House of the Dragon

It is not uncommon for successful shows to experience a major drop in quality from the initial season to the next but wow, the season 2 of House of the Dragon dropped off the proverbial cliff.

After a great season 1, proving to many that the world of Westeros could still play host to interesting story lines, season 2 managed to mess that up. Too many side plots that added nothing to the overall story, too much sitting around and brooding by Queen Rhaenyra and the endless Harrenhal scenes were awful.

As so many others have pointed out, the pacing was completely off for the entire season leaving me zoning out during episodes. Now we are told that filming for season 3 will commence next year so season 3 where we might finally get some dragon-on-dragon action is likely 18 months away? While I looked forward to season 2 after a great season 1, I have to admit to not being all that excited for season 3.

What a shame.

Season 1 had such a great pace. We moved through years in 2 or 3 episodes, which allowed for the story to move along and milestones to be achieved. This season we are 4 episodes in and the story has only moved a few weeks. This show is eerily slow and nothing is happening. The Dameon story line is boring and useless. Rhanerya has been absent in most of the episodes and not making any decisions. The show writers listened to wasteful criticism from some of last year's audience members, who complained the pace was too fast and now they have destroyed the show!!!! You can't take everyone's critique too serious. This show is way tooo slow and it has lost it magic from last year.

I've been looking forward to House of the Dragon since the spin-off was first announced. The majority of the reviews and ratings have been great so that only enhanced my excitement. I told myself I'd be happy if it was half as good as the Game of Thrones and I can say that without a doubt that it is. While it's obviously not as good as the original (not much is) but it's definitely still a really good show that is one of the most successful shows on tv. It has the same Game of Thrones feel with all the action, drama, mystery, etc. People who don't like it either didn't want to because they hate everything or are comparing it to the original...don't. Just take it for what it is and that's a really good show! It was the most watched premiere in HBO history and has already been renewed for seasons 3 and 4. This is going to have a long run so I hope it continues to get better and better like the original did.

In truth, the show presents all the GOT trappings, but offers none of its heart. Consider why we cared about GOT. First, we watched the Stark family children and their trials, torn from their home in the North: Sansa in King's Landing, then worse; Arya among the Nameless Men, then wandering Westeros with the Hound; Jon Snow at the Wall and beyond on his northern quest, then finding his truth with Dani. Secondly, the Lannister story-arc had legs. We came to care about both Jamie and Tyrion. Finally, we watched Dani rise from trophy wife to Targaryen queen. That is, we experienced these complex and beautifully written characters as they grew.

Contrastingly, House of the Dragon offers no one to support, truly; no main character to root for. Thus, it descends quickly into mere palace intrigue, cut with gut-wrenching violence. Who do we like, here? The arrogant and self-serving Rhaenyra offers little empathy; and while the young Queen Alicent seemed sympathetic, she grows icy cold. The King's weakness undermines our connection to him and, finally, Daemon is just unfathomable. Put simply, we don't care about these people and, without character sympathy, the show is empty. Great stories aren't about what happens to people. They're about what happens to people we care about. A lesson HOTD should learn.

Game of Thrones was one of my favorite shows of all-time so I couldn't wait for House of the Dragon. After just finishing it I can tell you it's fantastic! While it's not as good as Game of Thrones it's still very good in its own right. It's already another hit in a long line of them for HBO. I've never read the books to these shows so I had no expectations when it came to that but I wouldn't care if it varied from the source material even if I did. I don't get why so many people care if a movie/show is different from the source material. As long as it's entertaining...who cares? They have to adapt these books for the screen. The first few episodes may start a little slow for some as they build these characters and the world they live in but stick with it because it definitely pays off. This is definitely one of the best new shows of the last few years and I'm looking forward to more seasons in the future.