SERIES REVIEW – The fire-breathing reptilian successor to Game of Thrones kicked off on August 21 with a truly unbridled dragon ride that takes it to a higher altitude. The first season was a true Shakespearean drama of kings and, in many ways, a tragedy, but despite the new series’ slightly different style from the original Game of Thrones, it didn’t disappoint.

Season 1 of House Of The Dragon entered the world with a huge responsibility. It had to prove that its dragons could soar once again, even if the penultimate season of its predecessor (Game Of Thrones season 8) was a big disappointment for viewers. Added to this was the pressure of having to compete, in a sense, with Amazon’s billion-dollar series Lord of the Rings. So, between regaining trust and proving their worth, the dragons had to fly high and concentrate on being the sole dominant force in the streaming channel sky.

And now, as I sit down to write my thoughts after witnessing the bloody finale, let’s all celebrate a series that managed to bring back the Westeros we’ve been missing for the past five years and add even more with the superbly skilled creators Ryan Condal, Miguel Sapochnik & the god George R.R. Martin. While I’ve already talked about the first episode in my review, the series of episodes that follow are nothing short of a rampant dragon ride that is as wild and erratic as its characters, but still knows exactly what it sets out to do.

Soon the “pet dragons” emerge

The series’ protagonist Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock and Emma D’Arcy), has been the subject of several shocking events throughout the season. While in the first episodes, some of the series’ heroes are young and nave, in the later episodes, everyone is grown up; there is no question of naivety as events unfold in increasingly cruel and sordid ways. The idea that the creators have carried through has always been to show the real war, as opposed to the literal war that takes place during childbirth or the succession to the throne. It all depends on the gender of the newborn, who the heir will be, what house it represents and how capable it is. The final five episodes take this idea on a wild ride, as we see not one but three wars fought between the women. Still, the two scenes in the final episode will shock viewers – more than anything else in the previous season.

The series also does a fascinating job of shaping the role of the women: while at first, it objectifies them as mere machines of inheritance, in the second half of the season, it brings out their true strength. In a world dominated by men and their misogyny, here are a few women who try to change the course of things for good, bad, and ugly in whatever way they see fit. Martin, Sapochnik & Condal explore these women through lurking gazes, and it’s amusing how they first let the brutal world torture them but also empower them to make their domination seem more promising.

What is also promising is the decision not to dilute things at all, not once telling the audience how they are supposed to feel about what is happening on screen. There is Daemonra and Rhaenyra, for example. The ruthless, often cruel and impetuous uncle and the clueless niece are in love, separated, and reunited after a decade, but at the cost of three lives (one taken by Daemon), but their love for each other remains pure, and now they are going into the war on the right side. And yes, Daemon physically abuses Rhaenyra. So should we root for their dynamic or fear they can go to any length to keep the fire alive? It’s entirely up to the viewer. A shining example of great storytelling.

First-rate performances, but the change of actress was a bit “brutal”…

In the second half of the series, Emma D’Arcy replaced Milly Alcock as Rhaenyra. It’s a tricky twist because now she can’t have a wild spirit in her demeanour because she’s a mother of two in labour with her third child. D’Arcy gets the job and does exactly what is expected of her. The best part is that the drama is always in the situation, so the actors have to play it subtle and never overtly, riffing dramatically – another big difference from the basic series. That said, the sudden change in the first episodes, when we see D’Arcy in Alcock’s place, is a bit disconcerting.

Olivia Cooke is Alicent Hightower, and the actress has a fine natural talent. She can be loving, crazy, evil, and emotional – even in succession – and she never overdoes it while doing it all very well. It will be fun to see how she makes Alicent more complex in the coming seasons.

Matt Smith continues to be the force he started as and only got better as the season progressed in his role as Daemon. Smith himself is a blood professional and along with the female characters he is the cold, immensely cruel, macho to the extreme and yet extremely intelligent male antihero. For obvious reasons, writer Fabien Frankel solidified his evil qualities (he resembles Arthas from the Warcraft universe) by the end of the series.

Oh, and we mustn’t forget Eve Best, who is also the perfect Rhaenys, with the balanced daring she brings to the table that is so unique and, I’m sure, can be brutal without her dragon.

And finally, there is Paddy Coinsidine at the end, who is quite simply perfection itself, the quintessence of Shakespearean acting as he portrays the tragedy of the physically and figuratively declining king with mastery.

The performances are, therefore, first-rate, surpassing the equally high standard of Game of Thrones.

Dragon against dragon grass – some things work less well…

Sadly, it’s not as if Season 1 isn’t going to be a drag. The makers need to justify their huge leaps in season 1 because it’s hard to process and follow. This also affects the accelerating pace around the jumps. For example, when Laena tells the dragon to burn her because she doesn’t want to die at the hands of the Maesters with a stillborn child in her body, it’s a very jarring scene, but it comes so fast that it doesn’t hit as hard.

Also, for a series about a kingdom, where are the people, the simple commoners of Pori? Most of the action takes place in castles and fortresses, so there is minimal opportunity to venture outside the gates. It happens on rare occasions, but it’s not emphasised enough.

A bit uneven, but overall a professional first season

The House of Dragons is a unique spin-off series to Game of Thrones, not just because of the well-known reptiles. The series, which focuses almost entirely on the intrigues surrounding the royal house, is like a Shakespearean drama of kings, full of bloody murders, betrayals and cruel decisions. The actors are first-rate, and the events are exciting; the only thing that is sometimes difficult to follow is the huge leaps in the story.

-BadSector-