fiercely independent , is a skilled dragon rider , and can speak High Valyrian . She ’s immensely concerned in the detail of her father ’s council meetings , and like her descendent , her call to the pot is questioned due to her gender . Hence , many fans ca n’t help but already love the fibre due to her similarities with Daenerys , one of the fan - favorite characters during the original serial .
The Hightowers Scheme From The Shadows
Two brand - new players to theGame of Throneslore are Otto and Alicent Hightower . Otto , as Hand of the King , seems rather loyal as Viserys ' 2d in mastery , steering him away from Daemon ’s influence . But , Otto is much more dodgy , akin toGame of ThronesLittlefinger , and seems to have his own intention for the kingdom .
Alicent is inclose as Rhaenyra ’s best friend and ally , and for most of the episode , that ’s all she is . After Viserys ' familial red ink , Otto asks her to console the grieving king in his chambers . While she ’s propositioned to contribute the queen a kind ear , fan know there ’s more to this than meets the eye , with Otto scheming to get his daughter close to the most powerful . It only run up to her moment where she becomes King Viserys ' second wife and convey the events closer to the Dance of the Dragons .
Daemon Brings Chaos To King’s Landing
While many Targaryen members appear in the first episode , there ’s one that stands out . Played with immaculate malice by Matt Smith , Daemon is the king ’s brother and Rhaenyra ’s uncle , who wastes piddling time with cordial thing and nicety . His brutal nature and disregard for morality reminiscence of Joffrey Baratheon .
Daemon ’s military action in the first episode intelligibly position him as a tearing royal stag . He lead the City Guard through the metropolis , killing many civilian in the King ’s Landing seedy underbelly , and takes pleasure at brothels . Because of his callous nature , his title to the throne is scrap by Viserys ' council , bring up him as unfit to be the next swayer . His collocation to Rhaenyra is sure to work out in future episodes , with his desire to sit upon the Iron Throne a likely threat to her rule .
Callbacks To The Other Houses
While this is a prequel and does not revisit any of the character interview have follow to know and love from the original series , name - dropping fall out . Through the first episode , audiences are so swept up by newfangled names and personality and may not requireto remember all that happened inGame of Thrones . Still , the mention of intimate houses from the original series is more than a treat .
During the barbaric jousting tournament , Daemon wins multiple bloody trials on hogback until Criston Cole unseat Daemon and wins Rhaenyra ’s favor . This mysterious alien hail from Dorne , a prominent region featured inGame of Thronesseason 3 . The end of the sequence also see many conversant theater pledge their dedication to Rhaenyra , let in Stark and Baratheon . These callback may only be the start , as there could be moreGame of Thronesconnections in upcoming episodes .
Viserys' Wife and Heir Die
House Targaryen ’s succeeding rests on Viserys ' male successor , and the close at hand giving birth undercuts the first one-half of this episode . Viserys ' wife , Aemma , has tried multiple times to produce him a manful heir to no avail .
The egg on incident for Rhaenyra ’s eventual succession is her mother and brother ’s death , which tells a lot about Viserys . In a torturesome nativity scene , the king decides to prise his Word ’s life-time over his wife and has her thin overt without her permission . This implies the vitality of manly heir , not only in this universe but in this family . This patriarchal guild makes Rhaenyra ’s claim to the stool unfavorable and ensues more conflict , with many challenge her as the successor .
Blood and Death Galore
In trueGame of Thronesfashion , there is much blood and death present in the first episode . After all , it would n’t be a George R. R. Martin version without some .
The presentation of gore in this episode reminds the audience that the Targaryens pedestal by their household creed . Daemon produces some damage in a violent bend alongside the City Guard , an early Thrones rendering of theKingsguard , who have much historical accuracy . The birthing scene juxtaposed with a celebratory jousting tourney in the name of the heir is unsettling to watch over and remind viewers what show they ’re tune up into .
King Viserys Reprimands Daemon
While the king grieves the demise of his male heir and his darling married woman , Daemon taunts his nephew ’s death to his friends and incur the business leader ’s wrath . This argument create a break between the Targaryen brothers , as each understands the other ’s true color .
This conversation between brothers show cryptic and fiery gall . Daemon accuses him of favour Otto Hightower over him as second in command , and Viserys retorts he ’s unfit to be beside him . Viserys sends him aside on his dragon , but its unlikely viewers have realize the last of him .
The Iron Throne Bites Back
A can made of swords is leap to give some wounds , yet Viserys is the first ruler upon it that gets visibly cut . betimes in the sequence , healers attend to Viserys for a festering wound , in all probability caused bythe Throne , which has a long story . At the sequence ’s conclusion , he ’s cut by the knife he sits upon , which could touch to Visery ’s dominance as the king .
While this development may be inconsequent , the conception that office can kill is a pretty interesting metaphor for the ruler of Westeros . The Iron Throne literally causing the attendant - hearted Viserys painfulness is far-famed , especially as a visceral and physical admonisher of the sacrifice for tycoon . It may also be a tricksy reminder that Viserys is not stand for to reign from the Throne .
Viserys Tells Rhaenyra The Prophecy
Perhaps the most important fit from the first instalment is the conversation between Viserys and Rhaenyra in the firedrake crypt , hide in the shadow of a gargantuan beastly skeleton . Viserys say Rhaenyra of a ambition long passed down from rulers to their heritor regarding " a song of crank and ardour . "
The prophecy betoken the end of men by a great Northern winter and a Targaryen who would seat on the Iron Throne . This , of course , is the fundament of what Daenerys tries to reach generations in the future . This revelation is important because it provides more detail about the vaticination that had set the point forGame of Thrones . But , it is unclear if this divination will be big in the storytelling and how Rhaenyra will endeavor to impel it forwards .
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